An Educator’s Guide to Purpose, Resilience, and Growth
ADVISORY ARTICLE
By Kumar Sarma
United Arab Emirates
Who Am I — And Why This Work Matters
My name is Kumar Sarma and for the past 14 years, I’ve served as an educator, consultant, and transformation facilitator across the Middle East, India, and surrounding regions, supporting:
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- Government institutions
- Large to small scale infrastructure and PPP programs
- Fortune 500 enterprises
- Defense and security initiatives
- Multicultural, cross-functional project teams
My work spans project execution maturity, operational excellence, leadership capability building, and organizational resilience, with one consistent pattern over hundreds of projects:
Teams don’t struggle because they don’t know what to do —
they struggle because they cannot consistently do what they already know.
So why do 70% of projects fail to meet their original goals, despite exhaustive planning? The answer isn’t better software or stricter deadlines; it’s a fundamental shift toward eight non-negotiable pillars of human and professional excellence. This Educators guide moves beyond theory to deliver the actionable principles that transform high-potential managers into resilient leaders who drive projects to sustained, verifiable success.
Let’s Stop managing tasks and start mastering the purpose, discipline, and agility required to define project excellence on your own terms.
- Seize Opportunities Deliberately
Opportunities are not accidents — they are invitations.
Moments of alignment appear when timing, readiness, and awareness meet.
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- Pause before acting — not from hesitation, but from clarity.
b. When an opportunity aligns with purpose, step forward with courage and trust, not fear of imperfection.
c. Teach your team to cultivate presence — so they don’t miss what is unfolding right in front of them.
- Pause before acting — not from hesitation, but from clarity.
Project Leader’s Mantra: “Grace meets the prepared mind. Awareness is the first step to wisdom.”
More…
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Author’s note: This article was first published as a LinkedIn Newsletter post, October 20, 2025
How to cite this work: Sarma, K. (2025). Eight Pillars of Project Management Excellence: A Trainer’s Guide to Purpose, Resilience, and Growth, advisory, PM World Journal, Vol. XIV, Issue XII, December. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/pmwj159-Dec2025-Sarma-eight-pillars-of-project-management-excellence.pdf
About the Author
Kumar Sarma
UAE
Kumar Sarma is a Multidisciplinary Management Consultant, Educator, and Strategic Advisor with more than 20 years of leadership experience across the UAE, GCC, India, Bahrain, USA and Africa. He has supported government institutions, global enterprises, and mission-driven organizations in strengthening their capabilities across Project Management, Risk, Quality, Safety, IT Service Management, and Security Governance.
Kumar is known for his ability to translate complexity into clarity. His work blends technical precision, systems thinking, and human-centered leadership, supported by modern enablers such as automation, predictive intelligence, and performance optimization frameworks.
Throughout his career, his purpose has remained consistent: to empower leaders and organizations to execute with excellence, lead with integrity, and create meaningful, measurable impact. His approach goes beyond frameworks and certifications — focusing instead on mindset, culture, and execution discipline that sustain long-term value.
Through Vedant Consulting and Trainings, Kumar and his team continue to build transformative partnerships with organizations across the globe — driving innovation, resilience, and leadership capacity for a rapidly evolving world.
Kumar is respected not only for what he teaches, but for how he leads — with authenticity, humility, clarity, and a deep commitment to creating better systems, better leaders, and a better future.
Contact Kumar at Kumar Sarma | LinkedIn
