“The Hidden Project Drivers: Building Behavior that Drives Success”

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​Every project manager knows the feeling: you’ve checked all the boxes, mapped out the timeline, marshaled the resources—yet somehow, things still go sideways. Deadlines slip, teams get frustrated, and the post-mortem feels like déjà vu. What’s going on beneath the surface when otherwise competent teams just can’t seem to deliver? Kursten Faller and Alan Weiss have a clear answer, and it’s a lot messier than most Gantt charts would have you believe.

The Hidden Project Drivers: Building Behavior that Drives Success(Business Expert Press, April 3, 2026) goes where most project management manuals fear to tread: into the gray area of human behavior. Instead of fixating on methodologies or frameworks, Faller and Weiss dissect the subtle habits, group dynamics, and unspoken assumptions that quietly steer projects toward success—or failure. Their central point is both simple and profound: it’s not the process, but the people. And it’s not just about skills or experience, but the behaviors people bring to the table every day.

What I appreciated most is the authors’ willingness to tackle uncomfortable truths. They’re not shy about calling out the ways teams sabotage themselves: the leader who mistakes micromanagement for leadership, the team member who avoids difficult conversations, the organization that prizes “harmony” over honesty. Using a mix of sharp anecdotes and practical tools, Faller and Weiss help readers see the invisible forces at work in their own teams. The chapter on “behavioral contracts” is a standout—offering concrete ways to align expectations and create genuine accountability, without the drama or finger-pointing that often derails projects.

The writing style is direct and unpretentious, with just enough humor to keep things engaging. The authors don’t claim to have all the answers, and they certainly aren’t selling a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, they invite readers to get curious about their own blind spots and to see behavioral change as a continuous, sometimes uncomfortable, process. There’s a humility here that feels earned and refreshing; Faller and Weiss have clearly spent years in the field, watching real projects succeed and fail for reasons that rarely show up in status reports.

If you’re looking for a step-by-step project management guide, you’ll need to look elsewhere. But if you want to understand why your projects stall out—despite your best efforts—and what you can actually do about it, this book is a must-read. It’s honest, pragmatic, and, at times, even a little bit hopeful. By focusing on the behavioral levers available to every team, the authors offer a path forward that’s both challenging and achievable. You may never look at your next kickoff meeting the same way again.

Nicole Killian