James Louttit
How to Deliver Results Without Burning Out with James Louttit Ep 260 - The Global Discussion
James Louttit, Founder and Lead Trainer at Impactful Project Management, is in discussion with Host Simon Hodgkins on The Global Discussion to discuss a common challenge faced by leaders and team members: how to deliver results without burning out.
James’s story is as much a cautionary tale as it is a playbook for success. In 2016, he found himself in the hospital after driving a major project forward through sheer effort alone. That experience forced him to rethink his entire approach. Instead of pushing harder, he began focusing on creating impact. This shift not only improved his health but propelled his career, eventually leading him to a CIO role and then into launching his own training business.
From Seven Lenses to One Game-Changing Priority
James draws on years of project management experience but keeps his frameworks accessible for anyone, not just those with “Project Manager” in their job title. His Seven Lenses model covers the classic project factors, scope, time, cost, quality, team, stakeholders, and risk, but he adds an eighth that he believes is often overlooked: prioritization.
It is here, he argues, that leaders can transform both results and workplace wellbeing. Without conscious prioritization, organizations fall into what he calls “the must bucket,” where everything is deemed essential, but nothing receives the focus it deserves.
Tactics that Drive Real Change
While mindset matters, James emphasizes tactics, practical steps teams can take immediately. He teaches methods like the SAVE technique (Silent writing, Affinity clustering, Vote, Execute) to get projects moving in under an hour. He also champions Lean Coffee sessions, a structured yet democratic approach that surfaces and addresses issues that might otherwise linger unspoken.
These tools create space for better conversations, shared ownership, and faster progress. As James puts it, the key to buy-in is simple: “Don’t make it your thing. Make it our thing.”
Burnout, Resilience, and the Work We Choose
One of James’s strongest positions is on resilience. While it is valuable for individuals to build their own resilience, he believes it is wrong for organizations to demand it as a core value. Instead, workplaces should be designed so people do not need to operate in constant survival mode.
That starts with deciding not just what to do, but what not to do. Leaders who help their teams focus on high-value, low-effort work can significantly reduce stress and improve output.
Rethinking Risk Management
James also challenges how most organizations approach risk. The common “add 10 or 20 percent contingency” rule, he says, is both lazy and ineffective. His alternative is risk-based contingency, where the real cost or time impact of a risk is estimated and then made visible to decision-makers. This turns risk management into a shared responsibility rather than a burden carried by a single project manager.
Agile, Waterfall, and the Reality in Between
In the debate between agile and traditional project management, James takes a pragmatic stance. Most teams are already blending the two, even if they do not label it that way. The best approach, he says, is to learn a range of tools and tailor them for each project, team, and organizational context.
The Future of Project Work
Looking ahead, James sees remote work, AI, and global competition reshaping the way teams operate. Fully remote workers, he notes, are competing in a global talent pool and must be exceptional to stand out. Wherever possible, building in opportunities for face-to-face collaboration will strengthen trust and performance.
He also advises leaders to lean into adaptability, making smaller, faster decisions and trusting their future selves to adjust as conditions change.
Connect with James
James Louttit’s book, Leading Impactful Teams: Achieving Low-Stress Success in Project Management, is available in print and audio formats. He is active on LinkedIn and is launching a new online community for discussion, Q&A, and shared learning.
For anyone feeling the weight of endless priorities and constant change, James’s approach offers both relief and results, a reminder that leading with impact, not just effort, is the smarter way forward.
About The Global Discussion
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