Tuesday, May 13, marks International PMO Day—a day to celebrate and reflect on Project Management Offices’ pivotal role in organizational success. As a PMO leader, I know firsthand the incredible pressures, hidden struggles, and quiet victories we experience.

Most PMO leaders won’t admit it, but we spend half our time pretending we have things under control and the other half secretly fearing that everything could collapse at any moment.

Today, I’m pulling back the curtain on my journey as a PMO leader. I’ll share the raw truth of my struggles, unexpected twists, and incredible triumphs we’ve celebrated as a team. I hope this story inspires you and reminds you that clarity and success are just around the corner, even in your most challenging moments.

Setting Sail – Early Optimism Meets Reality

When I first stepped into my role leading a PMO, I was filled with optimism. I envisioned smooth sailing—organized projects, clear dashboards, and a team working in perfect harmony. We had the tools, the methodologies, and a leadership mandate. What could go wrong?

Everything, as it turned out.

Within weeks, cracks began to appear. Projects that had looked solid on paper began drifting off course. Dependencies were missed. Communication broke down. The dashboards looked good—but they weren’t telling the full story. Behind the numbers were people—stressed, overwhelmed, and unsure of what we were really trying to achieve.

I still remember one Friday evening, staring at a Gantt chart that looked like a tangled mess of spaghetti. I knew then this wasn’t just about schedules and deliverables. It was about trust. And mine was hanging by a thread.

Weathering the Storm – Resistance, Breakdown, and Doubt

To regain order, I did what most of us are taught to do: I rolled out new processes—more structured meetings, stricter reporting, tighter controls—and it backfired. Badly.

Instead of welcoming clarity, the teams saw it as bureaucracy. “Another layer of red tape,” one senior developer muttered in a meeting. Morale plummeted. Passive resistance turned into open frustration. I was trying to help, but it felt like I was making things worse.

And then came the tipping point.

A critical transformation project—one that had visibility at the board level—missed a major milestone. Executives started questioning the value of the PMO. My stomach sank every time I opened my inbox.

One evening, after a particularly brutal leadership meeting, I sat alone in the office staring at the city lights. I seriously considered walking away. I questioned whether I was cut out for this role. But something held me there.

I remembered why I started. I believed in the value of project management. I believed in the power of aligned, empowered teams. But something had to change. Not just the process—but me.

The Pivot – Listening, Learning, and Letting Go

That weekend, I did something radical: I reached out to the people who had been most vocal in their criticism. Not to defend myself, but to listen.

We sat down over coffee. No agenda. No PowerPoints. Just questions and ears. And what I heard changed everything.

They didn’t hate structure—they hated being left out of shaping it. They didn’t resist accountability—they just wanted clarity on the “why.” Most importantly, they didn’t distrust the PMO—they just didn’t feel it had their back.

I realized our PMO had become a compliance function, not a partner in delivery. That Monday, I tore up the rollout plan.

We rebuilt everything. Together.

We co-designed governance processes. We simplified reporting. We scrapped unnecessary templates. We redefined our success metrics based on value delivered, not boxes ticked. And above all, we made it human.

Trust didn’t return overnight. But with every conversation, every small win, every shared success—it grew.

Clear Skies – The Wins That Matter Most

Six months later, everything looked different. The transformation project was back on track and delivering real outcomes. Team engagement was the highest we had seen. Executive confidence was still a work in progress, but I was rebuilding it steadily.

But the biggest win wasn’t in the charts or status reports. It was in the hallway conversations. It was the project manager who told me, “This is the first time I feel like I’m not alone in delivering.” It was the team lead who said, “I used to dread our governance reviews. Now I actually look forward to them.”

We were no longer just managing projects. We were creating an environment where people could do their best work—and feel good doing it.

What PMO Leadership Really Takes

Leadership in a PMO isn’t about enforcing process. It’s about holding space—for uncertainty, for dialogue, for growth. It’s about knowing when to push and when to pause. It’s about having the courage to face criticism, and the humility to admit when you’ve gotten it wrong.

And most of all, it’s about choosing connection over control.

So, to every PMO leader reading this on International PMO Day: I see you. I know the storms you navigate. I know the sleepless nights, the invisible wins, the pressure to prove your worth.

But I also know the incredible difference you make.

Keep going. Keep listening. Keep leading.

The view after the storm is worth every bit of the journey.

If you’ve walked a similar path—or you’re standing in the eye of the storm right now—I’d love to hear your story. Let’s talk. Share what you’re facing, and I’ll share what helped me.

Have a happy International PMO Day!