Competencies of a Project Manager

I came across a blog post the other day asking if project managers are born or made.  The author answered the question by evaluating the core competencies of a project manager.  I agreed with the author in that these competencies are indeed the four skill areas needed to be a successful project manager.

1. Functional Knowledge: Understanding the business domain area, the supporting processes, and the affect the project has on the functional area.
2. Technical Expertise: This doesn't just apply to IT projects.  The project manager must posses knowledge of tools, techniques, and processes used in the project to develop, apply, and implement the project deliverables.
3. Project Management Experience: Although every project is different, our experience in projects helps to anticipate issues, learn to adapt to change, and solve problems encountered in projects.  Experience can be gained through previous project experience as well as certifications or continued education.
4. Leadership: Project managers must be able to coordinate, motivate, and direct the project team as well as solve handle the adversity among project stakeholders.  While this competency may not exist in everyone, experience does provide opportunities to develop.

So, the author's answer to the question was that project managers are both made and born.  Project management competencies must be developed over time but there are inherit intangibles needed to succeed.