The Leadership Build Ep. 2: The Hidden Demands of Project Development

What does it really take to lead a project before it even exists?

In this episode, we explore the human reality of the project development phase—where vision is murky, timelines stretch for years, and nothing is guaranteed. While most conventional guidance today focuses on technical readiness, engineering deliverables, and risk modeling, this conversation zeroes in on what’s often missing: the emotional stamina, leadership clarity, and team commitment required to make it to FID.

Our guest, Tony Diocee, Vice President and Project Director at Commonwealth LNG, joins host Casey Freeman, Partner, Client Impact at JMW, for a raw and thoughtful look at what it takes to hold people together through years of uncertainty—and how to lead when you’re asking a team to build belief in something that doesn’t yet exist. This episode covers:

• Why the human side of project development remains the most underexplored challenge in major capital projects
• How to rally a team around a vision before the path is clear
• The leadership disciplines that keep teams emotionally aligned through ambiguity
• How to build a development team from scratch when you can’t bring in the trusted people you’ve worked with before
• The shift the industry must make if it wants to truly succeed at early-phase delivery

Tony brings a perspective that’s rare in capital project leadership—one rooted in enrollment, conviction, and the belief that human performance is the difference-maker when nothing else is certain. If you work in project development, this one’s essential listening.

Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify.

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