Ahadu Asres Legesse, a senior project manager in business operations who has spent more than 28 years working for some of the Twin Cities’ largest employers, has launched Steady Progress, a free newsletter offering practical guidance on work, leadership and career growth. He is also developing a companion podcast, The Steady Progress Podcast, aimed at project managers, business professionals and recent graduates.
The newsletter, published on Substack, is written for people who are new to project management or thinking about moving into it, a group that is growing as employers across the region look for people who can keep complicated work on schedule.
What is Steady Progress?
Steady Progress is a free email newsletter by Ahadu Asres Legesse. Each issue takes one practical work habit or career skill and explains how to use it the same week. Planned topics include realistic scheduling, communicating with leaders and teams, handling change and risk, growing a career in project management and balancing work with the rest of life.
The first issue introduces the “Friday 15,” a 15-minute end-of-week review built around five questions: what was finished, what is still open, what is due next week, what could go wrong and what the top three priorities are for Monday. The habit borrows the weekly status reviews project managers use to keep large projects on track and applies them to an individual’s own workload.
Readers can subscribe at no cost at ahaduasreslegesse.substack.com.
Who is Ahadu Asres Legesse?
Legesse grew up in Anoka and still lives in the city. He graduated from Anoka High School in 1992, earned an Associate of Arts from Anoka-Ramsey Community College in Coon Rapids in 1994 and completed a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at Metropolitan State University in Saint Paul in 1997.
His career has stayed in the Twin Cities:
- Target Corporation, Minneapolis (1998 to 2004): operations analyst and project support specialist
- U.S. Bank, Minneapolis (2004 to 2012): project coordinator, then project manager from 2008
- Medtronic, Fridley (2012 to 2020): project manager in operational excellence
- UnitedHealth Group, Minnetonka (2020 to present): senior project manager in business operations, where he also mentors junior project coordinators
He describes his approach in plain terms: people should understand what needs to be done, who is responsible and when it is expected; schedules should be realistic rather than optimistic; and problems should be raised early, before they become larger delays. The newsletter is built around those same ideas.
Why does it matter locally?
Project management is a sizable field in the metro. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington area had about 15,450 jobs classified as project management specialists as of May 2025, with a median annual wage of about $97,860. Many more project roles are filed under other titles, from operations managers to program coordinators.
Demand is expected to keep rising nationally. The Project Management Institute’s 2021 Talent Gap report estimated that the global economy will need 25 million new project professionals by 2030, about 2.3 million people entering project-oriented work each year.
Most of those people will not start with a project manager title. Like Legesse, who began in operations support at Target and spent about four years as a coordinator before becoming a project manager, many enter through analyst, coordinator or administrative roles. That gap between entry-level work and the first project manager job is where he hopes the newsletter and podcast can help.
What is The Steady Progress Podcast?
The Steady Progress Podcast is a planned series of practical conversations hosted by Legesse. It is planned at two episodes per month, each about 20 to 30 minutes long. Early episode topics include the value of showing up consistently, why good project management starts with listening, lessons from a career in business operations, why small improvements lead to bigger results, balancing work, health and personal goals, and building a career and community in Minnesota. A launch date has not been announced.
Local resources for people considering project management
For Anoka County residents interested in the field, several local paths are available:
- Community college transfer. Under a policy announced by Minnesota State, students who complete an Associate of Arts with the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum and at least a 2.0 GPA at a Minnesota State college, such as Anoka-Ramsey, are guaranteed admission with junior standing at the system’s seven state universities. Admission to a specific major is not guaranteed.
- Entry-level credentials. The Project Management Institute’s Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) requires a secondary degree and 23 hours of project management education, with no prior experience. The more advanced PMP requires documented experience leading projects.
- Professional networking. The Project Management Institute has a Minnesota chapter that offers events and professional development for members across the state.
Outside work, Legesse plays golf at Green Haven Golf Course, plays tennis and walks and cycles along the Rum River. He also plans to spend more time mentoring people who are new to project management.
More about his background is available on Ahadu Legesse’s website.
For more stories about local people and businesses, see our local news and business coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ahadu Asres Legesse?
Ahadu Asres Legesse, also known as Ahadu Legesse, is a senior project manager in business operations from Anoka, Minnesota, with more than 28 years of experience at Target, U.S. Bank, Medtronic and UnitedHealth Group.
Is the Steady Progress newsletter free?
Yes. Readers can subscribe to Steady Progress at no cost on Substack.
When does The Steady Progress Podcast launch?
The podcast is in development, and a launch date has not been announced.
