Articles

Agile Leadership Innovations refer to the continuous evolution and implementation of new strategies, practices, and tools that enhance the effectiveness of agile leadership. These innovations often emerge from a deep understanding of agile principles, combined with a commitment to adaptability, collaboration, and servant leadership.

The Agile Leadership Network is a community of agile practitioners dedicated to promoting Agile principles and best practices. This network serves as a platform for knowledge sharing, professional development, and collaboration among Agile leaders. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation, the Agile Leadership Network aims to enhance the effectiveness of Agile implementations across various organizations, ultimately driving better project outcomes and increased business value.

Management guru Peter Drucker once said, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” Great leaders have an uncanny ability to motivate people to go that extra mile. Leadership differs from management as it pictures, that management focuses on controlling and getting things done while leadership focuses on empowering people so that they do can the right thing. This does not mean management should be done away with. Management can be the frame on which we can build leadership to obtain the best results.

Supporting leadership
Agile takes a humanistic approach while executing projects, as evidenced by one of the values listed in the manifesto: individuals and interactions over processes and tools. The best leadership model suited for Agile is the supporting leadership model. Since it is the knowledge worker who adds value to a project, the needs of the worker become the needs of the company. The leader serves to meet those needs. In this way the focus remains on the worker rather than the leader, and the company profits.

In the supporting leader approach, the leader supports those doing the work, playing a facilitating role, and focuses on removing obstacles and making sure the team has everything that would help them to perform. Business representatives will sometimes make requests that threaten to slowdown the project. Team members may be required to devote some of their time to another project. These actions threaten to hinder the project and put it off track. It is the leader’s responsibility to shield the team from such diversions. The supporting leader keeps the team focused on the project vision by communicating it at regular and relevant stages of the development process. Another duty of the leader is to facilitate any training that might be necessary for the team members to work on a project. To sustain the motivation of a team, the leader should also reward the team at regular intervals.

Leadership attributes
So far we have discussed what a leader should do, but what attributes must a leader possess to earn the respect of his or her team members? After all, the leader that is not respected will be ineffective. When leaders possess the traits team members appreciate, the latter are bound to emulate them.

Honesty is probably the highest ranking attribute that team members expect from their leaders. Kouzes and Posner in The Leadership Challenge found that honesty was the characteristic most selected in surveys asking what employees consider the most important character trait a leader should have (p. 32).  Leaders who are transparent and accept their shortcomings may be perceived as being more credible, thus leading to an increased dependance between the leader and the team members. Leaders who are willing to stand up to managers and customers to protect their teams are more trusted by team members than those leaders who “toe the company line.” Team members have a deeper respect for leaders who have a definite vision of where they are heading and inspire them to walk that path. Leaders also should possess some technical knowledge to be able to get better in their job.

Effective leaders not only act but also enable others to act by sharing the knowledge they possess such as information about the schedule and progress of the project. While enabling others to act, leaders also look towards breaking new frontiers by experimenting and innovating. Leaders are willing to use ideas suggested by team members. On Agile projects, new ideas can be tried out during iterations. If they are successful, they can be adopted, if not, they can be treated as part of the learning experience.

Successful leaders serve their team members by sharing ennobling visions of what they can produce together, providing resources, removing impediments, protecting the team, and being generous with rewards.

Innovations in Professional Agile Leadership are shaping the way organizations approach Agile transformations and leadership practices. Professional Agile Leadership is evolving to incorporate new strategies, techniques, and approaches that enhance leadership effectiveness in Agile environments. One notable innovation is the emphasis on adaptive leadership, empowering leaders to respond effectively to dynamic market conditions and changing business needs. Another innovation is the integration of Lean principles into Agile leadership practices, promoting efficiency, waste reduction, and continuous improvement. Professional Agile Leadership also embraces innovative coaching and mentoring techniques, leveraging technology and experiential learning to develop leaders' skills and capabilities. Additionally, there's a growing focus on Agile leadership at scale, addressing the unique challenges of leading large, complex organizations through Agile transformations. These innovations in Professional Agile Leadership empower leaders to foster collaborative cultures, drive innovation, and achieve sustainable business agility in today's rapidly changing world.

The Agile Leadership Network is a community of agile practitioners dedicated to promoting Agile principles and best practices. This network serves as a platform for knowledge sharing, professional development, and collaboration among Agile leaders. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation, the Agile Leadership Network aims to enhance the effectiveness of Agile implementations across various organizations, ultimately driving better project outcomes and increased business value.

Management guru Peter Drucker once said, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” Great leaders have an uncanny ability to motivate people to go that extra mile. Leadership differs from management as it pictures, that management focuses on controlling and getting things done while leadership focuses on empowering people so that they do can the right thing. This does not mean management should be done away with. Management can be the frame on which we can build leadership to obtain the best results.

Supporting leadership
Agile takes a humanistic approach while executing projects, as evidenced by one of the values listed in the manifesto: individuals and interactions over processes and tools. The best leadership model suited for Agile is the supporting leadership model. Since it is the knowledge worker who adds value to a project, the needs of the worker become the needs of the company. The leader serves to meet those needs. In this way the focus remains on the worker rather than the leader, and the company profits.

In the supporting leader approach, the leader supports those doing the work, playing a facilitating role, and focuses on removing obstacles and making sure the team has everything that would help them to perform. Business representatives will sometimes make requests that threaten to slowdown the project. Team members may be required to devote some of their time to another project. These actions threaten to hinder the project and put it off track. It is the leader’s responsibility to shield the team from such diversions. The supporting leader keeps the team focused on the project vision by communicating it at regular and relevant stages of the development process. Another duty of the leader is to facilitate any training that might be necessary for the team members to work on a project. To sustain the motivation of a team, the leader should also reward the team at regular intervals.

Leadership attributes
So far we have discussed what a leader should do, but what attributes must a leader possess to earn the respect of his or her team members? After all, the leader that is not respected will be ineffective. When leaders possess the traits team members appreciate, the latter are bound to emulate them.

Honesty is probably the highest ranking attribute that team members expect from their leaders. Kouzes and Posner in The Leadership Challenge found that honesty was the characteristic most selected in surveys asking what employees consider the most important character trait a leader should have (p. 32).  Leaders who are transparent and accept their shortcomings may be perceived as being more credible, thus leading to an increased dependance between the leader and the team members. Leaders who are willing to stand up to managers and customers to protect their teams are more trusted by team members than those leaders who “toe the company line.” Team members have a deeper respect for leaders who have a definite vision of where they are heading and inspire them to walk that path. Leaders also should possess some technical knowledge to be able to get better in their job.

Effective leaders not only act but also enable others to act by sharing the knowledge they possess such as information about the schedule and progress of the project. While enabling others to act, leaders also look towards breaking new frontiers by experimenting and innovating. Leaders are willing to use ideas suggested by team members. On Agile projects, new ideas can be tried out during iterations. If they are successful, they can be adopted, if not, they can be treated as part of the learning experience.

Successful leaders serve their team members by sharing ennobling visions of what they can produce together, providing resources, removing impediments, protecting the team, and being generous with rewards.