Agile Principles and Mindset - Part 3
“Management is getting people to do what needs to be done. Leadership is getting people to want to do what needs to be done.”
While Part 1 introduced us to the agile methodology and Part 2 discussed the various approaches to implementing agile, this final section of the Agile Principles and Mindset series will explore the qualities and characteristics of a successful agile leader. Generally speaking, being a leader is different from being a manager. While management focuses on getting things done, leadership focuses on the humanistic aspect of project teams and seeks to drive motivation and inspiration within individuals organically, providing a more effective, long-lasting result.
Servant Leadership
Servant leaders manage relationships to build communication and coordination across the organization. Servant leadership responsibilities include:
Educating stakeholders about why and how to be agile
Supporting the team through mentoring, encouragement
Celebrating the team and external groups
Helping team with technical project management activities
The primary role of a servant leader:
Shield the team from interruptions that are not part of the project.
Remove impediments to progress that would cause delay or waste.
Communicate and re-communicate the project vision to create project alignment between stakeholders and team members.
Carry food and water. Provide the team with resources to keep them nourished and productive.
Servant leaders are stewards who achieve results by focusing on the team's needs. Servant leaders employ listening, empathy, commitment, and insight while sharing power and authority with team members. The ten traits that every effective servant-leader should possess:
Listening—Servant leaders are expected to listen intently and receptively to what is being said or not said. They can get in touch with their inner voice to understand and reflect on their feelings.
Empathy—Good servant leaders accept and recognize individuals for their special and unique skills and abilities. They assume workers have good intentions and accept them as individuals, even with behavioral or performance issues.
Healing—The motivation and potential to heal oneself and relationships with others are servant leaders' strong traits. Servant leaders recognize and take the opportunity to help their colleagues experiencing emotional pain.
Awareness—Awareness, particularly self-awareness, is a trait of servant leaders. This allows them to better understand and integrate issues related to ethics, power, and values.
Persuasion—Servant leaders use influence rather than their positional authority to gain group consensus and make decisions. Servant leaders practice persuasion rather than forcing compliance and coercion, as some authoritarian management styles do.
Conceptualization—The ability to view and analyze problems (in an organization) from a broader conceptual and visionary perspective, rather than focusing on immediate short-term goals, is a unique skill of good servant leaders.
Foresight—Their intuitive minds allow servant leaders to use and apply past lessons and present realities to foresee the outcome of current situations and decisions.
Stewardship—Stewardship demands a commitment to serving others. Servant leaders prefer persuasion over control to ensure that they gain the trust of others in the organization.
Commitment to the growth of others—Servant leaders have a deep commitment to the development of people within their organization. They take on the responsibility of nurturing personal, professional, and spiritual growth (e.g., providing access to resources for personal and professional development, and encouraging workers to participate in decision-making).
Building community—Servant leaders are interested in building communities within a working environment, particularly given the shift from smaller communities to large institutions shaping and controlling human lives.
Twelve Principles for Leading Agile Practices
Learn the team members' needs.
Learn the project's requirements.
Act for the simultaneous welfare of the team and the project.
Create an environment of functional accountability.
Have a vision of the completed project.
Use the project vision to drive behavior.
Serve as the central figure in successful project team development.
Recognize team conflict as a positive step.
Manage with an eye toward ethics.
Remember that ethics is not an afterthought but an integral part of our thinking.
Take time to reflect on the project.
Develop the trick of thinking backward.
Agile Leadership Practices
Model Desired Behavior.
Honesty: Be transparent, follow through on commitments, and admit when mistakes happen.
Forward-looking: Understand the project vision and communicate that vision effectively to the entire team.
Competent: While not technical subject matter experts, understanding general concepts and processes is necessary for success.
Inspiring: Be enthusiastic about the work.
Communicate the Project Vision. Frequently communicate the project's goals and objectives to ensure all stakeholders are aware and aligned with the vision.
Enable Others to Act. Work toward creating a trusting environment where the team is open to speaking freely.
Be Willing to Challenge the Status Quo. Think of ways to innovate current processes and accept suggestions from the team to try during agile iterations like sprints.
Leadership Tasks
Practice Transparency through Visualization. Transparency allows people to become more open to having conversations about ways to improve and discuss overall progress.
Create a safe environment for experimentation. Encourage innovation and avoid dwelling on past mistakes.
Experiment with new techniques and processes. Agile's short iterations allow the perfect place for testing new ideas and approaches.
Share knowledge through collaboration. Pair programming and co-located work allow the distribution of learning throughout the team.
Encourage Emergent Leadership via a Safe Environment. Members of an agile team should be empowered and encouraged to try new processes to see if it improves team performance and efficiency.
The agile methodology can serve as an incredible tool when faced with the challenging complexities of today's knowledge-based work. Understanding and being an agile advocate is critical to successfully implementing the strategies and processes provided by many of its frameworks. Incorporating the agile mindset, values, and principles into project team practices will ensure successful outcomes for organizations across many industries.
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