Exploring Agile Leadership

In our recent post, Ola Tunde described why an agile leader differs from a manager on the Agilethought podcast with Dan Neumann. To explain further, we have this continuation topic under agile leadership. 

As agile leaders set the team’s direction and create a vision for the organization to succeed, we will explore why agile leadership outperforms the manager. 

Traditionally, a manager commands people to acquire obedience. Sad to say that this type of leadership creates an unsafe environment for a team. Meanwhile, agile leadership creates a secure environment by allowing the team’s opinions and ideas. 

A safe environment allows the team to grow and develop their skills and inspires them to deliver a valuable performance for the organization. It will enable the leadership to be smooth sailing and productive in an organization.

To be an effective Agile leader, you must have a good team, and you must be a good leader.

How to become an Agile Leader? 

Agile leaders create a safe environment for the team and understand what motivates them individually to deliver an organizational value in different ways, prioritizing autonomy, mastery, and purpose. 

Also, agile leaders welcome decisions based on valuable information gathered by team members and do not only rely on what they think is right.

There are two factors that an Agile leader should consider in building a safe environment for the team, such as,

• No punishment or criticization
• Open to opposing views

The key to agile leadership is communication towards the team without judging the ideas, comments, suggestions, and punishments resulting in more development and creation of ideas by collaborating while welcoming the opposite views.  

How do you determine if you are an Agile Leader?

An Agile leader is a servant of the team and not a boss. You are ready to sacrifice yourself for what’s the best for the team and organization. You are humble, coachable, and teachable and inspire people to be a better version of themselves. 

All in all, an agile leader leads the way of the team with passion while empowering them.