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Today's leadership is a team sport. The abilities, characteristics, and traits of a single, all-powerful individual with the title of "leader" are no longer the focus. Leadership has developed into a collaborative effort that benefits all parties involved and takes on numerous forms depending on the situation. An Agile transformation must reach every nook and cranny of the organisation to be entirely efficient and long-lasting, and leadership plays a critical role here. In most cases, Agile concepts and practices have shown to be more effective within development organisations.
According to agilebusiness.org, on their first paper, Culture and Leadership explained how the concepts of Communication, Commitment and Collaboration were the key and now the Agile Business Consortium has developed these concepts further with the “Nine Principles of Agile Leadership” that support Agile transformations.
Let’s look at this table below that shows how the nine principles align with those key concepts of Communication, Commitment and Collaboration:
The Nine Principles of Agile Leadership
Actions speak louder than words - Agile Leadership is not only promoting and driving change, but also being the change. People are inspired by those who lead by example and actively participate in their own development. This is accomplished via deeds rather than words; as Gandhi once stated, "Be the change you wish to see." Agile Leaders cultivate humility and empathy by displaying values like compassion, generosity, and concern for their co-workers. Before they work on others, inspiring leaders focus on themselves.
Improved quality of thinking leads to improved outcomes - Agile Leaders place a premium on high-quality thinking that leads to action. Agile Leaders look at problems from a variety of perspectives. They solicit input from individuals who are closest to the situation, which helps to ensure that they are in touch with reality rather than depending primarily on electronic data to make decisions. This also entails giving time for reflection and focusing on the most important tasks at any given time.
Organisations improve through effective feedback - Because receiving feedback may be a bad experience, Agile Leaders set the example by bravely seeking meaningful, relevant, and timely feedback from peers and other colleagues. While asking for feedback is vital, Agile Leaders also take the time to make sure that they are visibly responding to their colleagues' comments to close the feedback loop. Agile Leaders are known for their open, honest, and polite feedback.
People require meaning and purpose to make work fulfilling - Agile Leaders concentrate on establishing and sharing a shared vision and purpose. There is a relevant and applicable change vision for the organisation. The Agile Leader's job is to be aware of what their colleagues are thinking and feeling, and then to unite and align those principles into inspired action.
Emotion is a foundation to enhanced creativity and innovation - Others are inspired to bring their best selves to work by Agile Leaders. They recognise that emotion is a fundamental element of the human experience, and that working with emotions allows people to reach their full potential. Respect is essential for innovation and creativity, which the Agile Leader fosters by being approachable, open, honest, and transparent while expecting the same from others.
Leadership lives everywhere in the organisation - All components of an organisation or change endeavour should be infused with Agile Leadership. Realising all its people's leadership potential accelerates the organisation's ability to learn and adapt. An Agile Leader's job is to increase depth in the organisation's leadership skills by giving people opportunities to lead. Sowing the seeds for the Agile culture to thrive is mentoring tomorrow's leaders in the concepts and practices of servant leadership.
Leaders devolve appropriate power and authority - People work best when they are enabled, engaged, and energised. As the Agile Leader balances the organisation's emerging requirements and tensions, empowering employees is a critical ability. Agile Leaders understand that empowerment isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, it's a series of leadership behaviours that adapt to the changing environment.
Collaborative communities achieve more than individuals - Agile Leaders create communities that are built on a foundation of high trust, mutual respect, and meaningful working connections. Their job is to equip those communities with all they need to run smoothly, but then to let them operate independently inside their borders. Forgiveness, positivism, generosity, and thankfulness are all vital aspects of a productive workplace. The Agile Leader can foster learning and development while balancing sustained output and performance for the benefit of the organisation by ensuring the group's healthy functioning and maintaining psychological safety.
Great ideas can come from anywhere in the Organisation - The finest ideas for solving an issue frequently come from those who are closest to it. Agile leaders, regardless of their level or position, enable themselves to be open to the impact and ideas of others. To this aim, the Agile Leader takes time to pause, listen, and truly hear their colleagues' thoughts and suggestions for change. Even if some ideas aren't implemented, the Agile Leader fosters a constant flow of creativity by assisting others in determining which ideas are beneficial and which aren't.
Therefore, modern leaders should not only learn and preach change, but also create a climate that makes it easier for people to adapt to change. This entails a self-evaluation of their performance while also being open to team feedback. Beginners to agile can also enrol in agile training to learn about the techniques and ensure that their firm stays current with the latest developments.
According to Forbes, culture unlocks an organisation’s greatest potential: its people. And yet, leaders struggle to identify and leverage the functional aspects of it to enhance their brand and achieve the kind of productivity they want. This is where Agile Leadership comes into focus. As a leader, you are responsible for the organisation’s culture and values. Carefully cultivate them. And, if you've realised that your organisation's culture isn't what it should be, remember that there are steps you can do to fix it.
Here are five steps Agile Leaders can take to build a more positive, inclusive culture that engages and motivates employees:
Start at the top.
Make sure everyone knows your company’s “why.”
Find out what makes your culture uniquely yours.
Identify and close gaps between culture and strategy.
Gauge cultural fit during the hiring process.
Follow through with changes.
So, basically, it’s a variety of interconnected and linked techniques, tools, and processes that should be reflected in your culture. Employee engagement, which drives corporate performance and results, can be increased by identifying and harmonising these factors.
And now, the question is, how do you develop or redesign a culture that matches your company's vision, mission, and values? A culture that not only attracts, but also develops and keeps a certain type of talent?
Looking to start adopting Agile Leadership? Let’s work together!
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