Top Banner
Agile Leadership is Overrated Isn’t It??? Presented by Bob Hartman Presentation Copyright © 2009, Agile For All, LLC. All rights reserved.
60

Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

Nov 01, 2014

Download

Business

lazygolfer

Presentation for Mile High PMI Workshop on April 11, 2009

Abstract:

This workshop will focus on the concept of leadership in organizations which use an agile development process. When people speak about agile it is common to hear terms like “no command and control,” “there is no one particular person in charge,” and “managers support rather than manage.” In this type of environment, where is there room for “leadership?” The workshop will look at leadership from several different perspectives and examine whether or not leadership is necessary. If it is necessary for leadership, where does it come from and how is it manifested? For project managers a thorough understanding of the realities of agile leadership is not a nicety, it is a necessity for success with agile projects. The workshop will consist of approximately equal parts presentation and hands on exercises.
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Page 1: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

Agile Leadership is Overrated

Isn’t It???Presented by Bob Hartman

Presentation Copyright © 2009, Agile For All, LLC. All rights reserved.

Page 2: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

2

• Cell phones, pagers, PDA’s, etc. to silent• If you have a question, please ask it. Don’t

wait! It is better to answer the question while we are still in the same area than to go back.

• We will take a break after about 90 minutes

Before We Start

Page 3: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

INTRODUCTIONS

Page 4: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

4

• 30+ years of software industry experience

• Certified Scrum Practitioner• Bachelor and Masters degrees in

Computer Science• Roles included Tester, Developer,

Dev Manager, QA Manager, Product Manager, Project Manager, VP…

• Started with agile in 1999

Bob Hartman (Agile Bob)

President Agile For [email protected]

303-766-0917Blog: http://agilebob.com

Page 5: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

5

• Please introduce yourself including:– Name– Company and role– Agile experience

Who are you?

About

Me

Page 6: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?

Page 7: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

7

• All definitions in this section are from:

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth EditionCopyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

A word of thanks…

Page 8: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

8

• One who handles, controls, or directs, especially: – One who directs a business or other enterprise. – One who controls resources and expenditures, as of a

household. – One who is in charge of the training and performance of an

athlete or a team. – A student who is in charge of the equipment and records of a

school or college team. • One who is in charge of the business affairs of an

entertainer.

man·ag·er (mān'ĭ-jər) n.

Page 9: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

9

• The act, manner, or practice of managing; handling, supervision, or control: management of a crisis; management of factory workers.

• The person or persons who control or direct a business or other enterprise.

• Skill in managing; executive ability.

man·age·ment (mān'ĭj-mənt) n.

Page 10: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

10

• Management – skill in managing, executive ability

• Manager – One who handles, controls or directs…

• Putting the two together means “handling”, “controlling” and “directing” are essential skills of managing, and indicators of executive ability

• Most classically trained managers fit this mold

According to the definitions…

Page 11: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

11

• One that leads or guides. • One who is in charge or in command of others. – One who heads a political party or organization. – One who has influence or power, especially of a

political nature. – A conductor, especially of orchestra, band, or

choral group. – The principal performer in an orchestral section or

a group.

lead·er (lē'dər) n.

Page 12: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

12

• The position or office of a leader: ascended to the leadership of the party.

• Capacity or ability to lead: showed strong leadership during her first term in office.

• A group of leaders: met with the leadership of the nation's top unions.

• Guidance; direction: The business prospered under the leadership of the new president.

lead·er·ship (lē'dər-shĭp') n.

Page 13: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

13

A big problem

Some people are appointed to be

leaders, but have no leadership skills

Page 14: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

14

An even bigger problem

The classic definition of management and manager are very

different from leadership and leader. Why???

Page 15: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

15

Group discussion

What would change if managers were true leaders with proper

leadership skills?

Page 16: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

16

Questions to ponder

Are you a project manager, or a

project leader?

Which do you want to be?

Page 17: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

HERDING CATS!Otherwise known as Agile Leadership

Page 18: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

18

• Agile is all about…– Working together to solve problems– Not using command and control– Allowing teams to self-direct

• So why do you need a project manager (remember the definition of manager is one who handles, controls, or directs)?

• The “unfortunate truth” is you don’t need this!

Agile – the problem child

Page 19: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

19

Agile projects need LEADERS,

not MANAGERS!Are you up to the challenge?

Page 20: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

WHO ARE LEADERS?

Page 21: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

21

• Who leads or guides agile teams?• Who else?• Any others?

• MIND-BENDING THOUGHT ALERT!!!– On an agile team, anyone can be a leader

depending on the situation!

Putting this in an agile context

Page 22: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

22

• Only our entire thought process about how to help teams improve!– We need to grow EVERYONE as leadersAND– Help them grow as FOLLOWERS as well

• The dynamics of communications change based on the situation and context

Does this change anything?

Page 23: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

EXPOSING THE TRUTH

Page 24: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

24

• Managers often believe…– being belligerent is necessary in order to get people

to work hard– interrupting someone is acceptable in order to get

to the point faster – micromanaging is the only way to have teams do

what is expected of them– listening to others is unimportant because their

opinion isn’t going to change anything• Are these acceptable values???

The path to success

Page 25: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

25

• According to published studies, many managers who have the beliefs from the previous slide have been very successful!

• When asked why they were successful the managers often referenced those beliefs as key success factors.

• During 360 degree interviews, others interacting with those managers had a different story to tell…

The big surprise

Page 26: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

26

Most of the managers in the studies

have been successful IN SPITE OF those beliefs

NOT BECAUSE OF THEM!

Page 27: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

27

• Break into small groups• Discuss– How do you find out how you are perceived by

others?– How do you let others know your perceptions of

them?

Exercise: How do you get the truth?

Page 28: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

KEYS TO SUCCESS

Page 29: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

29

• Competence– Having the ability to be successful

• Connection– Adding value to your relationships with others

• Character– Being an honest example

• Cost– Sacrificing self for success of others

The 4 C’s of Leadership

Page 30: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

30

• Are you technically competent to do the job• Do others know you are competent• Are you able to help others become more

competent• Are you able to look forward and see

problems before they arise

Competence

Page 31: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

31

• Do you have enough relationships to lead• Do you add value to relationships, or just suck

value from them• Do people know you care• Are you quick to help, slow to blame

Connection

Page 32: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

32

• Do you hold yourself to high standards• Always honest with reports• Always acting with integrity• Holding others accountable

Character

Page 33: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

33

• Are you willing to pay the price• Will you take the blame for the team in order

to protect them• Does the “buck stop here” or “pass through

here”• Do you believe team success leads to personal

success, or is it personal success in spite of the team

Cost

Page 34: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

34

• Break into 4 groups• For your assigned “C” come up with an

argument for why that particular characteristic is most important– Competence– Connection– Character– Cost

Exercise: What is most important?

Page 35: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

35

• Servant leadership is an approach to leadership development, coined and defined by Robert Greenleaf and advanced by many other authors of books on leadership.

• Servant-leadership emphasizes the leader's role as steward of the resources (human, financial and otherwise) provided by the organization. It encourages leaders to serve others while staying focused on achieving results in line with the organization's values and integrity.

This is really Servant Leadership

Page 36: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

36

1. Listening – actively listening to what others are saying2. Empathy – feeling the pain and thrills of others3. Healing – helping others after they have been hurt4. Awareness – understanding the big picture5. Persuasion – persuading others to do what is right6. Conceptualization – helping the team understand7. Foresight – seeing problems before they arise8. Stewardship – helping the team use resources most effectively9. Commitment to growth of others – helping others improve10. Building community – helping the team become more than a

group of individuals

Characteristics of servant leaders

Page 37: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

WE ALL FELL FOR IT!

Page 38: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

38

• We get it…– Agile projects require leaders, not managers– Managing and leading are different– Management and leadership are different

• What did we miss?

We didn’t fall for anything!

Page 39: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

39

This isn’t only about agile

projects!

Page 40: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

40

• Break into groups of 3-6 people• Discuss the following:– How would things change in your company if

managers had leadership skills rather than management skills?

– As a worker, how do you tell the difference between the two?

Exercise: Leadership Advantages

Page 41: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

WHAT WILL YOU DO?Creating an action plan for success

Page 42: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

42

• For each of the 10 characteristics of a servant leader rate yourself on a 0-10 scale where 0 represents you don’t even know what it means to 10 means it is part of your DNA.

Exercise: Become a Great Leader

Page 43: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

43

Exercise: Become a Great Leader Characteristic Your Ranking

Listening

Empathy

Healing

Awareness

Persuasion

Conceptualization

Foresight

Stewardship

Commitment to growth of othersBuilding community

Page 44: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

44

• For the 3 characteristics which are your weakest develop an action plan for getting better.

• For each of the 3 include– 3 things to start doing– 3 things to stop doing– Identify a person you know who is strong in this area

and what you can learn from them– How you will know you are making progress

Exercise: Become a Great Leader

Page 45: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

45

• 3 things to start doing– – –

• 3 things to stop doing– – –

• Person strong in this area:• How I know I’m getting better:

Characteristic 1:

Page 46: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

46

• 3 things to start doing– – –

• 3 things to stop doing– – –

• Person strong in this area:• How I know I’m getting better:

Characteristic 2:

Page 47: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

47

• 3 things to start doing– – –

• 3 things to stop doing– – –

• Person strong in this area:• How I know I’m getting better:

Characteristic 3:

Page 48: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

48

• For the 3 characteristics which are your biggest strengths identify 3 tips you would give someone who struggles in that area. Be specific!

Exercise: Become a Great Leader

Page 49: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

49

• 3 tips for others–

Characteristic 1:

Page 50: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

50

• 3 tips for others–

Characteristic 2:

Page 51: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

51

• 3 tips for others–

Characteristic 3:

Page 52: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

52

• Identify 2 people you want to help become great leaders so they can take over after you get promoted!

• Identify 2 specific actions you will take with each of them to help grow their skills

• Imagine you are not going to be able to help either of these people in the future, list 3 tips you would give to them to help them succeed.

Exercise: Become a Great Leader

Page 53: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

53

• 2 action items–

• 3 tips for them–

Person 1:

Page 54: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

54

• 2 action items–

• 3 tips for them–

Person 2:

Page 55: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

55

• Break into groups of 2-4 people• Identify a few areas where you have 1-2

people struggling and 1-2 people who are strong in that area

• Talk about the potential action plans and the tips identified in early parts of the exercise.

Exercise: Become a Great Leader

Page 56: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

56

• Find a partner who can hold you accountable to your action plan

• Tell the people closest to you at both home and work what you are trying to improve so they don’t become worried about changes they see

• Ask people who excel in your weak areas to mentor you

• Keep a journal of how you are doing

Going out on a limb

Page 57: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

57

Great reading

• “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” by Marshall Goldsmith

• “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” by John Maxwell

Page 58: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

58

A parting thought

Multiply your growth and effectiveness by developing leaders,

not followers

Page 59: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

QUESTIONS?

Page 60: Agile Leadership Is Overrated - Isnt It?

THANK YOU!Please fill out evaluation forms!