agile leadership is overrated - isnt it?
DESCRIPTION
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.TRANSCRIPT
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Agile Leadership is Overrated
Isn’t It???Presented by Bob Hartman
Presentation Copyright © 2009, Agile For All, LLC. All rights reserved.
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• 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
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INTRODUCTIONS
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• 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
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• Please introduce yourself including:– Name– Company and role– Agile experience
Who are you?
About
Me
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WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?
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• 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…
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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…
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• 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.
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• 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.
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A big problem
Some people are appointed to be
leaders, but have no leadership skills
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An even bigger problem
The classic definition of management and manager are very
different from leadership and leader. Why???
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Group discussion
What would change if managers were true leaders with proper
leadership skills?
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Questions to ponder
Are you a project manager, or a
project leader?
Which do you want to be?
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HERDING CATS!Otherwise known as Agile Leadership
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• 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
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Agile projects need LEADERS,
not MANAGERS!Are you up to the challenge?
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WHO ARE LEADERS?
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• 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
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• 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?
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EXPOSING THE TRUTH
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• 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
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• 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
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Most of the managers in the studies
have been successful IN SPITE OF those beliefs
NOT BECAUSE OF THEM!
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• 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?
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KEYS TO SUCCESS
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• 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
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• 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
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• 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
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• Do you hold yourself to high standards• Always honest with reports• Always acting with integrity• Holding others accountable
Character
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• 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
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• 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?
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• 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
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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
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WE ALL FELL FOR IT!
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• 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!
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This isn’t only about agile
projects!
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• 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
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WHAT WILL YOU DO?Creating an action plan for success
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• 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
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Exercise: Become a Great Leader Characteristic Your Ranking
Listening
Empathy
Healing
Awareness
Persuasion
Conceptualization
Foresight
Stewardship
Commitment to growth of othersBuilding community
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• 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
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• 3 things to start doing– – –
• 3 things to stop doing– – –
• Person strong in this area:• How I know I’m getting better:
Characteristic 1:
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• 3 things to start doing– – –
• 3 things to stop doing– – –
• Person strong in this area:• How I know I’m getting better:
Characteristic 2:
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• 3 things to start doing– – –
• 3 things to stop doing– – –
• Person strong in this area:• How I know I’m getting better:
Characteristic 3:
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• 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
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• 3 tips for others–
–
–
Characteristic 1:
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• 3 tips for others–
–
–
Characteristic 2:
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• 3 tips for others–
–
–
Characteristic 3:
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• 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
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• 2 action items–
–
• 3 tips for them–
–
–
Person 1:
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• 2 action items–
–
• 3 tips for them–
–
–
Person 2:
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• 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
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• 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
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Great reading
• “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” by Marshall Goldsmith
• “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” by John Maxwell
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A parting thought
Multiply your growth and effectiveness by developing leaders,
not followers
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QUESTIONS?
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THANK YOU!Please fill out evaluation forms!