Is it time to lead, again?
I came upon a LinkedIn post by Angel Diaz-Maroto entitled—Leading the Transformation of Agile. Here’s the open section of the article—
After months of listening and observation, I feel ready to share my view on the state of Agile in 2025.
In recent times, countless voices have weighed in on the same tired question: “Is Agile dead?”
I believe that the industry is progressively realizing that implementing Agile frameworks isn’t success, instead it is increasing Agility that makes a business successful.
It’s time to move on from leading Agile transformations to lead the transformation of Agile.
And later in the article, he makes a Call for Leadership, sharing this snippet from that call—
This is the moment for the innovators—the ones who embraced agility when it was misunderstood, risky, and even scary. It’s time to lead again. It’s also a call for those willing to take risks and dive into the unknown for the first time.
To reinvent what started last century. To shape new frameworks and approaches. To guide Agile into its next transformation.
My Take
I’ll separate the leading and leaders in this case into two constituencies. There are the external leaders of agility, the—
Authors
Consultants
Coaches
Pundits
Evangelists
These folks are always on the outside looking in organizationally. They typically advise people what to do with little to no skin in the game, insufficient organizational context, and (ahem) usually only academic experience.
And then there are the internal leaders of agility, the—
Executives
Cross-functional Leaders
Managers
Individual contributors
Project managers
Coaches and Scrum Masters
Product Owners
These are the folks in the game or on the field. They’re in the organizational context, taking all the risk if “Agile” doesn’t work out, and they’re in the culture.
All that said, they are all leaders.
The Real Problem
The problem has always been leading. But not by external consultants or trainers—calling for leadership. It's the internal employee leaders who need to step up and LEAD in a different "Agile way".
I've been fortunate enough to be in this position for several years, across a few companies, in a few leadership roles. So, I know what it takes and how hard it I to change your leadership style in a non-Agile supportive culture.
The problems are—
The leaders are afraid to go this way alone.
The consultants, evangelists, and preachers who are NOT in the game with the leaders are usually under-skilled.
The culture doesn’t support the leadership evolution.
And to overcome these hurdles, we must develop, encourage, and support tomorrow’s leaders.
Now the real question is, how do we do that? I don’t think “calling for leadership” does it. So, what does?
Stay agile, my friends,
Bob.
More info—
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/leading-transformation-agile-angel-diaz-maroto-yphqf/
https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Dancefloor-Conversations-Business-Agility-ebook/dp/B0DRLG8TW7/
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