What Does it Mean to be a Manager in Agile?
A framework I created to explain how managers still have a huge role to play in coaching Agile teams' performance
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A framework I created to explain how managers still have a huge role to play in coaching Agile teams' performance
Posted by Will Sansbury
Just as a successful garden requires preparation and the right conditions to thrive, true leadership is about cultivating an environment where innovation and growth can flourish.
Posted by Will Sansbury
Cascading communication is like a flawed game of telephone: everybody hears a message, but did they hear the right message?
Posted by Will Sansbury
Great leaders don’t just react to exceptions—they redesign systems to prevent them. Progress comes from refining workflows, not just playing whack-a-mole with disruptions.
Posted by Will Sansbury
Authentic leadership isn’t just about being genuine—it’s about being humane. Leaders must balance their authority with empathy, bridging the gap between their humanity and the power they hold.
Posted by Will Sansbury
Save those encouraging notes and emails in a 'For Bad Days' folder. When imposter syndrome hits, pull it out and let those kind words remind you that you are great at what you do.
Posted by Will Sansbury
How I've learned to protect time for deep thinking and doing
Posted by Will Sansbury
Many leaders view their job as creating thrust behind the organization (read: "sense of urgency"). I don't see it that way.
Posted by Will Sansbury
Every leader should prioritize the power of language in their interactions. Using phrases that convey vulnerability, openness, and empathy can transform a team's culture.
Posted by Will Sansbury
Even in the face of disheartening transformations, the connections forged and the values instilled continue to ripple through time, reminding us that our legacies are built in the space between human beings.
Posted by Will Sansbury
Great leaders know when to embrace uncertainty outside their teams but prioritize creating clear paths and shared goals within, ensuring everyone moves forward together.
Posted by Will Sansbury
Leadership is built on beliefs, lessons, and experiences—big and small—that shape how we guide others. Here’s a collection of truths I hold about leading people, from embracing imperfection to cultivating clarity, empathy, and courage.
Posted by Will Sansbury
People's names matter, and it's worth taking the time to get them right.
Posted by Will Sansbury
Declaring calendar bankruptcy every now and then is a good thing.
Posted by Will Sansbury
Buying our first house was a dream come true, but it quickly turned into a costly lesson about ignoring problems. What we thought was an insurmountable expense turned out to be a simple solution, teaching me the importance of recognizing and challenging limiting beliefs.
Posted by Will Sansbury
When my son gamed our potty-training system to maximize cartoons, I realized something: measuring the wrong thing drives the wrong behavior. The same is true in software development—if we focus solely on output, we risk missing the outcomes that truly matter.
Posted by Will Sansbury
While most people settle for the first workable solution, designers dig deeper, exploring a multitude of ideas and embracing risk. This is their superpower.
Posted by Will Sansbury
The tension between designers, developers, and product managers often feels like a struggle for dominance—but what if that tension is the key to building great products?
Posted by Will Sansbury
A framework I created to explain how managers still have a huge role to play in coaching Agile teams' performance
There’s a common misconception that Scrum and Agile practices eliminate the need for leadership. If Scrum teams are self-organizing, then leaders and managers are obsolete, right?
That is only true if you understand leadership to be exclusively about project management—assigning tasks, checking on status, and making sure delivery happens as planned. Those aspects of leadership can and should be self-directed by the Scrum team.
But Scrum teams still need leadership in the form of coaching on a variety of fronts. I created this quick and dirty slide to help different leaders understand their role in coaching Scrum teams. Since I find myself returning to it frequently, I thought I’d share it.
What do you think? Is this a helpful model?
One of the things I think I’m pretty good at is hiring. I fill roles faster than the average leader, my hires stick around for the long haul, and they’re often cited as top...
My job as a leader is to set a destination, provide tools, smooth as much of the road ahead as possible, and steer when necessary. Thrust comes from deeper in the organization and...