Developing Agile Leaders and the Agile Workforce
In today’s ever-changing business landscape, marked by inflation, geopolitical instability, labor shortages, hybrid work models, generative AI, and moderate growth, organizations with agile leaders and a flexible workforce are better positioned to adapt and thrive.
The concept of “agile” gained prominence with the Agile Manifesto in 2001, initially revolutionizing software development. Since then, its principles have permeated various business and leadership practices, transforming how teams collaborate, how leaders manage, and how organizations navigate change.
At Agile Leader Specialty Services LLC, we excel in cultivating agile leaders and workforces. Our expertise spans leadership development, as well as the selection, onboarding, and growth of agile employees.
What is an Agile Leader?
Agile Leaders are characterized by their ability to:
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Foster Continuous Improvement: Cultivate a culture of ongoing enhancement and collaboration.
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Empower Teams: Encourage self-management and collective decision-making.
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Create Proactive Environments: Develop settings that support long-term growth and adaptability.
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Emphasize Continuous Learning: Prioritize ongoing learning and development for themselves and their teams.
Cultivating Agile Leaders for Today’s Dynamic Business Environment
Today’s business environment has evolved significantly. Hierarchies no longer define how work gets done. People work in cross-functional teams on projects, and their influence can be vast regardless of their level. The notion that ‘leaders are more valuable than individuals’ is outdated. Leadership, like HR, is a craft learned through doing, coaching, and reflecting on mistakes.
Building a leadership pipeline through traditional development programs is insufficient. We need mentoring, coaching, and exposure to diverse experiences. Studies show that exposure is crucial for development, and formal mentoring reduces turnover, improves leadership quality, and speeds up role fulfillment.
Leadership development today is akin to military training: promote people into leadership roles before they are fully ready and provide the tools and support to learn on the job. Waiting until someone is ‘ready’ does not keep pace with organizational needs and can lead to impatience.
Josh Bersin, in his article “Why Leadership Development Feels Broken: And How We Are Fixing It,” states that a whole new approach is needed. Companies still need to track business leaders and ensure a pipeline for every key role. However, rather than channeling people through an industrial “leadership development machine,” we need to adopt a more agile approach.
Learning to lead is a long journey for everyone, and we aim to facilitate this journey in a strategic, mission-aligned way. It comes down to real-time coaching and development.
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Education: Being a leader means not just leading people, but getting work done. Leaders need to know “how to get things done” and “how to lead people”.
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Experience: You only learn to lead by doing it.
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Exposure: Best lesson in leadership comes from observing, talking with, and getting feedback from others.
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Evaluation: All developing leaders need ongoing coaching, feedback, evaluation, and sober advice to improve.
In today’s agile and continuously evolving companies, we need a new set of tools and practices to succeed. Data-driven tools that assess strengths and weaknesses, connect employees to coaches, and provide real-time nudges and tips are essential. The modern work environment demands individualized and personalized real-time leadership development to accelerate the growth of agile leaders.
The topic “leadership development is broken” may be a conversation for years to come. But the most important thing now is to “let go of the past” and move beyond episodic solutions to develop skills on the job, in the flow, and in the real world wherever possible.
If you want to learn more about how you are your organization can benefit from real-time leadership development, click the button below.
1. Scrum.org, An Agile Leadership Style, https://www.scrum.org/resources/agile-leadership-style
2. Agile Leadership Journey, Agile vs. Agility: A Tale About the Difference Between the Processes and the Mindset, https://www.agileleadershipjourney.com/blog/agile-vs-agility-a-tale-about-the-difference-between-the-processes-and-the-mindset.
3. JOSH BERSIN, Why Leadership Development Feels Broken: And How We’re Fixing It, https://joshbersin.com/2019/07/why-leadership-development-feels-broken-and-how-were-fixing-it/