Leading Modern Technology Teams in Complex Times: Applying the Principles of the Agile Manifesto (Future of Business and Finance)

The practices of agile software development and DevSecOps (Development integrated with Security integrated with Operations) differ from traditional linear systems of working. The people doing this work – who they are and what they expect – and the way the work gets done in today’s tech industry demand a leadership practice specific to this way of working. This book explores leadership practice in today’s technology industry using the twelve principles of the Agile Manifesto as a framework. Each of the twelve principles includes a section of key takeaways to help the reader apply the principle in practice. It extends traditional notions of leadership, specifically Complexity Leadership Theory (CLT), to one that is post-heroic, acknowledging the processual, conjunctive and generative nature of leadership relationships. Leader-follower dynamics are complex―they include power dynamics, conflict, ambiguity, and paradox―and technology organizations are complex. This book challenges the suitability of some aspects of complexity theory and offers practices that are more suitable for leading today’s technology organizations. Preface Acknowledgments About This Book and How It Works About This Book How This Book Works Part I: The Role of the Leader Part II: Leadership in Today’s Technology Organizations Part III: Why Change the Way We Lead? Part IV: The Twelve Principles of the Agile Manifesto You Are the Leader: What Do You Do? Start with the End in Mind Listen and Learn from Others Do Contents About the Author Part I: The Role of the Leader 1: The Role of the Leader Today Yesterday 2: A Few Words About Complexity References 3: To the Manifesto! 4: Using the Agile Manifesto as a Framework References Part II: Leadership in Today’s Technology Organizations 5: What Is Leadership? Leadership Is a Social Construct Leadership Is Conjunctive What Is Conjunctive Leadership? Why Does Conjunctive Leadership Matter? What Does the Leader Do? Leadership Is Processual What Is Processual Leadership? Why Does Processual Leadership Matter? What Does the Leader Do? Leadership Is Generative What Is Generative Leadership? Why Does Generative Leadership Matter? What Does the Leader Do? References Part III: Why Change the Way We Lead? 6: Employee Expectations Are Changing Who They Are What They Do What They Care About What They Want in Their Work What They Want From You References 7: The Way Work Gets Done Is Changing Leading in a Hybrid Work Model Reference Part IV: The Twelve Principles of the Agile Manifesto 8: Agile Principle 1: “Our Highest Priority Is to Satisfy the Customer Through Early and Continuous Delivery of Valuable Software” What Does This Principle Mean? You Are the Leader. What Do You Do? Start with the End in Mind Listen and Learn from Others How Do You Think About Satisfying Your Customer? How Do You Think About Valuable Software? How Do You Think About the Inevitable Mistakes and Failures That Will Happen as You Build Valuable Software for Your Customer? On Risk and Failures Are You Ready? Do Key Takeaways Reference 9: Agile Principle 2: “Welcome Changing Requirements, Even Late in Development. Agile Processes Harness Change for the Customer’s Competitive Advantage” What Does This Principle Mean? You Are the Leader. What Do You Do? Start with the End in Mind Listen and Learn from Others Are You Ready? Do Key Takeaways References 10: Agile Principle 3: “Deliver Working Software Frequently, from a Couple of Weeks to a Couple of Months, with a Preference to the Shorter Timescale” What Does This Principle Mean? You Are the Leader. What Do You Do? Start with the End in Mind Listen and Learn from Others Are You Ready? Do Key Takeaways References 11: Agile Principle 4: “Businesspeople and Developers Must Work Together Daily Throughout the Project” What Does This Principle Mean? You Are the Leader. What Do You Do? Start with the End in Mind Listen and Learn from Others Connecting to Collaborate Gaining Insight Reaching Clarity Achieving Alignment Establishing Priorities Making Meaningful Progress Are You Ready? Do Connecting to Collaborate Gaining Insight and Reaching Clarity Achieving Alignment, Establishing Priorities, and Making Meaningful Progress Key Takeaways References 12: Agile Principle 5: “Build Projects Around Motivated Individuals. Give Them the Environment and Support They Need and Trust Them to Get the Job Done” What Does This Principle Mean? You Are the Leader. What Do You Do? Start with the End in Mind Listen and Learn from Others “Build Projects” “Motivated Individuals” “Give Them the Environment They Need” “Give Them the Support They Need” “Trust Them to Get the Job Done” Are You Ready? Do Talent Attracting Talent Hiring Talent Identifying Talent Equipping Talent with Tools, with Information, and with Resources Tools Information Resources Developing Talent Giving Feedback Addressing Failure Creating Incentives Mentoring Traditional Mentoring Mentoring Tenured Employees Reverse Mentoring When Does the Mentor/Mentee Relationship End? Model the Way Key Takeaways References 13: Agile Principle 6: “The Most Efficient and Effective Method of Conveying Information to and Within a Development Team Is Face-to-Face Conversation” What Does This Principle Mean? You Are the Leader. What Do You Do? Start with the End in Mind Listen and Learn from Others What Is Effective Communication? What Is Efficient Communication? Are You Ready? Do Key Takeaways References 14: Agile Principle 7: “Working Software Is the Primary Measure of Progress” What Does This Principle Mean? You Are the Leader. What Do You Do? Start with the End in Mind Listen and Learn from Others What Is “Working Software”? Making Progress Making Progress, According to a Developer Making Progress, According to a Business Owner Are You Ready? Do Key Takeaways Reference 15: Agile Principle 8: “Agile Processes Promote Sustainable Development. The Sponsors, Developers, and Users Should Be Able to Maintain a Constant Pace Indefinitely” What Does This Principle Mean? You Are the Leader. What Do You Do? Start with the End in Mind Listen and Learn from Others There Are Risks The Risk of Constant Pace Framing Is Everything Exiting the Design Work and Entering the Development Work Doing Are You Ready? Do Leadership in the Planning Stage Leadership in the Analysis Stage Leadership in the Design Stage Leadership in the Development Stage Leadership in the Testing Stage Leadership in the Delivery Stage Leadership in the Maintenance Stage Key Takeaways References 16: Agile Principle 9: “Continuous Attention to Technical Excellence and Good Design Enhances Agility” What Does This Principle Mean? You Are the Leader. What Do You Do? Start with the End in Mind Listen and Learn from Others Technical Excellence Good Design Enhancing Agility Are You Ready? Do Continuous Attention Technical Excellence Good Design Enhance Agility Conceptual and Literal Thinking Key Takeaways 17: Agile Principle 10: “Simplicity—The Art of Maximizing the Amount of Work Not Done—Is Essential” What Does This Principle Mean? You Are the Leader. What Do You Do? Start with the End in Mind Listen and Learn from Others Simplify Requirements Simplify Software Development Simplify Documentation Invest in Deeply Understanding the Problem Are You Ready? Do Key Takeaways Reference 18: Agile Principle 11: “The Best Architectures, Requirements, and Designs Emerge from Self-Organizing Teams” What Does This Principle Mean? You Are the Leader. What Do You Do? Start with the End in Mind Listen and Learn from Others The Best Architectures The Best Requirements The Best Designs The Best Self-Organizing Team The Best Software Developers The Best Product Owners The Best Business Owners Are You Ready? Do The Distinction Between “Self-Organizing” and “Self-Managing” Teams Deciding When to Empower Self-Organization Key Takeaways Reference 19: Agile Principle 12: “At Regular Intervals, the Team Reflects on How to Become More Effective, Then Tunes and Adjusts Its Behavior Accordingly” What Does This Principle Mean? You Are the Leader. What Do You Do? Start with the End in Mind Listen and Learn from Others What Do Individuals Do? What Do Leaders Do? Are You Ready? Do Key Takeaways References Part V: What’s Next 20: Conclusion Bibliography Index