Traditional definitions of leadership emphasize position, formal authority and power, vision, heroics. Those definitions might have been sufficient in another time. Organizations that need to respond to a fast-changing environment and desire continuous improvement require a different kind of leadership and a different kind of leader. In this talk, we'll explore a different definition of leadership: “The ability to enhance the environment, so that everyone is empowered to contribute creatively to solving the problem(s)” and how we can empower people and bring their best thinking to work.

1. Leaders at All Levels

2. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
“Leadership is simply causing
other people to do what the
leaders want.”
“Leadership is the
ability to inspire
motivation in others to
move toward a desirable
vision.”
“Leadership is the process of encouraging
certain behaviors in others via force of
personality, persuasion and eloquent
communication.”

3. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
TOP (“Leaders”)
Set Strategic
Objectives
MIDDLE {“Leaders”)
Direct and Coordinate
Activities
BOTTOM
Perform Activities as
Directed
In a typical hierarchy….

4. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
Contextual Knowledge
Front-line Knowledge

5. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
Separation of Head and Hands

6. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
“The Scrum Master is a servant-
leader for the Scrum Team.”
“Development Teams are structured and
empowered by the organization to
organize and manage their own work”
“No one (not even the Scrum Master) tells the
Development Team how to turn Product
Backlog into Increments of potentially
releasable functionality.”
From the ScrumGuide. www.scrum.org

7. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
“Leadership is the ability to
enhance the environment
so that everyone is empowered
to contribute creatively
to solving the problem(s).”
Gerald M.Weinberg

8. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
Contextual Knowledge
Front-line Knowledge
Expand the Diamond
Expand Creative
Problem Solving

9. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
Clarity.
Conditions.
Constraints.

10. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
Clarity:
People know what to work on.
They know how their work fits into the big picture.

11. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
“IT security has a solid enterprise
solution for identity management,
including standardized access controls,
consistent processes, and centralized
security of accounts.
[Our company] has a streamlined,
simplified process for on-boarding all
new employees.”

12. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
“IT security has a solid enterprise
solution for identity management,
including standardized access controls,
consistent processes, and centralized
security of accounts.
[Our company] has a streamlined,
simplified process for on-boarding all
new employees.”
WTH?

13. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby

14. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby

15. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
“All new employees have
work stations and logins
that are ready to go on
their first day of work.”

16. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
Conditions:
People have the means to do the work.
Organizational structures and policies must support the
work.

17. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
60 - 30 - 10

18. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby

19. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
Constraints:
People know what should always be done
….and what should never be done.
People can articulate their bounded autonomy.

20. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby

21. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
Simple Rules or
Heuristics
• Teach & learn in every interaction
• Think and act for the good of the whole
• Search for the true and useful.
_____
• Team over individual, department over
team, company over department.

22. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby

23. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
Clarity.
Conditions.
Constraints.

24. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
Creating the conditions where a
team can effectively manage itself
is a powerful act of leadership.

25. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
"The original purpose of a
hierarchy is always to help its
originating subsystems do their
jobs better.”
Donella H. Meadows

26. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
Leaders at all levels:
better and faster decision making
greater flexibility
increased engagement
vastly reduced need for “supervision”

27. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
Learn to live with...
• complexity and mess
• redundancy
• slack
• perception of loss of control

28. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
It’s not simple.
It’s not easy.
There is no one right way.
There is no prescriptive plan.
You won’t get there in one giant leap.

29. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
It is possible.
You will get there by experimenting, having
conversations, learning.
You will create a more flexible organization.
You will increase the speed and ease of
communication.
You will improve the pace and appropriateness of
decisions.
You will unleash potential.

30. esther@estherderby.com@estherderby

31. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
www.coachingbeyondtheteam.com
code = ScrumDayMSP
(good thru 9/30/15)

32. Esther Derby
designing environments for agile success +1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2015 esther derby
Esther Derby
esther@estherderby.com
+1 612.239.1214
www.estherderby.com
@estherderby