This document discusses the concept of servant leadership. It begins by presenting questions about the definition of servant leadership, such as whether it means "leadership for nice guys" or "leading by example". It then discusses Robert Greenleaf's conception of servant leadership, which emphasizes serving people, teams and the organization in a purposeful pursuit of their needs. The document outlines six strategies for Lean-Agile transformation based on servant leadership: skills-first, needs-first, team-first, improvement-driven, alignment-driven, and purpose-driven. Each strategy is explained briefly. The document concludes by inviting the audience to learn more about servant leadership and Lean-Agile transformation.
2. Mike Burrows
Email: mike@agendashift.com
Twitter: @asplake, @agendashift, @KanbanInside
Blog: positiveincline.com, blog.agendashift.com
• Author, Kanban from the Inside
• Founder, Agendashift
• Former Executive Director and global development
manager, then IT Director
• Interim delivery manager for two UK government
digital “exemplar” projects
• Consultant, trainer, coach
• Brickell Key Community Contribution Award 2014
#hello, my name is Mike Burrows
13. Robert K. Greenleaf (1904-1990)
Three key essays:
• The servant as leader
• The institution as servant
• Trustees as servants
Key thoughts:
• Servant first, then leader
• Legitimacy
14. 1. Help others to be successful
• Removing impediments,
meeting immediate needs
2. Help others find autonomy &
meaning
• Together developing and pursuing
the organisation’s values, mission,
and purpose in society
3. Help develop servant
leadership in others
• Ensuring that this process will
continue
15. “Serving people, teams, and
the wider organisation in the
purposeful pursuit of what
they need to become”
16. Small acts of [Servant] Leadership, circa 2013
• positiveincline.com/index.php/2013/01/introducing-kanban-through-its-values/
• positiveincline.com/index.php/2013/06/small-acts-of-leadership/
• Kanban from the Inside (2014), chapter 6
17. Six strategies for effective Lean-Agile transformation
Strategies to
address gaps
Strategies to sustain
transformation
1. Skills-first 4. Improvement-driven
2. Needs-first 5. Alignment-driven
3. Team-first 6. Purpose-driven
Servant Leadership
24. User story:
As <persona>,
I want <what>
so that <why>
Job story:
When <situation>,
I want <what>
so that <resolution>
25. User story:
As a driver,
I want a list of directions
so that I can review my route
Job story:
When I’m about to leave the
motorway, I want to know what’s
coming next so that I can choose
the right lane on the slip road
27. Strategy 3: Team-first
“Serving people, teams, and
the wider organisation in the
purposeful pursuit of what
they need to become”
30. Six strategies for effective Lean-Agile transformation
Strategies to
address gaps
Strategies to sustain
transformation
1. Skills-first 4. Improvement-driven
2. Needs-first 5. Alignment-driven
3. Team-first 6. Purpose-driven
Servant Leadership
33. Instead of “checklisting” practices…
ü Round the room with the three questions
ü Reviewing the board right to left
34. …reflect on their outcomes
• We share progress on our work
frequently and are quick to
collaborate as the need or
opportunity arises
35. #cleanlanguage
• “What would you like to have happen?”
• “Then what happens?”
• “What needs to happen for that to happen?”
36. Frame action as hypothesis
We believe that
(actionable change) ____________________________
will result in
(meaningful impact) ____________________________.
We’ll know that we have succeeded when
(observable outcomes) ____________________________
____________________________
____________________________.
38. Organise experiments for implementation
Agree
Urgency
Negotiate
Change
Validate
Adoption
Verify
Performance
Complete
Next Adopted
Reverted
Soon
Rejected
New
Abandoned
Adapted from Jeff Anderson’s The Lean Change Method; see also Ash Maurya’s Running Lean
43. “Know what you’re delivering,
to whom,
and why it matters”
Reflection: Are people connected to purpose?
44. “Serving people, teams, and
the wider organisation in the
purposeful pursuit of what
they need to become”
1. Skills-first 4. Improvement-driven
2. Needs-first 5. Alignment-driven
3. Team-first 6. Purpose-driven
45. Thank you! Over to you…
• Rediscover Greenleaf
– Servant Leadership (book)
– The Servant as Leader (essay, pdf)
• Read the white paper, try a mini assessment
– agendashift.com/paper
6+1 Essential strategies for successful
Lean-Agile transformation
– agendashift.com/2016 – this year’s survey
• Stay in touch:
– Email: mike@agendashift.com
– LinkedIn: Agendashift (group), also Slack
– Twitter: @asplake @agendashift @KanbanInside