What has leadership got to do with ‘being a servant’?


Well, by now I’m sure you must’ve understood about the topic of the post and what it is all about – servant leadership of course! One of the attributes of a scrum master is “being a servant leader”.

But what are the attributes/actions that qualify a scrum master to be called a servant leader. Let’s look at some of them below –
  • Serving others and not yourself; in other words, selfless management of team members
  • Being a servant means you do not or should not command others. On a lighter note, does your housecleaner/household help ever give you instructions regarding what to do? No right?
    •  Let go of the command and control that our traditional managers are used to exercise as part of their role, in your journey to become a scrum master.
  •  Leading by example & helping people develop and perform as high as possible
  • Think of the Scrum Master as a personal trainer who helps you stick with an exercise regimen and perform all exercises with the correct form. A good trainer will provide motivation while at the same time making sure you don’t cheat by skipping a hard exercise. The trainer’s authority, however, is limited.
    •  The trainer cannot make you do an exercise you don’t want to do. Instead, the trainer reminds you of your goals and how you’ve chosen to meet them.
  • Focus on building a foundation of trust and encourage collaboration within the team.
  •  A servant leader is also a person who removes impediments, is empathic and a good listener.

  • Last but not the least, this is how the Scrum Guide describes the Scrum Master – a Scrum Master is not a master of the team, but a master at encouraging, enabling, and energizing people to gel as a team and realize their full potential.


Best,

Jasdev Singh (PMI-ACP, CSM)
https://in.linkedin.com/in/singhjasdev

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Increasing your Agile Team's Outcome Predictability

Image
Understanding Predictability in Agile Team Outcomes   "Understanding Predictability in Agile Team Outcomes" refers to the study or analysis of how consistent and reliable the results or achievements of a team practicing agile methodologies can be. This involves examining the factors that contribute to the team's ability to deliver on time and within scope, as well as identifying potential challenges or obstacles that may impact their predictability. By understanding these dynamics, organizations can better manage and optimize their agile teams for more consistent and successful outcomes. In today's rapidly changing world, the significance of accurate weather forecasts cannot be overstated. Similarly, in the world of software development, predictability is crucial for Agile teams. The ability to deliver outcomes predictably is a key factor in Agile team success. Achieving predictability can be challenging for Agile teams due to various factors such as capacity planning
Read more

Stop starting, start finishing.

Image
Limiting WIP & reasons for high WIP My first post on Kanban  deserved a sequel for sure! While it isn’t possible to have literally no work in progress, the overall goal of a project team is to finish as many things as they can, and not be in a state of continually starting. Having too much #WIP makes this goal even more difficult.  The impact of too much WIP on efficiency and throughput is one of the reasons it is often regarded as a concern. According to studies, the cost of context change is frequently far more than people anticipate. It is evident that dropping one object and taking up another cannot be done in such a way that no time or energy is spent between the two. However, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the loss is rarely worth the gain. These apparent consequences of having too much going on are easy to identify once you know what you're looking at. Looking around the team, you'll notice that there are many tasks open, few of which are done, and many
Read more

Mastering the Daily Scrum

Image
- A Key Ingredient for Agile Success Introduction: In the fast-paced world of software development and project management, staying on top of tasks, priorities, and progress is essential. The Daily Scrum, often referred to as the Daily Standup, is a cornerstone of the Agile methodology. It's a brief, focused meeting that empowers teams to synchronize, collaborate, and make data-driven decisions. In this blog post, we'll dive into the what, why, and how of the Daily Scrum to help you harness its potential for your agile projects. What is the Daily Scrum/Daily Stand-up? The Daily Scrum is a daily ritual (a scrum event) that brings the entire team together for a brief, time-boxed catch up. Its primary objectives are: Synchronization: Ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding the sprint goal and knows what to work upon given the priority. Collaboration: Encourage open communication among team members. Identify and Remove Obstacles: Highlight any impediments that need res
Read more