Leadership & Management69

Agile Leadership

Zuzi Sochova - Agile Leadership [Agile Prague]

Zuzi Sochova

September 11, 2018

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Organizations are constantly evolving, they change their structures, processes, and rules. Last decade they’ve been changing into Agile, and surprisingly despite all the effort and money they put into transformation, they’ve been often failing. The same way as culture follows an organization, the culture follows leaders. Companies were trying to break that rule for years and change the culture without changing leadership style. Nowadays this rule seems to win and organizations are moving towards different leadership styles and surprisingly becoming successful. In order to change organization, leaders have to change first. Be one of them and turn your organization into a successful Agile organization.

About Zuzi Sochova

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Agile & Enterprise Coach

Zuzi started with agile and Scrum back in 2005, where she was involved in implementing the agile methods at large US company operating in the medical area. From that time, she was responsible for implementation of agile and Scrum to teams in the Czech Republic operating in different areas of IT industry (i.e. air traffic control management systems, extensive healthcare applications, public safety systems and small and extremely fast internet projects).

Currently, she works as a consultant and agile coach for software organizations, support them in tailoring their agile adoption processes to company culture. She founded Czech agile community Agile Association - AgilniAsociace.cz, organizing conferences and events and sharing the agile experience all around.

Follow them on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zuzka

Presentation Slides

Summary Transcript

All right, let's begin. I want to start with an experiment.

Imagine an organization without values. What does it look like? What is important? Now compare that image with your dream organization—the one you are striving for. If they are very different from each other, you might want to reconsider your approach.

There were three departments—developers, hardware teams, and another group—reviewing their department structure. The goal was flexibility and serving customer needs better. At first, I was excited. It felt like a dream come true. I thought, "Wow! I can finally change everything. I can do whatever I want!" I believed I could remove all the unnecessary structures. It seemed cool, right?

The Reality of Change

However, reality soon set in. People resisted change. Even before we started, some had already decided against it. I began to think that maybe my original idea was just a dream—something that only works in books but not in real life.

Eventually, I found the courage to experiment with a different structure based on self-organizing teams. The context of the company was challenging. Some employees had been there since the 1960s. Their mindset was deeply rooted in traditional hierarchy. One person, in particular, had hierarchy embedded in his DNA. He believed authority must be respected without question.

Introducing a New Structure

I prepared a presentation for the leadership team. It was clear that moving from a traditional hierarchy to a flat structure was a big leap. I wanted to emphasize collaboration, fast learning, and aligning with our mission statement: "Delivering innovative solutions with technical excellence."

Through my research, I found companies with no managers. I proposed a similar structure. Some managers were skeptical. One of them asked, "Are you saying we don't need managers?" I pointed them back to the goal—flexibility, learning, and technical excellence.

Surprisingly, they agreed to try it. I still don’t know why they decided to go for it, but I realized something important: people accept change when it aligns with a clear goal, not just because it's a trend. That was my first lesson—never change for the sake of change. Instead, have a purpose.

The Challenge of Transformation

Transformation often starts with enthusiasm but quickly encounters resistance. Traditional structures don't dissolve overnight. Some leaders hold onto authority, while others struggle to adjust to a new way of working.

When transformation is imposed without alignment, organizations become chaotic. Departments fail to communicate, leading to inefficiency. To succeed, change must be a shared journey. Leadership isn't about authority—it's about fostering a culture where everyone takes ownership.

Leaders vs. Managers

A manager is a position, but a leader is a mindset. You don’t need permission to be a leader. Anyone can initiate change. If you wait for others to solve problems, nothing will happen. Leadership is about making connections, fostering collaboration, and creating a culture of continuous improvement.

Traditional organizations rely on hierarchy, but truly agile companies function more like a flotilla—small, independent teams making decisions based on real-time data. When the environment shifts, they adjust quickly. Leadership in these organizations isn't about control; it's about empowerment.

Competencies of Agile Leaders

An agile leader must balance decisiveness and collaboration. There are times when quick decisions are necessary, and other times when the best approach is facilitating a team discussion. Leaders don’t dictate; they create clarity. If the vision isn’t clear, people won’t follow.

Feedback is critical. Traditional managers often believe giving feedback is their job, but great leaders also listen. How often do you seek feedback from your peers? How many times have you changed based on their input?

The Power of Feedback

Agile organizations thrive on continuous feedback. It’s not about top-down control but about enabling open communication across the entire system. The key is trust. When leaders create a safe environment, people feel empowered to speak up and contribute.

One of the biggest gaps in most organizations is coaching and mentorship. Structures may change, but without guidance, people struggle to adapt. Coaching helps employees navigate uncertainty, ensuring they develop the skills needed for the future.

Changing Yourself First

The hardest part of transformation is changing yourself. If you expect others to change, you must first demonstrate the behaviors you want to see. Be open to feedback, challenge assumptions, and continuously improve.

Organizations are complex networks of interactions. They aren’t static systems; they evolve based on culture, leadership, and shared purpose. A truly agile company isn’t just structurally different—it has a fundamentally different mindset.

Cultural Shifts in Leadership

Cultural transformation starts with mindset. Traditional leadership is about authority, while agile leadership is about enabling others. It’s about shifting from individual success to collective achievement.

Many organizations struggle because they measure success at the individual level. Instead of fostering competition, they should encourage collaboration. When teams align around a shared purpose, it no longer matters which department someone belongs to—everyone is working toward the same goal.

The Role of a Leader

The most important role of a leader is to develop other leaders. Leadership isn’t about doing everything yourself; it’s about creating an environment where others can thrive.

Instead of giving answers, ask questions. Instead of making decisions alone, involve your team. The best leaders don’t have all the answers—they empower others to find solutions.

Final Thoughts

Transformation isn’t about structure; it’s about culture. If you want lasting change, focus on developing leaders at every level. Encourage collaboration, foster a growth mindset, and continuously seek feedback.

Remember, leadership isn’t a title—it’s a choice. You don’t need permission to start making a difference. If you wait for others to lead, nothing will change. Be the catalyst for transformation.

Thank you.

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