Agile Leadership Principles and Practices from Coursera

Agile can often challenge project managers in the realm of leadership. Old styles of command-control are now a thing of the past, except for the most conservative organizations. While good leaders employ a variety of leadership skills and leadership styles to motivate team members, even this is not enough. Simply setting a common goal and maintaining positive attitudes while raising your emotional intelligence will make you a better leader; but will it truly unlock your team's potential?

Instead of leadership traits, Agile leadership emphasizes facilitation and communication skills. This is teachable and much more powerful. This unique and effective leadership style challenges traditional beliefs in what leadership means.

Great leaders understand that the leader can no longer stand in the way of their team. Modern society, mindsets, and global competition demand new leadership roles, and leadership qualities all together that empower and motivate the team to new levels of productivity. Business leaders that miss this critical shift in leadership styles concede a powerful competitive advantage to the Agile leader.

What's inside

Syllabus

Week 1: Evolving Leadership Theories

Week 2: Agile Leadership Principles

Week 3: Empowering the Mind

Week 4: Empowering the Team

Course Final

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Examines Agile leadership, which emphasizes facilitation and communication skills that are teachable and powerful for project managers

Explores evolving leadership theories, which helps learners understand the shift from traditional command-control styles to modern Agile leadership

Focuses on empowering the mind and the team, which are essential for unlocking a team's potential and achieving higher levels of productivity

Taught by the University of Maryland, College Park, which is known for its research and programs in business and management

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Agile Leadership Principles and Practices with these activities:

Review Scrum and Kanban Fundamentals

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Solidify your understanding of Scrum and Kanban principles to provide a strong foundation for agile leadership practices.

Browse courses on Scrum Framework

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Review online resources and articles on Scrum and Kanban.
Take a practice quiz on Scrum and Kanban fundamentals.
Summarize the key differences between Scrum and Kanban.

Review 'Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us'

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Understand the science of motivation to better empower and engage your agile team members.

View Drive on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us'.
Read the book, focusing on autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
Reflect on how to apply these principles in your leadership style.

Review 'Coaching Agile Teams'

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Deepen your understanding of agile coaching techniques to better facilitate and empower agile teams.

View Coaching Agile Teams: A Companion for... on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'Coaching Agile Teams'.
Read the book, focusing on coaching models and team dynamics.
Reflect on how to apply these techniques in your own leadership style.

Four other activities

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Participate in a Peer Coaching Session

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Practice coaching skills and receive feedback from peers to improve your agile leadership abilities.

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Find a peer interested in practicing agile coaching.
Prepare a coaching scenario or topic.
Take turns coaching and providing feedback.
Reflect on the experience and identify areas for growth.

Follow Tutorials on Facilitation Techniques

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Learn and practice facilitation techniques to effectively guide agile team meetings and workshops.

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Search for online tutorials on facilitation techniques.
Watch the tutorials and take notes on key concepts.
Practice the techniques in a simulated or real-world setting.

Create a Presentation on Servant Leadership

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Develop a presentation to explain the principles of servant leadership and its application in agile environments.

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Research the principles of servant leadership.
Outline the key points of your presentation.
Create visually appealing slides with concise information.
Practice your presentation to ensure a smooth delivery.

Agile Leadership Self-Assessment

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Identify your strengths and weaknesses as an agile leader to focus your development efforts.

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Research different agile leadership assessment models.
Select an assessment model and complete the self-assessment.
Analyze your results and identify areas for improvement.
Create a personal development plan based on your assessment.

Career center

Learners who complete Agile Leadership Principles and Practices will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Agile Coach

An Agile Coach guides teams and organizations in adopting and improving agile practices, and this course directly addresses this expertise. They focus on facilitating team self-organization and continuous improvement, which are core tenets of agile leadership. The Agile Coach works to empower teams, and this course's focus on such concepts as facilitating communication is directly applicable to this work. This course helps build a foundation in the required leadership styles, and one looking to become an Agile Coach will find that it teaches the communication and empowerment skills they need to succeed.

See salaries and explore the career path for Agile Coach

Scrum Master

A Scrum Master is a servant-leader who supports a Scrum team, and this course is highly relevant to that role. The Scrum Master removes obstacles, facilitates meetings, and ensures that the team adheres to Scrum principles. The principles taught in this course help promote a strong foundational understanding of leadership styles that empower and motivate a team. Specifically, this course focuses on communication and facilitation, which are essential for a Scrum Master to create a high-performing team. One who wishes to become a Scrum Master will find that this course provides essential training in the skills of Agile leadership.

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Product Owner

A Product Owner defines and prioritizes the product backlog while working closely with agile teams, and the leadership training in this course is useful. A Product Owner must also facilitate communication across teams, and this course's guidance in that area makes it highly relevant. This course's emphasis on agile leadership can help the Product Owner empower their team and adapt to changing priorities. A Product Owner should take this course to learn about the leadership side of effectively working with an agile team. A Product Owner will find this material on evolving leadership theories to help build a personal toolkit for greater leadership.

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Change Management Specialist

Change Management Specialists guide organizations through transitions, and this course's agile leadership principles can be highly valuable in this respect. They help individuals and teams to embrace new ways of working, and an understanding of the agile mindset as highlighted in this course can help promote better outcomes. They need to foster communication and collaboration, and this course specifically helps in that realm. Change Management Specialists are tasked with promoting buy-in for change, and this course's lessons in empowering teams will help build these skills. A Change Management Specialist will find the skills taught here directly applicable to their role.

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Team Lead

A Team Lead guides a team toward its goals, and this course is an excellent fit. The focus of this course on empowering teams and shifting away from traditional command-and-control provides a strong framework for how a Team Lead should operate. A Team Lead needs to promote communication and collaboration, and this course directly addresses that need. Individuals hoping to become a Team Lead will find the principles taught to be directly applicable in their work environment. The emphasis on facilitation skills helps build better team leadership.

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Chief Information Officer

A Chief Information Officer oversees the information technology strategy of an organization, and this course provides useful insights for leading in a modern context. A Chief Information Officer can benefit from agile leadership strategies, and this course emphasizes such topics as communication and empowerment. The lessons in shifting away from traditional command-and-control to more modern leadership practices is particularly relevant in a technical context. A Chief Information Officer may find this course provides methods to improve team performance and cohesiveness. The material on evolving leadership theories may be useful for developing effective teams.

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Project Manager

Project Managers use leadership skills to guide projects from initiation to completion, and this course may be useful in today's environment. Project Managers who want to learn new approaches to leadership will especially be drawn to the material. This course emphasizes facilitation and communication, which can be leveraged to lead project teams more effectively. The course's focus on empowering teams helps Project Managers adopt new leadership roles that motivate teams to achieve success. A Project Manager will find the material on evolving leadership theories to be particularly relevant as they help build a leadership style.

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Organizational Development Specialist

An Organizational Development Specialist aims to enhance an organization's effectiveness, and this course provides useful new approaches to leadership. The emphasis of this course on fostering a modern leadership style is highly relevant to someone working in organizational development. The focus on agile leadership principles provides an alternative to traditional practices, and this course helps build that foundation. This course's material on empowering and motivating teams helps an Organizational Development Specialist implement team-centric initiatives. An Organizational Development Specialist will find value in the different concepts of leadership highlighted by this course.

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Chief Technology Officer

A Chief Technology Officer leads the technology strategy for an organization, and this course on agile leadership offers a novel approach to working with technology teams. The principles of agile leadership, which focus on communication and facilitation rather than traditional command structures, are key to leading in today's environment. The Chief Technology Officer, who often works with agile teams, should learn to promote their team through empowerment, which this course focuses on. A Chief Technology Officer may find this course provides a strong foundational grasp of the principles of agile leadership. The material on evolving leadership theories would be particularly relevant to build best practices.

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Human Resources Business Partner

A Human Resources Business Partner aligns HR practices with business objectives, and this course provides insights to improve how leaders operate. This course's approach to agile leadership, emphasizing facilitation and communication, helps Human Resources Business Partners understand more modern team dynamics. The course's focus on empowering teams will allow the Human Resources Business Partner to design more effective training and team-building programs. A Human Resources Business Partner may find this course provides a valuable perspective on how to promote more effective leadership. The material on evolving leadership theories may be useful for training leaders.

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Program Manager

Program Managers oversee multiple related projects, and this course provides useful insights into leadership principles. The course's emphasis on agile leadership, which focuses on facilitation and communication, is helpful in guiding successful programs. A Program Manager needs to motivate and empower team members across various projects, and this course will build a foundation in this area. The material on evolving leadership theories may help Program Managers integrate more effective leadership practices into their programs. Individuals looking to become a Program Manager may discover the value of agile leadership as taught in this course.

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Management Consultant

Management Consultants advise organizations on improving their performance, and this course may be helpful in providing new approaches to leadership. Management Consultants can use the agile leadership principles to help organizations adapt to changes and improve their team dynamics. This course challenges traditional beliefs about what leadership means, and this helps Management Consultants bring innovative solutions to their clients. The emphasis on facilitation skills will allow a Management Consultant to provide more practical leadership strategies. A Management Consultant may find this course provides new insight into organizational leadership.

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Business Analyst

Business Analysts analyze business processes and recommend improvements, and this course may be useful in better understanding team dynamics. A Business Analyst will find the agile leadership principles important when they seek to improve business processes and team structures. The focus of this course on better communication skills will be an asset to a Business Analyst when collaborating with teams. This course's emphasis on effective team leadership also helps build skills that a Business Analyst can use to provide more actionable recommendations. A Business Analyst might find that it helps them have a better overall understanding of effective team leadership.

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Executive Coach

Executive Coaches guide leaders in professional development, and this course may provide helpful insights. The focus of this course on shifting away from command-and-control leadership may be useful to leaders seeking personal growth and new approaches to team leadership. Executive Coaches who want to challenge traditional beliefs about leadership may find value in this course. The material on empowering and motivating teams could be helpful in coaching executives to become better leaders. An Executive Coach may find that the material presented in this course allows them to enhance their coaching practice.

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Training and Development Specialist

Training and Development Specialists design and deliver training programs, and this course may be useful for creating leadership development programs. This course presents a different kind of leadership, and therefore, a Training and Development Specialist may find the concepts of a unique leadership style to be useful to the teams they train. The focus on facilitation and communication is helpful for a Training and Development Specialist who must engage learners. This course's focus on agile leadership principles may expand the training and development professional's knowledge of different leadership styles. A Training and Development Specialist can leverage this course to improve leadership development training modules.

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Agile Leadership Principles and Practices

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