Do scrum masters identify and nurture leadership talent within scrum teams, and if so, how?
As an Agile Coach, I’ve found that one of the most frequently asked questions I receive in my Scrum Master and Agile leadership courses is, “Do Scrum Masters identify and nurture leadership talent within Scrum teams, and if so, how?” 🕵️♂️
It’s a profound question and one that gives us a peek into the dynamic world of Agile teams. And I feel that it is fundamental to understanding the dynamics and potential of Scrum teams.🔑
It’s a Team Effort
While the Scrum Master plays a crucial role in facilitating and coaching the team, it’s important to emphasise that identifying potential leadership talent is a shared task among all team members. 🤝
This collective approach enables the team to leverage different perspectives and insights, recognising strengths and leadership qualities that might otherwise be overlooked.
Furthermore, this shared responsibility strengthens the team’s cohesion and mutual respect, essential factors for the high-performing Agile team environment.
Recognising Potential Leaders
Firstly, it’s crucial to note that identifying potential leadership talent isn’t unique to the Scrum Master role but rather a collective responsibility within the team. 👀
As a team, we should be alert to individuals who exhibit the capacity and willingness to step into leadership roles. 🌟
Having the capacity but lacking the willingness, or vice versa, can be a recipe for disaster. As a team, we need to recognise this delicate balance and give people opportunities to explore this space if they wish to.🔄
Here’s a real-life example and a poignant experience from my career. My experience involves a team member who anonymously, yet quite clearly, expressed their ambition to become a lead developer, which would be an advancement in their career. 🎓
This declaration opened the door for a dialogue within the team. It led to the development of a plan that mapped out how to close the gap between their current knowledge and experience and the requirements of a leadership role.
We sat down with that person and worked together to identify what they could do today, where the gaps were in their knowledge, their experience and how we could close those gaps.
The process was a win-win. 📣
Nurturing Leadership
I believe the power of coaching can never be underestimated, and leadership doesn’t have to correlate with a job title. It can be about recognising someone’s passion for a topic, their vision for the future, and finding ways for them to express this. 💪
How do we support quieter team members to have their voices heard? Or help those whose voices may be too loud for the team to strike a better balance?
One of my favourite tools for nurturing potential leaders is coaching.🧑🏫
When people have self-identified as wanting to be there and we can recognise they have the capacity to become leaders within the team or within the organisation, one of the things I’ll do is offer to coach them.
Coaching allows me to help potential leaders clarify what leadership means to them, what good looks like, and how they can measure their progression.
This often results in these individuals becoming more aware of opportunities to step into their leadership goals.
It might start with small steps, but over time, these become bigger and more significant until they are, in fact, leaders within the team or even the wider organisation.🚀
Elevate Your Agile and Scrum Mastery
To learn more about Agile and Scrum, or if you’re interested in understanding the complexities and potential of Scrum teams and the role of the Scrum Master, I’d love for you to join my Agile and Scrum courses.
Through these courses, you will boost your knowledge and skills and learn to identify and nurture potential leaders within your team. 💼
If you are interested in becoming an agile coach and value mentored, coach-driven skills development in your journey to mastery, visit our Growing Agile Coaches page.
If you are inspired by the idea of an online apprenticeship for a scrum master, visit https://www.agilesuccess.academy/courses/growing-scrum-masters-advanced
If you like the idea of becoming a scrum master and want to achieve internationally recognised and certified accreditation as a scrum master, visit our Certified Scrum Master (CSM) course page.
If you are already a scrum master and want to upskill to a more advanced level of knowledge and agile coaching capability, visit our Advanced Certified Scrum Master (A-CSM) course page.
If you have several years’ experience as a scrum master and want to validate and certify your professional skills, visit our Certified Scrum Professional Scrum Master (CSP-SM) course page.
For more information on John McFadyen, visit https://www.johnmcfadyen.com or connect with John on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmcfadyen/.
#agile #agilecoach #agilecoaching #agileprojectmanagement #agileproductdevelopment #agility #businessagility #scrum #scrummaster #scrumtraining #scrumcertification #scrumalliance #agilecentre #johnmcfadyen #coach #coaching #certifiedscrummaster
Keywords: Scrum Masters, Leadership Talent, Agile Leadership, Team Dynamics
Hashtags: #AgileLeadership, #ScrumMastery, #TeamDynamics, #LeadershipDevelopment