Yes.
A Certified Scrum Master course gives you the confidence to set up good scrum within a small Scrum team environment and gives you a solid foundation from which to build.
The CSM course does not focus on leadership in the same way that a Certified Agile Leadership course does, but it will give you an insight into how an effective Scrum Master can create a team environment in which others can excel.
A CSM course introduces you to good Scrum.
It demonstrates how each role, from the product owner through to members of the development team, play a critical part in solving complex problems and developing new products.
You understand that as a Scrum Master you have a critical role to play in the team’s success, but it isn’t all on you in the same way that it is for a project manager.
It doesn’t start and end with you. It starts and ends with the team.
Your role is to work with members of the development team as well as the product owner to create an environment where the team can excel. You work with members outside of the scrum team to help remove impediments to progress and empower the scrum team to succeed.
The Scrum Master role thrives with a coaching and partnership driven approach to team success.
A project manager carries a great deal of authority and is primarily responsible for the success or failure of a project, regardless of who is involved in that project.
A Scrum Master carries no authority but leads through coaching and influence to help the team thrive and continuously improve with each sprint.
So, yes, you are empowered to lead a Scrum Team after completing the CSM course, but it would be the start of your Scrum Master journey and you would build a great deal from there through study, practice and experimentation.
Your CSM course prepares you to be a Scrum Master and provides you with a solid foundation from which to grow, but it takes years of practice in the environment to truly become an effective Scrum Master.
There are courses that can help you in that development, for example, the Advanced Certified Scrum Master and Certified Scrum Professional Scrum Master courses, and you would also benefit a great deal from coaching and mentoring from experienced Scrum Masters and Agile coaches.
Agile Centre have also created the Agile Coaching Academy to help grow the next generation of Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches. Visit the Agile Coaching Academy course page for more information.
If you are thinking of becoming a Scrum Master, visit our Certified Scrum Master course page.
Frequently Asked Scrum Master Questions
- What is Scrum?
- What is a Scrum Team?
- Do Scrum Masters work outside of Software environments?
- Do I need project management experience to become a Scrum Master?
- How does a Scrum Master differ from a Project Manager?
- Is the Scrum Master a member of the development team?
- What is the difference between a Scrum Master and a Product Owner?
- What is the Agile Manifesto?
- What are 3 traits of a good Scrum Master?
- Are there different levels of seniority amongst Scrum Masters?
- Can you create a Scrum environment in a company that isn’t Agile?
- Do I need to be a developer to be a Scrum Master for a software development team?
- How will I know if a Scrum Master role is a good fit for me?
- Must you be an expert in Scrum to become a Scrum Master?
- What are career opportunities for a Scrum Master?
- What do Scrum Masters do?
- What is a daily scrum and do Scrum Masters lead them?
Frequently asked Training and Certification questions
- Do you get course materials and textbooks on the CSM course?
- How well does a CSM course prepare you to be a Scrum Master?
- How well recognised and respected is the Certified Scrum Master course?
- What do I need to know before signing up on the CSM course?
- What is a Certified Scrum Master?
- What is a good certification path for a Scrum Master?
- What will you learn on a CSM course?
- Will I be able to lead a scrum team after doing a CSM course?
- Are there different Scrum Master certifications and how do they differ?
- Do companies invest in CSM courses or is it predominantly individuals?
- How long is the CSM course and how is it configured?
- Is the CSM course theoretical or practical?
- Is there an alumni group for CSM graduates?
- Is there an exam I need to pass to become a Certified Scrum Master?
- What can I do with a CSM credential?
- What is my earning potential as a Certified Scrum Master?