When it comes to employee engagement, leadership plays a crucial role. Managers are the number one cause of stress and dissatisfaction in the workplace, which is why we need to invest in management roles. Inspiring team leaders and project managers can build collaborative teams to increase productivity and quality, while also nurturing positive company culture.

An agile leadership style is a great tool for navigating the troubled waters of the current VUCA environment.

In today’s VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) world, agile leadership is increasingly valuable. Rigid management is no longer working, instead, companies need leaders that thrive in the face of major change. Flexibility and adaptability are only two of the many resources that an agile leader can use to support a business.

Let’s take a look at the essential qualities that make an agile leader.

Holistic Thinking

According to agile principles, leadership should be present at any level of a business. An agile leader focuses not only on the team but on how their management affects the well-being of the entire company. They implement organic changes and consider the outcome holistically. 

They develop pipelines meant to support the individual’s growth within an organization and promote self-leadership. Each person is accountable for their own actions and decisions, and it’s the manager’s responsibility to help them reach their full potential.

This approach is a great fit for the remote work environment where freedom and responsibility go hand in hand. Employees who work from home are encouraged to practice leadership, to be responsible for their own schedule, and find the best solutions. Self-organizing employees work more efficiently and have a deeper understanding of how their role fits into the larger organizational structure.

Inspiring Attitude

Employees are more engaged and driven when they have a purpose. In fact, the meaning behind a job is an important motivator. Employee motivation contributes to increased satisfaction, higher productivity, and overall better solutions. 

One of the best qualities of an agile leader is their inspiring authenticity. An effective leader genuinely connects with their colleagues and pushes them to find an intrinsic purpose in their work. They prioritize employee morale and promote an empathetic, human-centered work environment.

An agile manager leads by example. Their charisma comes from the fact that they have a clear vision of what lies ahead and how to get there. They back up this vision through perseverance and practical actions.

Collaborative

Any leadership methodology recommends delegating. Especially when it comes to an agile workplace, a leader should be open to collaboration and working as part of a team. Undoubtedly, collaborative communities have the power to achieve more than individuals. 

While a rigid manager would be inclined to take on everything and solve all tasks by themselves, agile leaders are always open to delegate. Moreover, they know the right people for the job and have key roles in mind. 

They build dynamic ecosystems of cross-functional teams. This collaborative approach increases organizational resilience and strengthens the professional relationship between team members.

Great Listening Skills

A good listener, the agile leader will always be open to receive feedback and input. Finding the right solution requires multiple iterations. To settle on the right version of a process, a product, or a service, the people closest to the problem need to be heard. Through feedback, a team can grow and develop. 

An agile mindset recognizes the importance of ideas. Innovative solutions can come from anywhere in the company, not just from upper management or the creative departments. There are no right or wrong ideas, just possibilities brought forward by different professionals.

While some people might be inclined to reject an idea that is not their own, an agile leader is a great listener, ready to hear the reasoning behind it. They are equipped to weigh the value of a proposal. In return, they offer public recognition for the colleague who came up with a winning solution. 

Listening to ideas and taking them into consideration builds trust among team members and increases employee engagement as well.

Creative

Creativity is one of the most distinctive qualities of agile leadership. A manager’s vision matters, however, many people are unable to communicate their end goal in a clear, concise manner. Thus, the mission gets lost in translation. But agile leaders are great storytellers and they can help people visualize the idea. 

The agile state of mind recognizes that emotions are at the core of creativity and innovation. Agile leaders harness positive emotion to create a workplace open to creativity. They free the space of negativity and do their best to prevent creative blocks in their colleagues.

Through efficient brainstorming sessions and a general creative mindset, agile leaders are able to lead their teams towards better solutions and unexpected results.

Let’s talk!

We work on building collaborative teams that develop creative solutions to the customer’s needs. If you need help with building employee engagement, strengthening your organizational resilience, and growing a high-performance company culture, get in touch, and let’s talk.