What do you do if your leader lacks the key qualities of a successful leader in Agile Methodologies?

Keep the gaps to yourself for now. Leaders can become defensive if you present a list of faults and gaps. Leaders respond more positively when they identify the problem and take ownership of it. Facilitate and coach your leaders, bringing them to define what good agile leadership looks like. Do not tell them!

I would definitely agree with what @Barry Sayers (above) has to say about the 'defensiveness'. Identifying & Sharing gaps with your leader maybe like walking on thin ice and best avoided without requisite preparedness. However, one can identify these gaps and work towards reducing them through subtle and implicit approaches.

Before understanding what a leader lacks, lets look at what a leader should possess: 1. Creates a Psychologically safe work environment. 2. Empower the team 3. Decentralizes Non-strategic decision making 4. Keeps policies and procedures explicit 5. Promotes and practices transparency 6. Motivates leadership at all levels of the team/organization. 7. Does not micro-manage. 8. Trusts the team and stands by them. 9. Does not treat his team as his competition. 10. Appreciates in public and scolds in private. Sadly there isn't much we can do if the leader does not possess 1 or more of these skills. Exception: The leader is a good listener and a sport to accept constructive feedback. Again, to find this out is a little tricky.

Since this first point is about identifying and not communicating yet, it's important to acknowledge that leadership, just like any skill, can be developed over time. There are always areas for growth, and with a little focus, these gaps can be addressed. Focus on Process vs. Outcomes: Does your leader get hung up on rigid processes instead of celebrating progress and learning from setbacks? Micromanagement: Is your leader constantly looking over shoulders or dictating every step? Fear of Change: Does your leader resist adaptations or new priorities that emerge during a sprint? Lack of Transparency: Does your leader withhold information or avoid tough conversations?

It's best not to approach leaders about gaps. There is a very thin line between addressing gaps and making a list of faults. Blend this with the pressure of meeting tight deadlines, you may find yourself doing more damage than good. I recommend concentrating on the team and supporting colleagues to ensure the values and quality of the corporation remain strong. There's a good chance a leader may see the impacts of the different approaches and/or you may even realize why the gaps are there in the first place. Then address these collectively in the retrospectives. This approach is ideal as there is room for collective learning and improvement.

Well, this one is little tricky. Before communicating take a quick flashback - 1. Is the leader even a good listener? 2. Does she/he have the patience or is willing to seek feedback? 3. Has she/he ever demonstrated action on constructive feedback in the past? 4. Have people been penalized ever in the past for giving feedback? 5. Does this help the team in any way? If yes, then go ahead and talk. We may keep talking about communicating and changing leadership but unless these things are in places you are talking to the wall! Communication fails.

Obtenir l'alignement et le soutien des leaders et parties prenantes est essentiel pour le succès du projet. Impliquez-les pour guidance et approbation.

Utilisez créativité et agilité pour adapter et innover face aux défis. Collaboration, résilience et communication clés pour surmonter obstacles.

The biggest pitfall that a team faces due to having a "BOSS" and not a "LEADER" is: 1. Lack of motivation 2. No sense of belongingness 3. Treating work as a mere job without any passion 4. Never wanting to put even their 90% effort. 5. Lack of trust But the show must go on! Right? Here are somethings you can do as a team if you have a "NON-Leader" in a Leadership position: 1. Trust each other. 2. Have the back of each other at all times. 3. Do not play the blame game. 4. Keep things very transparent within each other. 5. Make most of every single opportunity to connect with the team and retrospect yourselves.

I hope that this is not an assumption after few conversations. We often enter a team with a mindset that defines “good leader” and set the characteristics. The moment someone misses the line , we are quick to pass the judgement. If I am an agile leader , I would rather coach and help the leader identify the gaps and become a better version of the self rather than I pass a judgement that someone does not have enough qualities. We need to know people and understand their world to understand them.