Slides from my talk at Agile Week Carolinas, October 2020

1. @jjschreuder • jason@inspirediterations.com • www.iterationsofjason.com
What is an Agile Mindset?
Exploring The Virtues of an Agile Leader

2. Agile Coach
Jason Schreuder
▷ 10+ years of Agile, coaching, training and leading agile teams in
the military and technology industries
▷ experience leading an Agile PMO and an Agile adoption in a
global technology company developing manufactured devices
▷ Graduate degrees in business and higher education, alphabet
soup of lean and agile certifications
▷ from Apex, North Carolina
Helping people, teams, and
organizations pursue the ability
to engage and affect their
environment so that they can
adapt to a complex and ever
changing world.
@jjschreuder
jason@inspirediterations.com
www.iterationsofjason.com

3. The World Today ...

4. criminal-justice reform
income inequality & labor concerns
LGTBQ+ rights
marijuana legalization
gun control & gun rights
black lives matter
indigenous land rights
#MeToo
new populism
climate change

6. The Tragic Gap
Parker Palmer
Center for Courage and Renewal

7. Making the Shift . . .

8. Newtonian Mind-set:
Stability is the norm
The world is linear and predictable.
It’s controllable.
We can minimize change
Add rigor to the process to
increase the feeling of security.
Quantum Mind-Set:
Chaos is the norm
Uncertainty reigns
Murphy’s law rules (expect surprises).
We should welcome change.
Relax controls to Increase the
feeling of security.

9. Newtonian Mind-set:
deliver on the planned result.
use the plan to drive results.
aim, aim, fire.
establish stronger policies and
procedures.
Quantum Mind-Set:
discover the desired result.
use results to drive the plan.
fire, then redirect the bullet.
agree on guidelines, principles
and values.
My job [as a leader] is to:
The best way to do this is to:
My preferred approach is:
When things start to slip out of control, I try to:

10. And the Agile Mindset ?

12. Have we realized the
ideal (agile) state?

13. So, what should leaders do?

14. Some Research
Self Determination
Theory (SDT)
Edward L. Deci & Richard
Ryan (1970s)
Autonomy
Competence
Relatedness
The New, New Product
Development Game
Hirotaka Takeuchi & Ikujiro
Nonaka (HBR, 1986)
Autonomy
Self-Transcendence
Cross-Fertilization
Drive: The Surprising
Truth About What
Motivates Us
Dan Pink(2009)
Autonomy
Mastery
Purpose

17. INTENT

18. Leadership
Embedding the capacity for greatness in the
people and practices of an organization, and
decoupling it from the personality of the leader.

19. Leadership in Agile Organizations
I intend to . . .
I’ve done the following due
diligence. .
Here’s how it aligns to our
vision and strategy . .
Intent-based
decision-making:

20. Leadership in Agile Organizations
I intend to . . .
I’ve done the following due
diligence. .
Here’s how it aligns to our
vision and strategy . .
Intent-based
decision-making:
Control
Competence
Clarity
Three Jobs of
Management (Marquet)

21. Leadership in Agile Organizations
I intend to . . .
I’ve done the following due
diligence. .
Here’s how it aligns to our
vision and strategy . .
Intent-based
decision-making:
Control
Competence
Clarity
Autonomy
Mastery
Purpose
Three Jobs of
Management (Marquet)
What motivates
us (Pink)

22. Virtues of Business Agility
Intent
Wholeness
Authenticity
Response-ability
Sustainability
Leadership

23. Intent
clarity of vision, unity of purpose
commander’s intent
participatory decision-making
consistent communication

24. Wholeness
optimize and align systems
human and objective
the obstacle is the way
pervasive collaboration

25. Authenticity
show don’t tell
Integrity/Transparency/Trust
continuous feedback
freedom over Task, Time Technique, Team

26. Response-ability
sense and respond with disciplined
initiative
complexity conscious
empirical approach
accept prudent risks

27. Sustainability
built to last
decentralize authority
hire well
people, planet, profit

28. The task is ... not so much to see what no one has yet
seen; but to think what nobody has yet thought, about
that which everybody sees.
- Erwin Schrödinger

29. Thanks!
Any questions?
Any feedback?
Jason Schreuder
jason@inspirediterations.com