AGILE
WHY IT MATTERS
The expectation that leaders be steady and stable has evolved as the world of work and business has evolved and become more complex. Today’s leaders are also expected to be flexible and quick to react. The world in which leader’s work has turned into a world of constant commotion and fluctuation. Leaders need the ability to “go with the flow” and “adapt on the fly.” Leaders that are agile can adjust to change with a nimbleness that keeps their organization relevant. The organization is empowered by their ability to respond to the unpredictable with steadiness and grace. Leaders that are not agile will find themselves snapping when what they thought was predictable suddenly turns unpredictable.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that are agile recognize the only predictable thing in today’s world is unpredictability, and that the only constant is change. They expect anything to come at them, from anywhere, at any time. They expect the unexpected, and do all they can to prepare for it. They equip themselves to face new realities and unanticipated situations. Their byword is flexibility.
Leaders that are agile embrace new ideas and solutions. They look for new ways of doing things and new ways of seeing things. They place their priority on progression instead of tradition. They displace long-standing ways of doing things with innovation. Because they don’t get entrenched in tradition they move past their history when it is the right thing to do.
Leaders that are agile are engines of change. They are change leaders. Because of their agility they are trusted. They are invited into change projects at the “ground level” to recruit their positive energy and influence. They focus on “how” change will occur instead of wasting energy debating “if” change should occur.
Leaders that are agile are able to “turn on a dime” and make sudden but crucial course corrections. They are expert at going with the natural course of things instead of trying to force everything a certain direction. They make needed adjustments “real time,” incorporating new data, ideas, and information as it comes.
Leaders that are agile can be anything, to anyone, at any time, if it helps to move the work forward. They can apply their raw skills to any project or problem instead of being limited in scope to their singular area of expertise. They are confident and comfortable contributing in areas where they aren’t the experts.
Leaders that are agile thrive in times of uncertainty and upheaval. They don’t need structure and constancy to succeed. They keep their work and the work of others moving forward even when everything around them is in commotion or upheaval.
Leaders that are agile “learn on the fly.” They are professional learners. They teach themselves what they need to know, when they need to know it. They know how to take their own abilities to the next level when the situation requires they upgrade their knowledge, skills, or abilities.
BELIEFS
BEST PRACTICES
SELF-REFLECTION
WORDS OF CAUTION
PSYCHOMETRIC 360 QUESTIONS
The expectation that leaders be steady and stable has evolved as the world of work and business has evolved and become more complex. Today’s leaders are also expected to be flexible and quick to react. The world in which leader’s work has turned into a world of constant commotion and fluctuation. Leaders need the ability to “go with the flow” and “adapt on the fly.” Leaders that are agile can adjust to change with a nimbleness that keeps their organization relevant. The organization is empowered by their ability to respond to the unpredictable with steadiness and grace. Leaders that are not agile will find themselves snapping when what they thought was predictable suddenly turns unpredictable.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that are agile recognize the only predictable thing in today’s world is unpredictability, and that the only constant is change. They expect anything to come at them, from anywhere, at any time. They expect the unexpected, and do all they can to prepare for it. They equip themselves to face new realities and unanticipated situations. Their byword is flexibility.
Leaders that are agile embrace new ideas and solutions. They look for new ways of doing things and new ways of seeing things. They place their priority on progression instead of tradition. They displace long-standing ways of doing things with innovation. Because they don’t get entrenched in tradition they move past their history when it is the right thing to do.
Leaders that are agile are engines of change. They are change leaders. Because of their agility they are trusted. They are invited into change projects at the “ground level” to recruit their positive energy and influence. They focus on “how” change will occur instead of wasting energy debating “if” change should occur.
Leaders that are agile are able to “turn on a dime” and make sudden but crucial course corrections. They are expert at going with the natural course of things instead of trying to force everything a certain direction. They make needed adjustments “real time,” incorporating new data, ideas, and information as it comes.
Leaders that are agile can be anything, to anyone, at any time, if it helps to move the work forward. They can apply their raw skills to any project or problem instead of being limited in scope to their singular area of expertise. They are confident and comfortable contributing in areas where they aren’t the experts.
Leaders that are agile thrive in times of uncertainty and upheaval. They don’t need structure and constancy to succeed. They keep their work and the work of others moving forward even when everything around them is in commotion or upheaval.
Leaders that are agile “learn on the fly.” They are professional learners. They teach themselves what they need to know, when they need to know it. They know how to take their own abilities to the next level when the situation requires they upgrade their knowledge, skills, or abilities.
BELIEFS
- Change is here to stay, so a leader’s only option is to stop fighting it and embrace it.
- The currents of our unpredictable world will not stop for a lingerer. You have to adjust and go with the flow or risk being left behind.
- You can never become so attached to something you can’t give it up. You have to be willing to change course.
- If you wake up each day expecting things to be completely different than what you planned, you will usually be right.
- The world doesn’t need cookie-cutter leaders who require structure and predictability to thrive. It needs leaders who can adjust.
- Leaders that are the most flexible quickly become the most indispensable.
- People who get stuck on how things have always been done will never have the vision to see how things could be.
- Just because something has always been done one way doesn’t mean it is right.
BEST PRACTICES
- Respond positively to the unpredictable.
- Integrate the unplanned into the planned.
- Adjust to every new circumstance promptly.
- Change direction when needed.
- Actively seek new ways of doing things.
- Thrive in unstructured environments.
- Maintain your focus amid chaos.
- Move forward in the face of the unknown.
- Do not fear ambiguity or the unknown.
- Don’t be put off or bothered by uncertainty.
- Do not fear new or unfamiliar situations.
- Take things in stride, don’t get flustered.
- Shift gears mid-stream without difficulty.
- Let go of the traditional ways of doing things.
- Part with your personal work quickly.
- Be open to new ideas and ways of seeing things
- Be game for things that are new or unknown.
- Find excitement in each day being different.
- Don’t require a lot of structure to succeed.
- Do not be intimidated by not knowing what to do.
- Go with the natural flow of things.
- Don’t be bothered or hampered by change.
SELF-REFLECTION
- Do I accept the unpredictable nature of the modern world, or do I struggle and fight against it?
- Do I embrace new ways of doing things, or do I hold too tightly to how things have always been done?
- Do I champion change, or do I always seem like last one to get on board with change efforts?
- Do I “go with the flow” of the work, or do I try and force things the direction I want them to go?
- Do I quickly make course corrections, or do I take too long to make adjustments?
- Do I feel comfortable contributing outside my area of expertise, or do I just stick to what I know?
- Do I thrive in times of upheaval, or do I freeze when things become uncertain?
- Do I know how to upgrade my skills, or do I struggle to learn new things when I am required to?
WORDS OF CAUTION
- Don’t make every change. It if isn’t right, take a hard stand and stop the things you don’t agree with.
- Don’t be so willing to be agile that you fail to provide your organization the stability it needs.
- Don’t appear like you don’t know what you believe in because you are so willing to alter your course at a moment’s notice.
PSYCHOMETRIC 360 QUESTIONS
- I can change my line of thinking quickly.
- A prefer working in a fast-paced environment.
- My work gets completed even when the unexpected happens.
- I can focus even in a hectic environment.
- I work well in both a structured or unstructured environment.
- I am quick to respond when challenged.