1. Take an Economic View

If the solution doesn’t meet the customer’s economic goals, then the long-term viability of the solution is uncertain. Two primary aspects of achieving optimum economic outcomes: Deliver early and deliver often, and understand the economic trade-off parameters for each program and value stream.

The Scales Agile Framework is ultimately focused on the customer. Customers are the ultimate beneficiaries of the value created by a business solution. Customer centricity is a mindset and a way of doing business. It focuses on creating positive experiences for the customer throughout the full set of products and services offered. The seven following topics help achieve this.

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is a knowledge base of integrated patterns for enterprise-scale lean-agile development.

What is leadership presence? How did great leaders get it? Can it be learned? Whatever it is, it’s important. Without it, no one listens. Without it, our opinions get no respect. Without it, we’re not taken seriously. Without it, it’s hard to be a leader. Belle Linda Halpern and Kathy Lubar define presence in their book Leadership Presence as: “the ability to connect authentically with the thoughts and feelings of others.” Having a commitment to a clear and inspiring goal, while being aware of your own story and being attuned to the story of your listener are important elements of this presence. However, the physical things we do with our body when we are trying to communicate need to be considered additionally.

When the honeybee does her waggle-dance to tell her fellow honeybees where to find food, the truthfulness of that communication is crucial for the hive to flourish. The beehive, like any collaborative enterprise, rests on honesty and disclosure as central to its success.

Why do People Change Their Minds? “How quick come the reasons for approving what we like!” – Jane Austen. Understanding why people change their minds is essential to leadership. Why do we decide to devote our lives to one thing or another for example? People don’t sit down and make a rational analysis of all the possible things that they could do with their lives. Rather, their eyes light on some particular course of action that caches their attention, and then the reasons why that course makes sense come quickly.

Committing to the goal and fixating on the story of the change is central. But the change itself can become problematic if it is not linked to a deep understanding of the audience’s story. “I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” – Robert McCloskey

An important foundation of leadership is for leaders to settle on their own story. Are they themselves ready for the challenges of leadership? Are they ready to commit to the worthwhile goal?

“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one.” – George Bernard Shaw