Should we hand out trophies to everyone…even when we lose?  Or are we better to signal the loss and focus on the learning opportunity?  Who do we really help or hurt by calling a loss a victory?

This week, we give pause to think about all of the complexity in the agile space; the overload of books, articles, opinions, and techniques, and how a return to simple fundamentals allows you to see your way clearly in any scenario…without having to fumble through your toolkit or recall rehearsed routines.

Be courageous this week.  Ask for the opportunity.  Speak your truth.  Do the unexpected, the new, the unusual.  When you do, you define your own reality.  You create your own luck.

Ramping up a new team is a difficult time.  Confused and afraid, the early days and weeks are full of hesitation, anxiety, and expectations.  In this state teams can’t perform.  Let’s see how a team naturally evolves when you’re starting from zero.

Do you want your resume to stand out from the stack?  Don’t worry so much about how ‘little’ experience you have.  It’s not about the number of years.

Document every experiment that you run, along with the outcome.  Shine a light on the ones that worked well – those that created a positive result, and added value; but don’t be afraid to mention the failures too.  What you want to demonstrate is that you are constantly leading from where you stand; taking action, rather than staying mired in analysis, and endeavoring rather than accepting the status quo.

If you’ve been a follower for any length of time, you know how much importance I put on being visionary and understanding your purpose. I believe it is at the heart of great leadership – excellent leaders do this well; struggling leaders don’t seem to get the hang of it.

But listener James asks “how do you go about finding it”?

The answer itself is in the badass way – get focused, get gritty, get humble…and don’t forget to inspect and adapt relentlessly.

Listen in to find out more.

Start with the approach that you co-create agility WITH your teams.  Its not something you force or install.   Be the living example of embracing and chasing failure as the best way to improve.  Always treat adoption and ’shifting’ as a never-ending journey….but your coaching engagement itself must have an expiry date so you can focus on creating learners and leaders from within.  Help people get closer to what THEY want before asking them to hit homeruns for the team or the organization.   Maintain a positive mental attitude – especially in the worst of times – because your presence is always contagious.