Today’s leaders face a situation no one imagined fifty years ago: getting a hundred or more people to assemble complex and abstract ideas into an invisible, effective decision-making machine. The key is focusing on people, not process. Agile software development is transforming how businesses run. But too many leaders are in the dark when it comes to how to captain agile teams. A hands-off approach won’t work — leaders must be active participants. To lead a team effectively means harnessing their intellectual power to successful and valuable results. It takes rigor, alignment and efficiency.

Michael K. Levine is a leader in lean and agile thought. As a senior executive he has driven results at Wells Fargo, US Bank and a leading software company. He has written well-received books on why we do lean & agile, how to make organizational change to do so, and how to lead for agility. The books are both instructional and entertaining, as he mixes teaching and story-telling (Tales). Michael’s most recent book is People Over Process: Leadership for Agility. This website shares more information on Michael, his models, and his books, and provides links to articles and reviews in media.

People over Process Topics

During the discussion Michael and I discuss the following topics:

• How Michael got interested in leadership specifically within the Agile space.
• His ideas of leadership for Agile
• Three Major Frameworks for people-oriented agility
• Governance and the role of the organizational leader
• Qualities of an Agile Leader

For the complete show notes, be sure to check out our website:

https://leaddontboss.com/103