Exotech | Agile leadership is a leadership style that is much needed in this modern era. Technological disruption, global economic turmoil, and climate change, make the challenges of the current era increasingly complex. Very fast changes require companies to be more adaptive. Apart from that, companies are also required to be able to survive in the future and achieve significant improvements.
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This demand for an adaptive company is certainly inseparable from the influence of a leader. The role of a leader with the right style is very necessary to create an adaptive and agile company, amidst the strong current of environmental change. One leadership style that is suitable for building this is agile leadership, or in other words a leadership style that is agile, adaptive and nimble.
Understanding Agile Leadership
Agile leadership is an approach to leadership that aims to create an organization that is responsive, innovative and adaptive to rapid and dynamic changes in the business environment. Agile leadership combines aspects of the ‘Agile’ methodology in software development with modern management principles focused on creativity, collaboration and shared responsibility.
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Agile leadership not only focuses on specific tasks and short-term goals, but also pays attention to the long-term development of the organization and inspires team members to actively participate in the learning and development process. In agile leadership, decision making is not only carried out by the leader, but involves all team members to achieve common goals effectively.
Characteristics of Agile Leadership
Agile leadership has various characteristics that are very prominent compared to other leadership characteristics. The characteristics of agile leadership can be divided based on partnership, collaboration, results and client orientation. The following is a description of these three characteristics:
1. Leadership Based on Partnership
Partnership-based leadership refers to the way a leader works with his team. In agile leadership, a leader must be able to build strong relationships with his team members and work together closely. A leader must listen to the views and ideas of his team and consider their input when making decisions.
2. Leadership Based on Collaboration
Leadership based on collaboration is an important aspect of agile leadership. A leader must be able to facilitate good cooperation and communication between team members. In agile leadership, the leader must ensure that the team is able to work together to achieve the same goal.
3. Results-Based Leadership and Client Orientation
Results-based leadership and client orientation are other characteristics of agile leadership. A leader must be able to direct his team to achieve the set goals and ensure that the products produced meet the client's needs. A leader must also be able to monitor and evaluate team performance to ensure that the results produced meet the expected standards.
Benefits of Agile Leadership in Business
Agile leadership has become a popular approach in modern business management. This approach offers several significant benefits for businesses, from increasing creativity and innovation to increasing customer satisfaction. The information below will discuss some of the main benefits of agile leadership in business.
1. Produce Better and Faster Products
Agile leadership can produce better and faster products. In this approach, the project team will work in short cycles called sprints. These sprints last for a week or two and aim to produce a functional piece of the product. Each sprint must produce a product that can be released directly to the market. This approach allows the team to continuously improve their product, following feedback from customers and the market.
2. Develop Creativity and Innovation
Agile leadership can help businesses develop creativity and innovation. In this approach, the project team is given the freedom to create creative and innovative solutions to the problems faced. Teams are also encouraged to try new approaches and to question pre-existing assumptions. This approach helps teams to generate new ideas that can lead to greater innovation in the business.
3. Increase the Speed of Responding to Change
Agile leadership can increase the speed of responding to change. In an ever-changing business world, the ability to respond quickly to market and customer changes is critical. In this approach, project teams can easily adapt their planning and strategies in the face of change. Short sprints also allow the team to evaluate project progress regularly and make changes as needed.
4. Increase Productivity and Efficiency
Agile leadership can increase productivity and efficiency. In this approach, the project team will work in an integrated manner and focus on clear goals. The team is given clear responsibilities and supports each other in achieving project goals. This approach can help to remove obstacles and increase productivity and efficiency within the team.
5. Increase Customer Satisfaction
Agile leadership can increase customer satisfaction. In this approach, the project team will continuously receive feedback from customers and the market and can quickly adapt their product to customer needs. This approach allows businesses to get closer to customers and produce products that better suit their needs. If done correctly, agile leadership has the potential to increase customer loyalty and company revenue.
Implementing Agile Leadership in Business
After knowing all the information about agile leadership, you certainly want to know how to implement it in a business. For this reason, here are several ways you can try to implement agile leadership, namely:
- Building a Strong Team: To build a strong team, a leader must understand the needs and skills of each team member. In the context of agile leadership, a strong team is a team that can work together effectively in dynamic and changing situations.
- Adopt a Responsive Work Culture: to adopt a responsive work culture, a leader must promote innovation and experimentation in the organization. In the context of agile leadership, a responsive work culture is a culture that allows an organization to adapt quickly to changes in the market and customer needs.
- Applying Agile Leadership Principles in Business Processes: to apply agile leadership principles in business processes, a leader must ensure that the organization has simple, flexible and transparent processes. In the context of agile leadership, business processes must be able to adapt quickly to changes in the business environment.
To achieve this, a leader must adopt an iterative and incremental approach to business processes, and ensure that every team member is involved in the decision-making process. Apart from that, a leader must also promote the use of appropriate technology and work tools to increase organizational efficiency and productivity.