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An agile manager helps their team move forward as priorities, information, and constraints change. They provide a clear framework, facilitate decision-making, and adapt their approach to the situation. An agile manager isn’t just someone who uses Scrum or Kanban. Above all, they know how to create the conditions necessary for the team to collaborate, make decisions, and make progress. To understand how an agile team works, check out our article on agile management, its principles, and its practices.
An agile manager tailors their decisions, communication, and level of support to the actual needs of their team. They provide direction without centralizing all decisions. They explain changes without glossing over the challenges. They encourage initiative while maintaining a framework of accountability. This approach does not mean that the manager must accept everything. On the contrary, it requires clarifying the rules, priorities, and limits of action.
Five skills are particularly useful:
Collaborative leadership involves involving the right people in decision-making without relinquishing one's role as a manager.
A collaborative manager does not ask the team for input on everything. He distinguishes between issues to be developed collaboratively, decisions to be made independently, and information to be shared. This distinction helps avoid two pitfalls. The first is centralizing all decisions. The second is holding consultations without ever reaching a decision.
To encourage the team to work collaboratively, the manager can:
A collaborative meeting, therefore, is not limited to simply letting everyone have their say. It must lead to a decision, an action, or clarification.
To develop this skill, check out the Collaborative Leadership training course.
Emotional intelligence helps managers recognize their own reactions, understand those of others, and maintain the quality of interactions even under pressure.
An agile manager must be able to listen to dissent without immediately interpreting it as resistance. He or she must also be able to pick up on subtle signs: an employee withdrawing, irritability, unusual silence, or a decline in participation.
The first step is to observe your own reaction. A contested decision may cause you to become defensive. A mistake may trigger a desire to regain control. An emergency may cause you to speak too quickly.
Before answering, the manager might ask himself or herself:
This skill also helps in resolving conflicts. The manager does not seek to eliminate disagreements. Instead, he or she creates the conditions that make them open to discussion and useful.
An agile manager helps their team understand what is changing, what remains the same, and what needs to be decided.
A reorganization, a new tool, or a shift in priorities can cause confusion. Employees don’t always resist change itself. They may lack information, visibility, or the freedom to act.
The manager must therefore specify:
He must also acknowledge what has not yet been decided. Incomplete information is better than a false sense of certainty that will have to be corrected a few days later.
A change becomes more tangible when the team can test an initial action. The manager can choose a limited scope, observe the results, and adjust the next steps accordingly.
To learn more about this skill, check out the " Supporting Change" training course.
Decision-making under uncertainty involves choosing a course of action based on the available information and then setting up a feedback loop to correct the decision.
Uncertainty does not disappear until action is taken. Managers must therefore distinguish between decisions that can be reversed and those that are difficult to reverse.
For a reversible decision, he can test an option within a limited scope. For a decision that will have a lasting impact, he must gather the necessary information, consult with the people involved, and clearly explain the risks.
A simple method is to specify:
This method avoids two common pitfalls: waiting indefinitely for perfect information or making decisions without assessing the consequences. The agile manager does not promise that every decision will be the right one. Instead, he or she builds a system that allows for the rapid detection of errors and the ability to adjust course.
To develop this skill, check out the training course “Making Decisions in Uncertainty.”
Developing autonomy involves assigning responsibility, granting decision-making authority, and providing an appropriate framework for monitoring.
Autonomy does not mean that the manager stops providing guidance. It means that the employee knows what decisions they can make and when they should ask for help.
Before delegating a task, the manager must specify:
The level of autonomy may vary. An employee may be able to make decisions independently on a familiar assignment, but may need closer guidance on a new or risky topic.
The delegation matrix helps clarify this level of responsibility. It prevents confusion between autonomy and a lack of structure.
An agile manager's skills develop through practice, feedback, and the analysis of real-world situations.
Start by choosing a specific situation:
Next, identify the skill being used. Prepare a simple exercise and test it in a real-life situation.
After the discussion, take a few minutes to analyze the results:
Management development is most effective when it is grounded in real-world work. Training can provide methods, but real-life situations are what help solidify them.
Before making a decision or taking action, make sure you know:
An agile manager helps their team move forward as priorities, information, and constraints change. They provide a clear framework, facilitate decision-making, and adapt their approach to the situation. An agile manager isn’t just someone who uses Scrum or Kanban. Above all, they know how to create the conditions necessary for the team to collaborate, make decisions, and make progress. To understand how an agile team works, check out our article on agile management, its principles, and its practices.
An agile manager tailors their decisions, communication, and level of support to the actual needs of their team. They provide direction without centralizing all decisions. They explain changes without glossing over the challenges. They encourage initiative while maintaining a framework of accountability. This approach does not mean that the manager must accept everything. On the contrary, it requires clarifying the rules, priorities, and limits of action.
Five skills are particularly useful:
Collaborative leadership involves involving the right people in decision-making without relinquishing one's role as a manager.
A collaborative manager does not ask the team for input on everything. He distinguishes between issues to be developed collaboratively, decisions to be made independently, and information to be shared. This distinction helps avoid two pitfalls. The first is centralizing all decisions. The second is holding consultations without ever reaching a decision.
To encourage the team to work collaboratively, the manager can:
A collaborative meeting, therefore, is not limited to simply letting everyone have their say. It must lead to a decision, an action, or clarification.
To develop this skill, check out the Collaborative Leadership training course.
Emotional intelligence helps managers recognize their own reactions, understand those of others, and maintain the quality of interactions even under pressure.
An agile manager must be able to listen to dissent without immediately interpreting it as resistance. He or she must also be able to pick up on subtle signs: an employee withdrawing, irritability, unusual silence, or a decline in participation.
The first step is to observe your own reaction. A contested decision may cause you to become defensive. A mistake may trigger a desire to regain control. An emergency may cause you to speak too quickly.
Before answering, the manager might ask himself or herself:
This skill also helps in resolving conflicts. The manager does not seek to eliminate disagreements. Instead, he or she creates the conditions that make them open to discussion and useful.
An agile manager helps their team understand what is changing, what remains the same, and what needs to be decided.
A reorganization, a new tool, or a shift in priorities can cause confusion. Employees don’t always resist change itself. They may lack information, visibility, or the freedom to act.
The manager must therefore specify:
He must also acknowledge what has not yet been decided. Incomplete information is better than a false sense of certainty that will have to be corrected a few days later.
A change becomes more tangible when the team can test an initial action. The manager can choose a limited scope, observe the results, and adjust the next steps accordingly.
To learn more about this skill, check out the " Supporting Change" training course.
Decision-making under uncertainty involves choosing a course of action based on the available information and then setting up a feedback loop to correct the decision.
Uncertainty does not disappear until action is taken. Managers must therefore distinguish between decisions that can be reversed and those that are difficult to reverse.
For a reversible decision, he can test an option within a limited scope. For a decision that will have a lasting impact, he must gather the necessary information, consult with the people involved, and clearly explain the risks.
A simple method is to specify:
This method avoids two common pitfalls: waiting indefinitely for perfect information or making decisions without assessing the consequences. The agile manager does not promise that every decision will be the right one. Instead, he or she builds a system that allows for the rapid detection of errors and the ability to adjust course.
To develop this skill, check out the training course “Making Decisions in Uncertainty.”
Developing autonomy involves assigning responsibility, granting decision-making authority, and providing an appropriate framework for monitoring.
Autonomy does not mean that the manager stops providing guidance. It means that the employee knows what decisions they can make and when they should ask for help.
Before delegating a task, the manager must specify:
The level of autonomy may vary. An employee may be able to make decisions independently on a familiar assignment, but may need closer guidance on a new or risky topic.
The delegation matrix helps clarify this level of responsibility. It prevents confusion between autonomy and a lack of structure.
An agile manager's skills develop through practice, feedback, and the analysis of real-world situations.
Start by choosing a specific situation:
Next, identify the skill being used. Prepare a simple exercise and test it in a real-life situation.
After the discussion, take a few minutes to analyze the results:
Management development is most effective when it is grounded in real-world work. Training can provide methods, but real-life situations are what help solidify them.
Before making a decision or taking action, make sure you know:
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