leadership

Manager with tape over her mouth Things Managers Should Never SayManagers have to communicate regularly with the people they're managing. However, managers also need to try harder to be mindful of what they are saying, instead of speaking before they think. Here are some things a manager should never say—avoid these lines and people will be more likely to follow your lead.
Caution tape stretching across a construction site 5 Pitfalls Agile Coaches Must AvoidSuccessful agile teams often have a coach driving continuous improvement. While some coaches are effective initially, many eventually succumb to pitfalls that inhibit their team’s growth and fail to compel any lasting changes. Here are five common pitfalls of agile coaches in most projects that fail to improve.
A two-lane road heading toward a mountain, photo by Jamison McAndie The Importance of Goal Alignment in Agile and DevOpsFor agile and DevOps teams to succeed, there must be a common vision that strives for detailed customer-focused outcomes. There’s never a magic bullet to address goal misalignment, as the challenges are context-specific, but here are some approaches that help move organizations and teams toward better alignment.
Roadblock sign reading "Road closed" 4 Impediments to Nurturing a Feedback-Rich CultureBeing able to have open, candid conversations that fuel learning, growth, and improvement is critical to a team’s success, so it is important to look out for impediments that can get in the way of having a feedback-rich culture. Here are four common impediments to watch for, as well as behaviors you should nurture.
Climbing tower on a playground, photo by Basil Lade Creating an Environment That Encourages ResilienceCreating environments at work that acknowledge that failures will happen—and supporting the efforts team members make to recover—can help your organization become more effective. You cannot predict every challenge, but by embracing risk and providing opportunities for people to experiment, you can be more productive.
Sign in shop window that says "Sorry, no change" Dealing with a Change-Resistant ManagerWith almost any change, whether a trivial adjustment in procedures or a large-scale organizational change, people will vary in their receptiveness to it. But if you and your teammates have some good ideas to improve processes and your manager keeps shutting them down, you may be dealing with a change-resistant manager.
person drawing Do Most Agile Teams Lack Creativity and Innovation?

You can’t solve the problem unless you know what that problem is, and you can’t rekindle your creativity if you just don’t know why you’re doing what you’re doing. Pinpoint your team’s purpose, let everyone on your team contribute, and rekindle the innovative nature at the core of agile.

Set of keys with a keychain that says "Charisma" Becoming a Charismatic LeaderCharismatic leaders can accomplish some things that may be more difficult for leaders who aren’t charismatic: They can sell the vision in a way that makes people buy into the possibilities. They can inspire people to do their best and thereby achieve results that other leadership styles can’t do as readily.