A Guide to the Generative Agile Leadership Journey

Powerful leaders define companies and their culture. One bad egg can create quite a stink. Weak leadership leads to poor morale and will harm business results.

If you look at Fortune 500 companies since the year 2000, 52% no longer exists. For a business to survive in a changing world, you must be able to adapt and so does your leadership. 

The good news is that generative agile leadership journey benefits are something you can teach to your leadership and generate amazing results across the board. Don’t let what seems to be a poor leadership structure scare you. You can change this with a generative change model.

What is the generative change model? The generative change model is a remedy for complex challenges.

It identifies stakeholders who must change; it engages them and defines the steps that they are required to take to improve culture. The stakeholders will generate new ideas and will subsequently act on them.

Socrates said it best when he said, “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”

Generative Agile Leadership Journey Benefits

Agile leadership promotes a company culture that lets teammates thrive and grow. It allows employees to take pride in their work. Agile leaders guide and support the execution of new, innovative approaches to work.

The generative change model is a way to improve company culture. It’s a way to make a change from the top-down.

The generative agile leadership journey is NOT based on hierarchy. It is a more engaged and adaptive process of organizing.

It is imperative to grow and develop your people (and ultimately the business) so that employees have a feeling of security. They need an environment where they can test, experiment, and possibly make a mistake without fear of repercussions.

Passion and Collaboration

If you are looking to begin a generative agile leadership journey, do so with passion. Prioritize your people over your processes.

Encouraging collaboration and empowering teams lead to overall growth. You want to foster a place where you share in the process of decision-making.  

Agile leadership is amazing in times of crisis and change. Such leaders are calm when faced with pressure. They react accordingly and effectively.

Openness to innovation, involving employees, keeping everyone’s feet on the ground, and following the right path is magnetic. They attract people to agile leaders.

Be More Aware of the People Entrusted to Your Care

Generative agile leadership had five key drivers: integrity, innovation, urgency, engagement, and direction. It’s about being flexible, open-minded, and practical.

Unfortunately, there are reports that in the US, two out of three professional workers experience burnout. Globally, 85% of workers display some sort of disengagement.

People with strong self-awareness make better leaders. When a leader is self-aware, they can gather trusted feedback that will lead to empathy. It can help leaders better understand the impact of their actions.

That way, if employees are not engaged or burned out, you’ll know why. When agile leadership gathers feedback from many sources, they can realize behavior and patterns that they weren’t aware of before. They can see themselves through the eyes of others.

Leaders with great self-awareness react better to difficult situations. They know how to handle their emotions, setting a good example for those around them.

Co-Create a Space for People to Thrive

Agile leadership puts more focus on people versus processes and procedures. People are your most valued asset in business.

A generative change model leads to better collaboration. In a collaborative culture, people thrive.

The same way we listen to customers’ feedback to build better products, you listen to employees’ feedback, both the good and the bad. That’s how you make effective changes.

When there is a common purpose and understanding, work becomes fulfilling. When people feel a part of something special and they feel leaders have heard their voices, it will show in their work performance.

Opening the door to inspiring your people enhances everything. A generative change model for agile leadership builds cultures based on respect, trust, and creates meaningful working relationships. Transparency leads to innovation and creativity.

Lead by Influence, Not by Power

A leader’s influence defines a company’s reputation. Statistics suggest that 86% of job seekers avert employers that have a poor reputation. 94% of entrepreneurs believe that a healthy work environment is imperative for success.

Influencers are more effective leaders. They know not to micromanage. Instead, they guide and teach.

That’s why agile leadership is so critical. It leads in a way that is influential and inspires. It does not assert a totalitarian power that leaves employees feeling powerless and unimportant to the company’s overall objectives.

Influence is the art of persuasion, and it is power, but not in the way of a dictator. Rather, it draws respect, not fear. This means that it is a more trusted and recognized source.

Influential agile leadership helps employees learn to adapt themselves. It maintains a more cooperative way of working together. Behaviors, opinions, attitudes, and choices are all affected by influence overpower.

Ready to Make a Change for the Better?

Agile leadership is about removing roadblocks. It’s a leadership style that leads employees to be successful. Employees can become more productive in such an environment.

Nelson Mandela once said that “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

The generative agile leadership journey benefits start with KnolShare. Whether you are looking for online courses or face-to-face training, we can help. We offer courses to help your thought leaders make more informed decisions.

If you want to create a generative change model for agile leadership, reach out today, and let’s get started together.