Agile leadership is a style of leadership that fosters independent thinking, flexibility, adaptability, and self-organization. Agile leaders create work environments that promote independent learning, innovation, and open communication for the development of fresh and innovative ideas. Here are some of the ways that agile leadership can benefit any organization.
Fosters innovation and creativity
Agile leaders create environments for workers where they are free to try new things, take risks, and even fail. This promotes fresh and innovative ideas that would not normally be created in safe, restrictive environments that force workers to think inside the box. Agile leadership benefits companies especially when creative solutions are needed in ambiguous situations and conventional ideas no longer work. Agile leaders look at the limitations and how to go beyond them. This means that employees are encouraged to be flexible, adaptive, and critical thinkers. Ideas are not limited by how they succeed but how they can serve as stepping stones towards better ideas, opportunities, or products.
Open communication
Open communication fosters environments where information is freely given and distributed so that team members can make the best decisions. Collaboration is key so that team members are free to pitch ideas, give, and receive feedback. This is paired with timely responses for feedback to close the feedback loop and make sure that changes that need to be done are implemented. Agile leaders create a culture of open, honest, and respectful communication that benefits all stages of work from brainstorming through product delivery to evaluation.
Creates more leaders
Companies staffed by workers with leadership qualities are more flexible and ready to adapt to various situations when needed. Agile leaders recognize the leadership qualities in every member of the team, even though these qualities may be suited for different situations. The company that provides workers opportunities to lead through training and mentoring allows itself to develop a dynamic flexibility driven by empowered employees who know how and when to adapt to change or meet certain needs. An agile leader also knows when to uphold decisions made by staff and will not hesitate to recognize excellent work, another practice that helps promote employee confidence and independence, all qualities that are useful for leadership.
Companies that use the agile leadership style of management are often more flexible, dynamic, and more responsive to change than companies that rely on traditional and rigid styles of leadership. Creative, fulfilling and empowering work cultures are the driving forces behind any company success and agile leadership is the kind of leadership that can create this environment.
