Manager to Leader: How to Make the Shift

Our Agile & Scaled-Value Project Management Meetup hour in May is scheduled for Thursday, May 23rd, 2024.
Time: 12:00 pm PDT / 2:00 pm CDT / 3:00 pm EDT
Topic: "Manager to Leader: How to Make the Shift"
Our Guest Speaker: Ben Kopel, CST, PST, CEC, CTC

An introduction to the meetup:
What is the difference between a manager and a leader? What is the role of a manager in an Agile environment? Let's explore these questions and discuss how managers can make the shift from simply managing to leading.

Being a manager in an Agile environment requires a different mindset than that often found in a traditional organization. An Agile environment has empowered teams that are encouraged to self-organize, make decisions about the work, and interact directly with stakeholders. Therefore, the role of a manager has drastically changed. Or at least it should.

However, too often, managers are put in their role with a lack of training and expected to just... "manage." This can lead to misaligned expectations, overstepped boundaries, and frustration. By having an awareness of what is needed by managers, understanding the behaviors to encourage self-organizing teams, and then catalyzing change, managers can shift their focus, support individuals, and create an environment where teams can thrive.

Awareness
Ben will talk about the history and evolution of management to explain why many managers are stuck in patterns that do not fully empower workers.
Behaviors
Next, Ben will explore the opportunities that managers have to step back from the tactical work and focus on larger systemic challenges that hold the teams and organizations from thriving.
Catalyze
Last, Ben will introduce three Leadership styles and how each can support individuals, teams, and organizations in catalyzing long-term, sustainable change.

Takeaways:
1. Understand the history and evolution of management from the late 1800s to the present day.
2. Recognize the difference in the role of managers between an Agile environment and a traditional environment.
3. Learn about three Leadership styles and how each can catalyze organizational change.
4. Identify steps to make a shift in one’s own Leadership style.

Our speaker:
Ben Kopel is a Business Agility Coach at Project Brilliant. He is a curious learner focused on coaching teams and Leaders, as well as enabling adaptive organizations through awareness, collaboration, and continuous improvement. He has worked with 100+ Agile teams as a developer, Product Owner, Scrum Master, Agile Coach, trainer, and manager.

Ben was the second person in the world to become a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST), Professional Scrum Trainer (PST), Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC), Certified Team Coach (CTC) and Certified Agile Leadership (CAL) educator. He lives in Pittsburgh, PA with his wife and two children.