Leading Without Authority: Practical Judgement for Scrum Masters

Scrum Masters sit in a strange place. They’re asked to help teams deliver, improve the way work flows, surface uncomfortable truths, and challenge unhelpful behaviour - but they're rarely given the formal authority that usually comes with leadership roles.

The result is a familiar pattern: ceremonies run, boards move, yet when delivery pressure rises, decisions stay fuzzy, stakeholders bypass the team, or trust begins to fray, the Scrum Master is left wondering, “What exactly am I supposed to do here?”

This session focuses on those moments.

This is not about Scrum. This session focuses on the parts of the role that sit outside the framework: how Scrum Masters read what’s really happening in the team and around them, and how they decide what to do when things are tense or unclear. We’ll look at common situations like rising pressure, stalled decisions, stakeholder interference, and strained relationships, and show how effective Scrum Masters:

• Make sense of what’s actually driving the problem, not just the symptoms
• Turn vague frustration into a clear, discussable issue
• Choose practical interventions that improve conversations, decisions, and trust—without relying on formal authority

Underneath the stories and examples, we’ll follow a simple sequence for making sense of difficult situations and choosing a next move, so attendees leave with something they can apply directly in their own teams.

Agenda

• 5:30 to 6:00: Networking, food and drink
• 6:00 to 6:10: Welcome, announcements, and intro
• 6:10 to 6:50: Leading Without Authority
• 6:50 to 7:00: Q&A
• 7:00 to 7:30: Networking

Sponsors
A BIG thank you to u&u (Especially Will Caporn) for providing the venue and catering, and also to our overall sponsor PMI Agile Alliance.