As an agile coach, I’ve learned firsthand about the importance of the leader as host in fostering a culture of continuous improvement. As Marc Danzinger points out, “To be a leader is to have followers. If you don’t, you’re just some person dressed in a funny uniform with a big stick marching by yourself down the middle of a street.” This is a key aspect of host leadership — it’s not just about creating a warm and fuzzy atmosphere, but about getting results through people-focused, transparent, and collaborative practices.
Also, thanks to Marc, I can never teach about agile leadership and servant leadership without seeing Dobby the house elf. I swear I’ve seen that look from managers in my classes.
Agile is all about people, trust, transparency, and collaboration. It’s about creating an environment where people can do their best work. But it’s easy to get caught up in the fast-paced, goal-oriented world of agile and forget about the importance of connection and engagement. This is where the shadow of agility comes in. As Edgar H. Schein explains in “Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust,” the shadow of agility is the tendency for an overly agile organization to prioritize speed and flexibility at the expense of deeper meaning and purpose.
To avoid falling into this trap, it’s important to not only embrace agile principles, but also to incorporate elements of self-reflection and personal growth. As Marc Danzinger explains, host leadership is contextual, delimited, and situational. It requires logistics that map to desired outcomes, and it is driven by a clear set of goals. To be an effective host leader, it’s essential to understand the needs of your followers and create an environment that enables them to thrive.
leader as host
So, how do you put host leadership into practice? Well, first things first: get yourself a big stick. Just kidding (kind of). In all seriousness, here are some practical tips from Edgar H. Schein’s “Humble Leadership” to help you get started:
Practice active listening: Pay attention to what people are saying, both explicitly and implicitly, and make an effort to understand their perspective.
Be open and transparent: Share your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences with others and encourage them to do the same.
Foster a sense of trust: Build trust by being dependable, honest, and authentic, and by following through on your commitments.
Encourage collaboration: Encourage people to work together and seek out diverse perspectives to foster creativity and innovation.
By incorporating these principles of humble leadership into your leadership style, you can become an effective host leader and create a productive and supportive environment for your team. Remember, it’s not just about being the boss, it’s about being the ultimate party host — keeping things moving and ensuring that everyone has a good time (but hopefully not ending up with a carrot cake when you meant to have a chocolate one — trust me, I’ve been there). So go forth, be a great host leader, and may the agile party never end…
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