Why Is It So Hard for Executive Managers to Adopt an Agile Management Style?
For years I have struggled to understand why adopting an Agile management style is so hard for many executive managers. I have often wondered why “these managers” cannot see the obvious: if you want to go the agile route, you need to change the way you lead people.
Of course, I still believe that for companies to use the agile style to become learning organizations, their executive team must adopt the right mindset. However, the way I was originally communicating this idea was clearly not the most effective.
Looking back, I understand how arrogant I was. I remember being in front of several executive managers and telling them how wrong they were, and how their style was not appropriate to lead their company in the right direction.
If you are an executive manager and you are reading this, I am sure you too would have wanted to kick me out of the room immediately. Luckily, a few years ago, I had the pleasure of working with one of the best corporate leaders of today. He was not only my superior but also a great coach who listened to my crazy ideas patiently and respectfully.
Eventually, he sat me down and forced me to reflect on my ideas. He asked me a simple question: “If everything I do is so wrong, how on earth am I leading a one-billion-dollar company?” Sometimes a simple, but a powerful question can change everything.
In that moment, I finally saw something that was not previously clear to me. Let me explain: for years, I have preached that executive managers must be Agile; I was very proud to tell them how wrong they were. But the truth is, they were extremely successful business people while I was a simple “transformation coach”. I am not trying to put myself down, but if you think in terms of success, they were much more successful than I was.
Executive Managers do not see the need to change to the agile management style because their life has been very successful without Agile.
After realizing that their success was the result of their past actions, I needed to change my approach. I needed to explain today’s market to the managers so they would understand the need for change. There are several different reasons why management needs to change. I have presented the ones I use the most below.
Society is not static like it was 20 years ago
Twenty years ago, society was much more static than it is today. The entry barrier to start a business was huge; only wealthy people, or those with a large initial capital, could start a company.
Because the barriers were so enormous, there was less competition. Nowadays, anyone can start a company and compete against the bigger corporations. I often say that it has never been so easy to make money than it is today. But at the same time, it has never been so difficult either because everyone has access to the same tools; there is far more competition today.
Executives must adapt to this new society and allow their companies to become more Agile if they want to survive this highly competitive market.
Companies, educational systems, and society were built using Taylorism Ideas and is not valid for today’s changing world
Most of our society is still built based on Taylorism Ideas. Educational systems and organizations are assembled in functional areas, or functional silos. Executive managers must re-think the way they run their organizations.
During the Taylorism Era, organizations were set up with functional departments. But in today´s world, companies cannot survive using this outdated model. Executives Managers must re-think how companies are organized. They need to base their company on value streams. They need to build their organization using personal networking to create solutions that customers will want.
Agile is not a process, Agile is the new revolution in our society.
I hear a lot of people (especially here in Germany where I live) say that Agile is not necessary, because that “Agile thing” is for software, and cannot be applied to other industries.
Well, if you are one of those believers, I have bad news for you: Agile is not a process. In my opinion, Agile is the new revolution in our society. I see the agile movement as the new industrial era of today’s society.
I truly believe that Agile is a completely new revolution, and it will change the way our society is built in tremendous ways. If you, as an executive manager, do not realize this, the chances of you being overrun by younger leaders are very high.
I wrote this article because I believe that most executive managers are brilliant people. I admire them and am continually fascinated by how much they can achieve. But, I realize that to prosper, they will need to overcome future societal challenges. I do not believe that there are many people who can explain clearly to management why they need to change the behaviour that once led them to their current success.
If you are reading this, and you are an executive manager, you might be interested to learn more about us. Evolution4all is a management consulting company dedicated to helping executives transform their companies into agile and learning organizations. We can help you increase your company’s reputation as an innovative leader that transforms to flourish in today’s most challenging market conditions.
Currently, I am helping an organization transform the strategy of their daily operations by using a method that I personally developed. As a result, this organization will communicate their major priorities clearly to all their employees. They will also outline how all staff contribute to the strategic success of the organization.
I started Evolution4all because I want to make a difference in the world by improving one company at a time. I want to help businesses create fantastic working environments where employees feel highly engaged. I want to enable staff to contribute to the success of their company because I believe that this grows a wealthier society.
Contact me below if you would be interested in learning more about this approach for your organization.
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