Badass Agile

In this short episode, we look at why “reason for doing” matters when influencing and leading others – both Your reasons, and Theirs. We discuss a tip for building trust with new teams – a technique that is often overlooked but builds instant connection and allows you to keep that connection level high going forward.

In this episode, we forge a creed for our tribe; a statement of beliefs and values that define our culture. This is your National Anthem Like all things Agile, this will be refined and improved over time. For now, if you wish to be part of something exceptional, adopt this creed, if it inspires you, or create your own.

Welcome back. In this episode we will carry on with the idea of ‘Becoming Badass’. Remember Why we’re here. To create an elite tribe of leaders, using the principles of Agile to strengthen our personal practice; and to bring your improved game back to our teams and our leadership. We started with an orientation of the principles and philosophies, then, we took on the fundamentals of making a commitment to serve, setting a vision for ourselves, our teams and our product, and how to break down all previous notions of what you are and what you’re capable of so we can build back up stronger. Mindset And Habit Pairs Now its time to integrate new mindset and habit pairs. These pairs are all about choosing a new way of seeing, understanding, AND new ways of behaving. The mindset powers the habit, and the habit reinforces the mindset. Review – Badass Mindset/Habit Pair – The Body The body will not betray what the mind thinks and feels. Your face and your body is the interface through which the world will experience your massiveness. Your badass self. Adopt the posture of the confident person. Stand straight up, with your chest out. Chin up. Make your body still; when you do move, move with purpose. Move intentionally. Think about what movements you are about to make before you make them. Do this for a week. Does it change how others respond to you? More importantly, did it change how you feel about yourself? Check out Ted Talk – Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are. Assuming you have done that for a week, the next step, as covered in Podcast 2 was to have a picture of your future. Know who you are, what you stand for, where you are going. Before we hit the next step, your assignment for this week, let’s recap the Badass principles: A badass: 1. Has a Compelling Picture of The Future – know what they want. know what they stand for 2. Doesn’t care what others think 3. Doesn’t care about positional authority 4. Won’t rest until they’re the best 5. Is always In complete control of their states – emotional, physical, mental Everything they do and say oozes badass. And they don’t even have to try. 6. Is Already good enough – never seeking approval of others, attention 7. Is Unafraid to fail and be wrong, learn by experimentation, completely accountable for their mistakes 8. Always goes first 9. Never Quits 10. Values their time as a precious commodity 11. Doesn’t value certainty or safety, so they break rules repeatedly. They live and learn best at the edge of their fears. 12. Maintains humour and levity 13. Never Apologizes for Who they Are So now that you have your vision, what do you do? Start to live by your core values. No matter what. Look at the following badass values: 1. #2 – Doesn’t care what others think 2. #3 – Doesn’t care about positional authority, 3. #11 – Doesn’t value certainty or safety, so they break rules repeatedly. They live and learn best at the edge of their fears, and 4. # 13 – Never Apologizes for Who they Are A badass lives and learns best at the edge of her fears. Fear of rejection. Fear of loss. Fear of uncertainty. Next time you are asked do something you don’t believe in doing, something not aligned to your values and vision, just say “sorry, that’s not what I do”. The secret to being hyper productive is to do things that you believe in and truly want. Being aligned to your core values. Living your vision. This week, find a way to live with courage, to re-think how you and your team operates so that it aligns to what you truly believe.

In this final episode in the orientation section of the podcast, we talk about how we have to tear everything down so we can build it up again – unlearning bad mindsets and habits so we can replace them with new, badass ones.

In this Episode we take the Badass Philosophy Further by discussing the importance and benefits of Visioning. We introduce the first Mindset+Habit Pair to help you create a personal vision as a leader, a vision for your team, your product and your sprints. We discuss: -Where We are in the Badass Learning Arc -Reintroduction to the Badass Agile Philosophy -Vision is Badass, Vision is Agile, Vision is Excellence -An Example of Vision -What is a Great Visionary? -Why Vision? What will having a vision do for you? Why is it essential -Mindset + Habit Pairs -Creating a Vision for You -Creating a Vision for Your Team (The Team Creed) -Creating a Vision for the Sprint -Creating a Vision for your Product -Next-Level Pro Tip

We are here to build an elite tribe of leaders. People who advance the cause of agile by bringing excellence to their practice. By bringing those leadership skills that allow you to make a difference. And people who advance the cause of leadership by rising their people up improve our collective leadership game. This journey starts with a decision to be badass. The Decision To lead.. In a way, you “answer the call”. We need people who are 1) willing to do the hard work of doing what they say they will do, 2) prepared to share their wisdom with others, 3) willing to not only teach but nurture and develop talent in others….But most importantly, we need people who are willing to lean into the fight. This is hard work. This is sacrifice. This is constant, lifelong learning. And demand for this skill set will never disappear. This is not like learning a new computer skill, new process, or new methodology. The need for great leadership will never die. And the skills required will never change. There are no shortcuts. There is no instant fix. If you start today you will be one day ahead of anyone who starts tomorrow. And years ahead of people who decide to wait. People who haven’t yet heard the call. When you make the decision to lead, you’re making the decision to not just be an active member of the team, to be an incredibly hard worker, but instead to be willing to go first. You’ll often be required to put yourself before others, you will often be required to stand in front of your team in harms way. You’ll be required to hold yourself to a higher standard than everyone else-all eyes will be on you. But if you’re ready for the challenge. If you’re not only willing to be different, but if you feel it burning in your soul to be exceptional, to effect real change in your world, then you have already answered the question. You have already put your hand up. Congratulations, and welcome to this very elite club. You are now a member. You may be imperfect, like all of us, but you are growing. You are now a leader. Stay badass.

Before you get too far into the weekly lessons and practices, I want to give you an overview of the the ‘syllabus’ at a high level so you know what to expect, and where to start if you’re new. The concept behind Badass Agile is that the techniques that make you a great Agile team member also make you a great leader, and vice-versa. By strengthening your Agile/Scrum technique you will be learning and practicing the fundamentals of leadership in general, and by strengthening your leadership skill you will strengthen your team, product and Agile practice. It starts with the Decision to Lead, which is covered in Episode 4. After that, you need to orient yourself in the main principles of excellence and greatness, while forging a vision for your future – and that of your team. In this way, you know what targets you’re shooting for. Once oriented, you can then begin to integrate new ways of thinking and doing that bring about greatness. These are the mindsets and habits of the greatest leaders in every arena – business, innovation, arts, athletics, and even the military. You’ll learn, one by one, how to gain mastery over yourself and your environment by studying and then practicing these traits. We will continually go back and deepen our understanding and our practice as we go – there will always be fresh, new content and ideas. We will also learn how to expand those excellence habits outside the Agile sphere and into the landscape of the rest of your life. Finally, we will also be learning how to create tribes – people who are willing to follow your lead – so that they are happy, fulfilled, and effective. My hope is that you will be able to pass along these excellence habits and make badasses out of your teams as well!

In this episode, we discuss how leadership opportunities are not granted; rather, taken. It is up to you to become a leader – no matter your current position or title. That doesn’t mean you should just start ‘bossing people around’ – leadership is about serving your team, your company or your community. The world needs you to lead – there’s no better time to adopt the leader’s mindset.

In this episode, I’ll reveal WHY I’m here and what I hope to do. Agile is about excellence mindsets and habits. Those habits make not only better projects, but better leaders; and those leaders, in turn, make better projects, teams and people.

The Unique Intersection of Agile and Badass Before we get to Badass Agile practices, we need to clarify the term. I also want to get you extremely excited about becoming a different kind of person. An unstoppable leader who inspires others with your confidence, vision, clarity, consistency and wisdom Remember – Badass Agile is not about tools or processes. It’s about a change of mindset at the highest levels of the organization. But how are you going to change all those minds? Simple. Be Badass. In this episode we will discuss: 1. What Is a Badass? 2. Are Badasses Made or Born? 3. How to Become More Badass 4. Homework – how to become more badass in 30 days

If you are an Agile practitioner, you may know that success hinges not on the method or principles, but the mindsets and behaviours of those who champion and uphold them. It’s secret is in its simplicity, and accepting and living the Agile Mindset is the real key. This podcast is about WHO YOU NEED TO BECOME in order to lead Agile teams If you think about it, Agile is about doing the incredible by observing a few simple principles – focused work, being fearless in the face of failure and uncertainty, continuous feedback and improvement, doing high value things first, etc It is about becoming the kind of person who can uplift people and teams to do extraordinary things in service of a giant goal or purpose. It is about becoming THAT confident and courageous leader. It is about becoming a BADASS. Who it Is For -People who are learning or have learned Agile but need to go further; people burning to lead. -Anyone looking to make their team, their client or their company more successful -Anyone struggling to make simplicity STICK in a larger scale environment -People who feel there must be something bigger. Destined for greater -Anyone looked to create more/better art, product, service, community This podcast is part of an overall program to help you become the kind of leader (agile or not) you really want to become. I’ll keep them as short as I can so you can listen to them on the way to work or at the gym. Tune in every week!