ARE LEADERS KEEPINGPEOPLE IN THEIR LANES?YOU CAN'T DEMAND TEAMWORKWHILE REWARDING INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR.And perhaps a small visual callout:STAFFED AS INDIVIDUALS.MEASURED AS INDIVIDUALS.REWARDED AS INDIVIDUALS.EXPECTED TO ACT LIKE A TEAM. 🤔That last sequence is the hook I'd especially want on the artwork.For the episode itself, I’d make sure we explicitly credit Mike Cohn for the source idea rather than making it appear to be an original AgileDad concept. The AgileDad commentary can then build upon it and ask what leaders should actually change.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠- [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠- [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠- [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Is Transparency Really the Answer? Is Transparency Really the Answer?We hear it constantly in Agile: “We need more transparency.”But does transparency really mean sharing everything?In Episode 1647 of The Agile Daily Standup, we explore an important leadership lesson: more information does NOT automatically create more understanding.Long status reports, endless project updates, detailed explanations, milestones, metrics, and mountains of data may technically make us transparent—but they can also bury the one thing our audience actually needs to know:Why does this matter?Great communication isn't about proving how much work happened. It's about making the impact impossible to miss.🎯 What happened?💡 Why does it matter?🚨 What needs attention?We'll explore why senior leaders often don't have an information problem—they have a time problem—and why effective Agile leaders learn to lead with outcomes, impact, risk, and opportunity before diving into the details.Because perhaps we've been thinking about transparency all wrong.Transparency isn't sharing everything.Transparency is making what matters easy to understand.🎙️ Short. Practical. Relevant. Human.Episode 1647 asks one question that could completely change your next status update, presentation, Sprint Review, or leadership conversation:If someone only reads the first sentence, will they understand why it matters?How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠- [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠- [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠- [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Celebrating and Understanding Labor DayLabor Day is more than the unofficial end of summer, a long weekend, or one last chance to fire up the grill. 🇺🇸 It’s an opportunity to recognize the people whose work, sacrifice, creativity, and determination help move our communities and organizations forward every single day.In Episode 1646 of The Agile Daily Standup, we take a quick look at what Labor Day represents, why recognition matters, and the powerful connection between people, purpose, progress, and appreciation. Because behind every product delivered, customer served, problem solved, and organization transformed are people doing the work.🎙️ Short. Practical. Relevant. Human.This episode is a reminder to look beyond the work, and take a moment to recognize the people who make the work possible.Happy Labor Day, and THANK YOU for all you do!How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠- [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠- [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠- [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

The Importance of Recognition Today we celebrate being recognized as a TOP 3 Agile Coaching podcast on the internet! How important is recognition? VERY IMPORTANT!! How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠- [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠- [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠- [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Agile Is Not Dead. AI Didn’t Kill It. And Waterfall Is Not BackA recent article claimed that Agile is dead, AI killed it, and Waterfall is back.It is a strong headline. It is also the kind of headline built to provoke a reaction. Yet beneath the noise lies a useful challenge that leaders should not dismiss too quickly. The article takes aim at ceremony-heavy Agile, vague user stories, weak delivery theatre, and the belief that feedback loops can replace serious thinking. Some of that criticism lands because many organisations have allowed Agile to become a label for meetings, boards, points, and process compliance rather than a way to deliver better outcomes.Bad Agile deserves to be challenged. Ceremony without impact should be removed. Estimation that does not improve decisions should be questioned. Product roles without real authority should be redesigned. Retrospectives that surface the same problems every sprint, with no change to the system around the team, are not agility. They are frustration with a calendar invite.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠- [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠- [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠- [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

How to Do Hard Things When You Have Zero MotivationOne of the biggest mistakes you can make if you want to be consistent is trying to “trick” your brain.We’ve all seen the advice:“Just do it for two minutes.”“Give yourself a reward.”When I was stuck and wanted to change my life, I fell for it too.I remember watching a YouTube video more than 10 years ago about “proven hacks” and trying it.Well, those techniques worked… for a few days..How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠- [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠- [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠- [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Agile Practitioners and Future JobsThere are insights that only come to me after a good conversation. My earlier self would have said “too late, a missed opportunity, again less than perfect”. Right now I rather think “moving forward mentally, another opportunity will come, great”. Recently, in the breaks between the recording, we had chatted about how wrong and unattractive the idea of “Scrum Masters should work themselves out of a job” is.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠- [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠- [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠- [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Why Every Software Project Needs Project ManagementWhen people think about software development, they often imagine developers writing code. However, building successful software involves much more than programming. Every software project requires planning, communication, teamwork and continuous monitoring. This is where Agile Project Management becomes essential.As I continue learning about software engineering, I have realized that even the best developers can face challenges if a project is not managed properly. Good project management helps teams stay organized, meet deadlines, and deliver high-quality software.

Isn’t That My Manager’s Job?When I work with product leaders on product strategy, one of the most common responses I hear is, “Isn’t that my manager’s job?” Sometimes it comes as a complaint. Sometimes it’s a genuine question. Either way, it usually reflects the same belief: strategy belongs somewhere above them.On paper, they are not entirely wrong. It does sound like something a manager should provide. But there are a few reasons it rarely works that way. Even in organizations where leadership does bring a good strategy to the table (and not a generic direction sometimes mistaken for strategy), product leaders still have a major responsibility in bringing the strategy down to earth. Not by translating it to a roadmap and executing accordingly, the responsibility is at the strategy level itself.But if you think it’s someone else’s job, you don’t do your own strategic job. You wait. You don’t want to step on your manager’s toes. You are not sure what to do.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠- [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠- [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠- [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Leadership as a Supporting RoleDo you find yourself huffing and puffing as a tech leader? Not sure how to keep all of those plates spinning? You, my friend, need to let go of your main character syndrome.The answer to the overwhelming load many tech executives report is rarely to work harder. Rather than piling ever more things on your plate, it’s time to embrace the existence of your team.How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠- [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠- [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠- [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/