Flattening Hierarchies and Opening Minds: The Rise of Agile Leadership

by Phil Frank

The pace of technological and social change can easily be defined by the word “breakneck”. This means the old models of hierarchical, rigid leadership won’t cut it anymore. To compete today and to future-proof your organization, the modern leader must embrace agile management and empathetic management to navigate increasing complexity and competition.

The data is clear… companies that cling to date management styles will be left behind. Sounds like the Blues tune, “Goodnight, Irene”! Research shows 70% of transformation initiatives fail due to inflexible leadership rooted in the past. On the other hand, organizations with agile leadership reap massive rewards: over 50% higher employee engagement, 30% faster-time-to-market and 25% faster revenue growth. 

Take American Express for example. Facing fierce digital disruption from FinTech startups, Amex knew it had to act quickly to digitally transform its products and services. The CEO adopted an agile approach, implementing cross-functional teams that could rapidly prototype and test solutions. He focused on empathy, frequently engaging with employees to understand their needs. As a result, Amex was able to launch a new mobile app just 6 months after starting development – a 6x acceleration powered by agile leadership. 

To build resilient, future-facing organizations, leaders need to start honing agile and empathetic skills today. Here are three areas to focus on and tangible steps to get started:

• Foster Cross-Team Collaboration

• • Break down rigid silos and barriers to information sharing
  • Implement flexible team structures that assemble based on initiatives
  • Promote open idea exchange through enterprise networking tools

• Develop Managerial “Emotional IQ”

• • Make social and emotional intelligence core management competencies
  • Provide empathy training via hands-on workshops and coaching
  • Prioritize human-centered design and thinking in problem solving

• Commit to Continuous Learning

• • Support managers and employees in regularly learning new skills
  • Leverage microlearning platforms to enable bite-sized daily development
  • Incentivize knowledge sharing across the organization

The future will only be more turbulent and change will only accelerate. Organizations that want to ascend and grow must empower leaders who can navigate uncertainty with agility, connect on a human level and constantly expand their knowledge.

On that note, If you’re curious to grow your understanding of the power in agile management, I would suggest reading “Multipliers” by Liz Wiseman and/or “The Age of Agile” by Stephen Denning. 

Do you have any tips or strategies for driving more agile capabilities and empathetic culture?