Effective leadership is one of the key drivers of business and project success, and one of the most active areas of management research. But how does leadership work in agile software development, which emphasizes self-management and self-organization and marginalizes traditional leadership roles? To find out, this study examines agile leadership from the perspective of thirteen professionals who identify as agile leaders, in different roles, at ten different software development companies of varying sizes. Data from semi-structured interviews reveals that leadership: (1) is dynamically shared among team members; (2) engenders a sense of belonging to the team; and (3) involves balancing competing organizational cultures (e.g. balancing the new agile culture with the old milestone-driven culture). In other words, agile leadership is a property of a team, not a role, and effectiveness depends on agile team members' identifying with the team, accepting responsibility, and being sensitive to cultural conflict.

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What Makes Effective Leadership in Agile Software Development Teams?

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Developing a Research Model for the Effects of Organizational Structure’s Agility, Team Autonomy, and Emerging Leadership in Teams on Agile Project Performance

Purpose Agile project teams are self-managing and self-organizing teams, and these two characteristics are pivotal attributes of emergent leadership. Emergent leadership is thus common in agile teams – however, how these (informal) emergent leaders can be identified in teams remains far from understood. The purpose of this research is to uncover techniques that enable top management to identify emergent agile leaders. Methodology/design We approached six agile teams from four organizations. We employ social network analysis (SNA) and aggregation approaches to identify emergent agile leaders. Design/methodology/approach We approached six agile teams from four organizations. We employ SNA and aggregation approaches to identify emergent agile leaders. Findings Seven emergent leaders are identified using the SNA and aggregation approaches. The same leaders are also identified using the KeyPlayer algorithms. One emergent leader is identified from each of the five teams, for a total of five emergent leaders from the five teams. However, two emergent leaders are identified for the remaining sixth team. Originality/value Emergent leadership is a relatively new phenomenon where leaders emerge from within teams without having a formal leadership assigned role. A challenge remains as to how such leaders can be identified without any formal leadership status. We contribute by showing how network analysis and aggregation approaches are suitable for the identification of emergent leadership talent within teams. In addition, we help advance leadership research by describing the network behaviors of emergent leaders and offering a way forward to identify more than one emergent leader in a team. We also show some limitations of the approaches used and offer some useful insights. 

Emergent leadership in agile software development teams: leader identification through network analysis and aggregation approaches

PurposeLeadership research has traditionally focused on formal leadership; however, leaders may emerge in informal settings in self-managed teams, and little is known about who emergent leaders are and what their characteristics are. This study investigates emergent leaders' behaviors, roles, skills, and leadership style, drawing on a multi-method approach.Design/methodology/approachWe first identify emergent leaders using social network analysis and aggregation approaches. Second, we investigate emergent leaders' characteristics using interviews with forty agile team members in five organizations.FindingsResults indicate different roles of emergent leaders (i.e. coach, liaisons), leadership styles (i.e. supportive), skills (i.e. culturally intelligent, strategist), and influencing factors (i.e. personality, technical knowledge, social circle).Originality/valueWe contribute by identifying emergent leaders through multiple identification methods (i.e. network analysis, aggregation), and then through identifying their various characteristics, we contribute to leadership literature as well as idiosyncrasy-credit theory. We also add to agile-leadership theory, showing that multiple informal leaders may emerge within agile teams. Finally, our findings have practical implications for self-managed teams, informal group settings, organizational change professionals, and organizations with horizontal structures.

Exploring emergent leadership in agile teams: network dynamics, roles and skills at the individual level

This study examines the impact of Industry 4.0 on the concept of leadership approaches. The research aims to compare leadership theories before and after Industry 4.0, determine how leadership roles have evolved in agile project management, and identify effective leadership styles. The study employs literature review and qualitative research methods, specifically using focus group studies. Two separate focus group studies were conducted through online meetings and face-to-face sessions to thoroughly examine the approaches of executives from companies who have mature project management offices in Turkey. Data were obtained by transcribing the audio recordings of discussions during focus group sessions and comparing them with researcher notes. The study extensively examines the impacts of identified leadership styles, determined through literature review, on the management of agile project teams. Findings indicate that leadership styles such as visionary, organizing, relational, and social leadership play significant roles in agile project management. Additionally, leadership personality traits observed in each of these styles have been identified. The results underscore the need to redefine leadership approaches and highlight the effects of Industry 4.0 on project management. By linking the characteristics of leadership styles and their impacts on agile teams with the literature, the study contributes to future leadership research and practices. In this context, it emphasizes the development of technological competencies for organizations to succeed and the need for flexible and innovative organizational structures. Furthermore, it suggests that leaders in the digital transformation processes brought by Industry 4.0 should possess skills to facilitate their employees' adaptation processes. This study contributes significantly to academic literature and business by exploring leadership evolution in Industry 4.0 and redefining roles in agile project management, emphasizing ongoing focus on development and innovation in leadership. 

Industry 4.0 and Agile Project Management: Evolution of Leadership Concepts and Roles

Self-organization is a key proposition of agile software development (ASD). Despite this stark emphasis, there is little understanding how self-organization actually works. Drawing on established findings in general group research, we propose emergent leadership, that is taking on leadership roles without formal authority, to be an enabler of effective self-organization in ASD teams. By contextualizing extant knowledge, we develop a theoretical model of antecedents of emergent leadership in ASD teams and how ASD practices reinforce these relationships. Our model is of value to research by increasing understanding which factors make agile teamwork effective.

A Conceptual Model of Antecedents of Emergent Leadership in Agile Teams

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A Conceptual Model of Antecedents of Emergent Leadership in Agile Teams