Introduction

In the development world of programming, project management is key. It involves great efforts of planning, organizing, and heavy oversight (Miller, 2023). There are many project management methodologies and one of the more prominent and effective ones is the scrum methodology (Westland, 2021). In Scrum/Agile project management, the leader of every project is named the “Scrum Master” and his/her main task is to ensure that scrum methodology is implemented within the projects; similar to Agile project management (Malsam, 2023; Joubert, 2021). This is one of the great examples of the modern form of management, in line with The Chartered Management Institute’s approach away from traditional ‘command and control’ techniques (Sutherland, 2020; Chartered Management Institute, 2015).

Case: Command and Control VS Scrum/Agile Management Standards

Traditional “Command-and-Control” methodology stills the effects of “fear” of failure as Failure not being an option in Command-and-Control Leadership. Whereas in Agile leadership, “fail-fast” is promoted as a culture  (AgileXperts, 2022). The prominent difference would be the approach that both methodology carries, Agile is getting feedback from the ground, being honest and respectful while command-and-control management forces the direction down from the top with a clear assumption that the top is never wrong (Erpinar, 2021). The world today sees many corporations trying to move towards Agile & scrum management but sadly it is only on the surface like what many would infer as “old habits die hard” (P., 2023).

Figure 1- Different Structure (Marcus, 2018)

How to do Agile/Scrum Well

Daniel Pink’s Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose Framework fits perfectly in a Scrum/Agile environment. The Scrum Master is a servant-leader for the Scrum/Agile team; his/her job is mainly to make sure people learn something from each other at the end of the day. This would support the Autonomy Model. As the project team would consist very much of domain experts in their area, they would communicate and share their insights with the scrum master. The product owner is also a member of the Agile/Scream team, with the sole purpose not only of maximizing the value of the product but also the purpose of the product itself (Asseldonk, 2017). Some famous scrum practitioners are Ken Rubin, Mitch Lacey, and many more (Francino, n.d.).

Comparative Analysis: Traditional VS Scrum/Agile Leadership

Traditional management methods (Command-and-control) are only effective when dealing with chaotic environments, where the bottom 2 needs in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are not fulfilled, and the safety of a person is not guaranteed (AgileXperts, 2022). While Agile/Scrum leadership promotes managers into mentors and provides more functional feedback from the ground (AgileXperts, 2022; Asseldonk, 2017). If we were to dive deeper into the strategic difference, the thin line is where communication between team members and the top management is the key (Aghina, et al., 2018). McKinsey reports a study with the following findings (Aghina, et al., 2018) :

• A global electronics enterprise delivered $250 million in EBITDA, and a 20 percent share price increase over three years by adopting an agile operating model with its education-to-employment teams.
• A global bank reduced its cost base by about 30 percent while significantly improving employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and time to market.
• A basic-materials company fostered continuous improvement among manual workers, leading to a 25 percent increase in effectiveness and a 60 percent decrease in injuries.

With this report, it is worth mentioning that many companies have reaped the benefits that Scrum/Agile management methodology has brought and the increase in revenue and better productivity is prominent (Aaron, Michael, & Chris, 2015).

Figure 2- Differences between Traditional and Agile/Scrum Management (Lucid.co, n.d.)

What about CMI’s Perspective?

CMI’s perspective of management is to ditch command and control and instead of in-stilling the effect of fear, instil in the team member’s trust. Adding onto Daniel Pink’s 3 components of motivation, CMI added a relationship into the loop and urged leaders to listen to their team members (CCMI, 2021). CMI’s perspective is clearly in line with what Scrum/Agile has to offer, by emphasizing communication (both listening and saying), giving members autonomy and accountability, providing an avenue for members to exercise their Mastery and growth, and finally instilling a purpose on the team (CCMI, 2021).

Conclusion

Being in the technical and IT industry, I have seen leaders deploying or attempting to deploy the structure of Scrum/Agile methodology. Many of which had succeeded in reaping the benefits of such changes but when the situation arises, the need to switch back to a traditional management standard should not be ignored. I rest my case that there is no silver bullet in management styles, it is greatly dependent on what is situation and what works best in that situation.

Figure 3 – Teams Difference (Agile Vs Traditional) (Nimble Work, 2023).

References

Aaron, D. S., Michael, B., & Chris, G. (01 12, 2015). Why agility pays. Retrieved from Mckinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/why-agility-pays

Aghina, W., Karin , A., Aaron, S. D., Gerald , L., Michael , L., Monica, M., & Chirstopher, H. (22 01, 2018). The five trademarks of agile organizations. Retrieved from Mckinsey: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-five-trademarks-of-agile-organizations

AgileXperts. (01 09, 2022). THE AGILE LEADER VS THE COMMAND AND CONTROL LEADER: WHO IS THE BEST IN A CRISIS? Retrieved from AgileXperts: https://www.agilexperts.com.au/post/the-agile-leader-vs-the-command-and-control-leader-who-is-the-best-in-a-crisis

Asseldonk, M. v. (21 08, 2017). How Scrum Motivates People. Retrieved from Scrum.org: https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/how-scrum-motivates-people

CCMI, J. O. (10 11, 2021). Why you shouldn’t motivate your employees. Retrieved from CMI: https://managers.org.uk/knowledge-and-insights/advice/why-you-shouldnt-motivate-your-employees/

Chartered Management Institute. (08, 2015). Understanding management and leadership styles Checklist 256. Retrieved from CMI: https://www.managers.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CHK-256-Understanding_Management_and_Leadership_Styles.pdf

Erpinar, K. T. (21 04, 2021). Command & Control Leadership Style vs Agile Leadership Style. Retrieved from Medium: https://agileconstructionmanagement.medium.com/command-control-leadership-style-vs-agile-leadership-style-c92e7b466cb1

Joubert, S. (25 03, 2021). Agile vs. Scrum: What’s the Difference? Retrieved from Northern University Graduate Program: https://graduate.northeastern.edu/resources/agile-vs-scrum/

Lucid.co. (n.d.). Lucid. Retrieved from Traditional vs. agile leadership, explained: https://lucid.co/blog/traditional-vs-agile-leadership

Malsam, W. (07 07, 2023). What Is a Scrum Master? What It Takes to be a Certified Scrum Master. Retrieved from ProjectManager: https://projectmanager.com/blog/what-is-a-scrum-master-everything-you-need

Marcus, B. (27 02, 2018). Evolving Leadership: From Command-and-Control to Engage-and-Align. Retrieved from Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/evolving-leadership-from-command-and-control-bob-marcus/

Miller, D. (11 08, 2023). What is IT Project Management? [Complete Guide for 2023]. Retrieved from ProProfs Project: https://www.proprofsproject.com/blog/it-project-management/

Nimble Work. (10 08, 2023). An Introduction to Agile Project Management. Retrieved from Nimblework: https://www.nimblework.com/project-management/agile-project-management/

P., A. (24 07, 2023). Transcending Command and Control: How Agile Nurtures Positive Team Dynamics. Retrieved from Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/transcending-command-control-how-agile-nurtures-positive-anand-parkhi/

Sutherland, J. (04 02, 2020). A New Way of Thinking: the Scrum Approach. Retrieved from CMI: https://www.managers.org.uk/knowledge-and-insights/article/the-scrum-approach/

Westland, J. (22 11, 2021). Top 10 Project Management Methodologies: An Overview. Retrieved from ProjectManager: https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/project-management-methodology