‘Change Leadership’

- Leading the agile transformation -

by Luca Signoretti

16/03/2021
Luca Signoretti © 2021
Luca Signoretti © 2021
Luca Signoretti

25 years in leadership Today

roles

- Exec. Leadership Trainer & Coach

- University Professor in
nCommunication & Marketing
EXPERIENCE
Luca Signoretti © 2021
GOOD LEADERSHIP

is a set of behaviours that leaders exercise to:

- influence organizational members

- achieve a higher alignment on the organization’s goals,
- achieve a better execution of the strategy, and
- to continuously renew the organization.

Luca Signoretti © 2021

The high speed of change is transforming
leadership as well as organizations

Luca Signoretti © 2021

 «If the rate of change outside exceeds the rate of
change inside, the end is near.»
Jack Welch former CEO General Electric
 TECHNOLOGICAL ECONOMIC
• A.I. ▪ Global recession
• Internet of things ▪ Fiscal imbalance

GRADUAL, CHANGE ABRUPT,

PREDICTABLE UNPREDICTABLE
SOCIETAL ENVIROMENTAL

• Pandemic • Climate-change
• Diversity & Integration • Water shortage

GEOPOLITICAL ’BLACK SWANS’

• Protectionism
• Conflicts

Luca Signoretti © 2021

 ’BLACK SWANS’

1. Unpredictable (or extremely rare) event

2. With extreme consequences

Luca Signoretti © 2021

 FALL OF USSR
1991
N.Y.
ATTACK 2001
?
Covid
2008
FUKUSHIMA
IN 2011
Growing inability to understand and deal with
the things that change around us
“Hey, the world has gone crazy!”

Luca Signoretti © 2021

Luca Signoretti © 2021
The tendency to change quickly and
unpredictably
 Boeing 737 MAX

’BLACK SWAN’
The inability to predict different situations or
events that will occur
BREXIT
Many interconnected variables and
many interactions: result?
Global Supply Chain
Lack of clarity on what is real and true.
Events can have multiple meanings.
UNPREDICTABLE !
 Develop agile practices
FORCES OF CHANGE to adapt and adjust to
market changes
TECHNOLOGICAL

ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

SOCIETAL

GEOPOLITICAL
CHALLENGES
ENVIROMENTAL

TO COPE WITH

Luca Signoretti © 2021

The pandemic has accelerated and intensified
trends that were already underway

95 percent of economic profit is earned by the top 20 percent of

companies* (was 90% before the pandemic)

*Mckinsey research, July 2020

Luca Signoretti © 2021

Luca Signoretti © 2021
Leaders and organisation must reinforce each other’s doing, in the pursuit of success and
in building an agile organisation. True agility requires coordination

SELF( YOU THE LEADER) ORGANISATION

Skills Talent
Mindsets and attitudes Culture
Personal Relationships Stakeholder Relationships
WHAT GETS
Motivations Incentives REWARDED
Ambition Objectives GETS DONE

Luca Signoretti © 2021

Luca Signoretti © 2021
 TRADITIONAL ORGANISATION

The world is
predictable

TEAM
MEMBER

Luca Signoretti © 2021

Low creativity

Low collaboration

Poor results

Disengagement

Luca Signoretti © 2021

 TRADITIONAL ORGANISATION AGILE ORGANISATION

The world is
The world is
predictable
unpredictable and
constantly evolving

TEAM
MEMBER
TEAM
MEMBER

Luca Signoretti © 2021

1. THEY HAVE A NETWORK OF EMPOWERED (autonomous) TEAMS

2. THEY HAVE A SHARED PURPOSE AND VISION

3. THEY MAKE DECISION AND LEARN QUICK (feedback loop)

4. THEY HAVE A COHESIVE COMMUNITY( vs silos)

5. THEY FOCUS ON SPEED BUT AT THE SERVICE OF THE CUSTOMER

6. THEY USE NEXT-GENERATION TECHNOLOGY

Luca Signoretti © 2021

RESEARCH EVIDENCES vs NON-AGILE ORGANISATIONS

Take decisions 300% faster*

Develop products 500% faster*

Grow revenues 37% faster**

Generates 30% higher profits**

* “Leading agile transformation: The new capabilities leaders need to build 21st-century organizations”- October 1, 2018 | Article - Mckinsey & Co

** MIT study reported by The Economist magazine

Luca Signoretti © 2021

Luca Signoretti © 2021
TOP 5 CHALLENGES DURING AN AGILE TRANSFORMATION

#1
CULTURE

#2
LEADERSHIP

“Leadership and how

leadership shapes culture
are the biggest barriers to
and the biggest enablers of
agile transformation”

Luca Signoretti © 2021

TELLING THE TEAM “HOW” TO DO THE WORK (beyond the “what”)
TOP DOWN DECISION MAKING-MAKING – NO INPUTS FROM TEAMS
NO CLARITY ON VISION, DIRECTION OR MEASURABLE GOALS
TEAM
“COMMAND & CONTROL” STYLE OF LEADERSHIP MEMBER

NO INVESTING IN LEARNING ABOUT AGILITY ( Scrum)

Luca Signoretti © 2021

 1 2 3
WHERE YOU CAN
MAKE A POSITIVE
CHANGE ?

Luca Signoretti © 2021

Luca Signoretti © 2021
MINDSETS & BEHAVIOURS

FROM TO

REACTIVE MINDSET CREATIVE MINDSET

CERTAINTY DISCOVERY

AUTHORITY PARTNERSHIP

FIXED MINDSET GROWTH MINDSET

Luca Signoretti © 2021

2006
Luca Signoretti © 2021
Luca Signoretti © 2021
Luca Signoretti © 2021
“I’m either good at it or I’m not.”
”I already know all I need to know”
“Feedback is personal criticism”
“I can no longer improve in this area”
“I’m too old to learn”
“I’m jealous of other people’s success”
“It's never too late to learn.”
“It's ok if I fail, at least I learned something”
“I appreciate constructive criticism.”
“I can always improve at something if I try.”
“I model my work after others who have been successful
in the past.” ...
“What can I do better next time to make this work?”
Luca Signoretti © 2021
 SITUATIONS FIX MINDSET GROWTH MINDSET

CHALLENGES AVOID CHALLENGES LOOK FOR CHALLENGES

OBSTACLES EASILY GIVE UP PERSIST WHEN IT'S DIFFICULT

SEES EFFORT AS UNNECESSARY SEES EFFORT AS THE NECESSARY

EFFORT OR DEMEANING PATH TO MASTERY

IGNORE CRITICS
FEEDBACK EVEN WHEN CONSTRUCTIVE
WELCOME ALL FEEDBACKS

SUCCESS OF FEEL THREATENED BY THE FEEL INSPIRED BY THE SUCCESS

OTHERS SUCCESS OF OTHERS OF OTHERS
Luca Signoretti © 2021
In groups of 2 persons - 10 min to write:
- 1 example (short story) of ‘fixed mindset’ and
- 1 example (short story) of "growth mindset"
that you have experienced directly or witnessed (ensuring their anonymity)

– Be ready to share with the cohort when we come back all together-

Luca Signoretti © 2021

 TECHNOLOGICAL ECONOMIC
• A.I. ▪ Global recession
• Internet of things ▪ Fiscal imbalance

CHANGE

SOCIETAL ENVIROMENTAL

• Pandemic • Climate-change
• Diversity & Integration • Water shortage

GEOPOLITICAL
• Protectionism
• Conflicts

Luca Signoretti © 2021

EXTERNAL FOCUS

INTERNAL FOCUS

Luca Signoretti © 2021

YOUR EXTERNAL
KNOWLEDGE COMPETENCES WORLD
TEAM
YOU (the leader)

DISRUPTIONS
EXPERTISE-SOLUTIONS
CONCEPT •
•
e.g. CONSUMER GOODS COMPANY CMO •
•

* NEARLY ALL OUTSIDE HIS TYPICAL NETWORK

Luca Signoretti © 2021
1. EVOLVE THEIR MINDSET

2. HAVE THE COURAGE TO TAKE RISKS

3. ARE OPEN TO CRITICISMS

4. TRY OUT NEW PROSPECTIVE
5. SEEK TO BUILD NEW KNOWLEDGE & CONNECTIONS

Luca Signoretti © 2021

 1 2 3
WHERE YOU CAN
MAKE A POSITIVE
CHANGE ?

Luca Signoretti © 2021

Learn how to help teams apply new agile ways of working.

1. EMPOWER TEAMS Leaders should agree with teams on :

Leaders must learn to build - business goals
empowered teams - clear end-to-end accountabilities
leaving it to team members to decide how best to act.

2. HELP PRIORITIZE
Leaders must help teams to prioritize Leaders must help teams focus on important and urgent
efforts and focus on important tasks through rigorous prioritization (creating a backlog)

3. FOCUS ON CUSTOMERS This includes both external customers and internal

Leader must keep agile teams focused customers. Leaders must help their teams deeply
on customers and on creating value for understand customers
them.

Luca Signoretti © 2021

The role of the agile leader is to provide the resources and take
away any impediments

CURLING
SWEEPING

BRUSH
STONE
In groups of 2 persons - 10 min to :
- Chose 1 example from what you have experienced directly or witnessed
in which you (or another leader) has empowered his/her team

Describe the situation and the results – Be ready to share with the cohort

Luca Signoretti © 2021

 1 2 3
WHERE YOU CAN
MAKE A POSITIVE
CHANGE ?

Luca Signoretti © 2021

Contribute to the agile transformation of the organisation.

1. CO-CREATE THE PURPOSE Jointly with other leaders, distil a compelling purpose for
their organization. Purpose is a clear, shared, and
compelling aspiration: the north star of the organization

2. CONTRIBUTE TO DESIGN THE As a network of smaller empowered units, with fewer

STRATEGY AND OPERATING MODEL layers, greater transparency, and leaner governance
based on agile principles and practices than a traditional mode.

3. BUILD ECOSYSTEMS
to expand the organization’s reach and
Here, the focus is on identifying, attracting, engaging, and
capabilities, through strategic partnerships cocreating with a wide range of external partners.
and collaborations.

Luca Signoretti © 2021

How increase your chances to make the agile transformation happen inside your “classic “ enterprise

2 3
1

•
•

Luca Signoretti © 2021

IT’S TIME TO SUM UP……
 THE 5 KEY CONCEPTS OF THE TODAY’S SESSION

1 Fast pace of change requires both an evolution of the leadership

and of the organisations

2 Your role in an agile transformation starts with changing your mindset

3 Secondly you can help your team work in new ways – Empowering them

4 Thridly you can contribute to change the organisation and its culture

5 By sharing your results you can convince your (traditional) organisation to

become more agile
HAPPY TO AND HELP !
CONNECT ON