PRELIMINARY SYLLABUS

Quarter: Winter 2021

AGILE LEADERSHIP: ACHIEVING EFFECTIVE

CHANGE
COURSE OVERVIEW
Course Code: WSP 386
Quarter: Winter 2021
Instructor Names: Laura M. Powers and Bernie Maloney

COURSE DESCRIPTION
The rapid pace of market and technology advancements creates both obstacles and opportunities for
business leaders. Many leaders, who recognize the advantage of developing responsive, change-
oriented companies, have introduced Agile product development approaches to help facilitate rapid
and relevant product and service adaptations. But many leaders may fail to realize that in order to
achieve the full benefits of the Agile model, entrenched business processes, values, and practices
must also shift. To do so effectively requires new leadership skills and actions.

This highly interactive, in-depth course will help you develop leadership skills, thinking, and ways of
working that can capitalize on the full benefits of Agile. Beyond simply improving the product
development cycle, the entire organization—including functions like Finance, HR, Procurement, and
Marketing—must work in concert across the enterprise to ensure a flow of value to their customers.
We will learn key concepts and skills essential for leading Agile teams spanning all functions in the
organization, and help you to shift from controlling change to helping facilitate continuous delivery
of value. You will learn to build, inspire, scale and sustain adaptive teams, and will come away
prepared to nurture a vibrant and adaptive organizational culture and processes, which can thrive in
the face of change.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
Using a combination of in-class group exercises, lectures and interactive discussion, this course seeks to
provide hands-on experience in Agile Leadership.

The business context and approaches to Agility from a leader’s perspective will be explored, including a
review of why some organizations fail to see the full benefit of their Agile implementation. Key skills,
behaviors and mindset of successful Agile leaders will be introduced and practiced within the course. Agile
approaches to organizational leadership – including strategy, metrics, culture and change leadership will be
presented. Finally, each participant will develop a personal action plan for their continuing development as an
Agile leader beyond the conclusion of this course.
Please contact the Stanford Continuing Studies office with any questions
365 Lasuen St., Stanford, CA 94305
continuingstudies@stanford.edu
650-725-2650
 PRELIMINARY SYLLABUS
Quarter: Winter 2021

Course Schedule:
WSP 386
Saturday & Sunday, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
February 27, 28 and March 6 & 7

Required Text(s): None

Grade Options and Requirements:
The true measure of our success is how you can apply the concepts presented into practice.

For No Grade Requested:

Just show up for class. This is the default grading option

For Credit, without Grade:

Attend both sessions. Sign class roster both days. Participate actively.

For Letter Grade:

Not offered

Please Note: If you require proof that you completed a Continuing Studies course for any reason (for example, employer
reimbursement), you must choose the Credit / No Credit option. Courses taken for NGR will not appear on official transcripts
or grade reports.

COURSE OUTLINE
MODULE 1
THEME: THE BUSINESS CASE FOR AGILE LEADERSHIP
• Introductions & Expectation Setting
• Market, economic, & social factors – VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity)
• The Need & Benefits of Agile – for the organization and its leadership
• The Challenge to Leadership
• Group Exercise: Challenges Facing Today’s World of Work

MODULE 2
THEME: FOUNDATIONS OF AGILE – A LEADER’S PERSPECTIVE
• High Performing Teams – the heartbeat of Agile organizations
• Agile Manifesto & Principles
• Agile in a Nutshell – A Leader’s perspective
• Agile in Action in your Organization
• Group Exercise: Agile in Action Simulation

Please contact the Stanford Continuing Studies office with any questions
365 Lasuen St., Stanford, CA 94305
continuingstudies@stanford.edu
650-725-2650
 PRELIMINARY SYLLABUS
Quarter: Winter 2021

MODULE 3
THEME: PERSONAL LEADRSHIP - LEADING FROM WITHIN
• Power & Influence
• Agile Leadership Model
• Emotional Intelligence (EQ) for Agile Leaders
• 3 Essential Mindsets for Agile Leaders
• Group Exercise: Agile Mindset Assessment

MODULE 4
THEME: SERVICE-BASED LEADERSHIP – LEADING OTHERS
• Social EQ & Leadership Presence
• Expert, Achiever & Catalytic Leadership
• Catalytic Coaching Questions
• Feedback & Motivating Agile Teams
• Group Exercises: Peer-to-Peer coaching, Feedback

MODULE 5
Theme: STRATEGIC DISCOVERY- Strategy as experiment
• Changing times, changing leadership roles and why agile leadership is important in strategy
• Becoming Context and Outcomes-driven over rules and policy-driven
• Becoming purpose-defined and evidence-driven
• Starting where you are and getting stuff done
• Group Exercise: Josephine’s Climbing Expedition
• Strategy review cadence and pivoting
• Open Frame – questions

MODULE 6
THEME: LEADING AGILE TEAMS, DEPARTMENTS & THE ENTERPRISE
• Structural Agility – Agile Organizations
• Lean Systems Thinking –end-to-end flow of value (bottlenecks, impediments, waste & friction)
• Scaling challenges & patterns to increase collaboration & delivery excellence
• Group Exercise: Agile Systems Thinking

MODULE 7
THEME: STEWARDSHIP OF VIBRANT AGILE CULTURES
• What is “Culture” versus “Climate”?
Please contact the Stanford Continuing Studies office with any questions
365 Lasuen St., Stanford, CA 94305
continuingstudies@stanford.edu
650-725-2650
 PRELIMINARY SYLLABUS
Quarter: Winter 2021

• Assessing your Current Organization’s Culture relative to Agile ways of working

• 4 Factors influencing the evolution of your Agile Culture
• Group Exercise: 4 Factors to Shift Culture
• Open Frame – questions

MODULE 8
THEME: AGILE APPROACHES TO SUSTSAINABLE CHANGE
• The neurology of change
• Reactive versus proactive change – continual change & capitalizing on opportunities in it
• The role of the leader as a catalyst for change
• Group Exercise: Change Toolkit
• Open Frame – questions
• Resources & What’s Next

Laura M. Powers, Vice President, Business Agility Institute

With 25 years of engineering and management experience, Laura has been involved in the design of aircraft
engines, diapers, electric cars, as well as software systems at Hewlett Packard, Sales.com, and eBay. Ironically,
the Lean concepts practiced eons ago at the start of her career have migrated into the world of software! With
the Business Agility Institute, Laura leads initiatives to research and apply business agility to shape the future
of work.

Laura holds a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech, as well as certifications as a
practitioner of Change Management with Prosci, Certified Scrum Professional, Certified ScrumMaster,
Certified Scrum Product Owner, and Certified Trainer of Training from the Back of the Room.

Bernie Maloney, Agile Coach, Persistent Systems; Principal at GreenFieldZ

Bernie Maloney is an international speaker, coach and trainer who has helped grow businesses from break
even to beyond $100 million in revenue. The self-directed teams he’s helped build have delivered award
winning electronics and services, both to consumers and businesses. He has over 25 years of experience with
firms including Bell Telephone Laboratories, HP, TiVo, and Good Technology. Leading passionately through
influence rather than authority, he believes a little structure goes a long way, and that Accelerating Genius is
possible in just about any leader, any team, and any class. He received a Master’s of Science in Mechanical
Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Please contact the Stanford Continuing Studies office with any questions
365 Lasuen St., Stanford, CA 94305
continuingstudies@stanford.edu
650-725-2650