[MILESTONES AND REFLECTION] – Over the last eight years I have had the privilege of helping more than two dozen enterprises create better products for their customers, become more efficient, and develop better working environments for their team members. This work has been enabled through embracing Lean and Agile ways of working via the #ScaledAgileFramework, or #SAFe.
For me, this evolution in business operations pushes a much-needed evolution in leadership patterns.
This is my WHY.
My WHY is fueled by the memories of Kevin Smith and Joe Tackett who died in Iraq as a direct result of the worst possible leadership patterns (you can read more about that HERE.)
This WHY is what has driven my obsessive pursuit of making the world a better place to work. It is why I have deferred a family, why I have deprioritized relationships, and what possesses nearly every minute of my waking consciousness.
I do it for them. I do it because I care about you.
8 years, 24 enterprises, 10,000+ people trained, 2 million miles flown. Countless books read, patterns pondered, & blog posts authored.
Sure, I have made a comfortable living and enjoy some pretty sweet travel perks as a result of this work, but it has never been about any of that. It has all been about creating a healthier work environment and new opportunities for the people who build the products and systems that keep our world moving along.
All of that has been recognized in a way this week that stopped me in my tracks. I was invited to join the SAFe Fellows.
The invitation to deepen my involvement with Scaled Agile, Inc. as a member of the Fellows community is humbling, emotional, and somehow validates that the sacrifice of the last eight years has had a meaningful impact. Though this invitation is not about recognition, it is an obligation to do even deeper work to help drive the technology and operational patterns of the future.
It is an honor, it is an obligation, and I am humbled.
A big thanks to Joe for believing in me, Scott for having my back and teaching me so much over the years, and Dean for giving me the space to make and learn from my mistakes.
An even bigger thanks to each of YOU who has trusted me to guide your journey over the years. I am truly amazed by the number of you who have reinvented yourselves and found joy and purpose in the work that we do.
This is only a brief pause to reflect. Now, back to work. Cheers.