The Scrum Master as a Servant Leader

Servant Leadership: A Quality to Look for in Scrum Masters!

If you are looking to become an efficient and known scrum master then it is the right time that you gain all the understanding about scrum master as a servant leader. Today we are going to dive deep into this aspect which is going to open new doors for you. In this article, you are going to find all about servant leadership and how the scrum master fits into this and all the projects to prosper and deliver a highly efficient result in the end. Today, you are going to have great insights into this topic and will be able to learn all about your psm certification. So let us start with the baby steps first and know what exactly servant leadership is!

What Do you Mean by Servant Leadership?

If we go by the definition of this, it would be the leader who is willing to serve first. Unlike the traditional leadership roles, the person who is a servant leader will thrive to serve and care for others in the team. They will be leading the team and it is not based on any hierarchical order but the person who is serving as a leader here will lead the people who are above him in the hierarchy. This type of leadership will help the people who are working in a team, make themselves better for the team rather than just accumulating the whole power for themselves. This is going to be the servant-first kind of leadership rather than the leader-first kind of mindset. This is very helpful in organizations where scrum methodology is being followed. This includes empowering others, increasing the productivity among the team members, and helping all to become better versions of them in the team.

In the coming parts of this article, we are going to learn how the scrum master is going to perfect this leadership style and how this will help the project to grow as well.

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How Servant Leadership fits with Scrum?

Now the question will arise how this aspect is going to fit with the scrum framework which is being implemented in the organization. To help you understand this in a better way, we have the following points. Once you go through them you will realize the importance of a scrum master is a servant leader.

1. There are 5 scrum values that are being followed by the scrum masters in the project- Commitment, Openness, Respect, Courage, and Focus as you will learn in the professional scrum master certification. And if we look at the philosophy of servant leadership, all these values will align with it. The scrum will lead the team in a better way if they are showcasing the above mentioned value in the project.

2. The Scrum guide for the Scrum framework says that the master will align with various teams of developers as well the testers and other required resources and serve them to grow in the project. The scrum master will serve the role of the servant to these teams and deliver better results to the team.

3. The scrum master in the team makes sure that the team is always focused and working towards their goal of delivering high end results in the end. The scrum master will help in resolving all the interruptions that may arise in the team and empower the team to stay focused and give their best.

4. Now as we are well aware of the fact that scrum works as team collaboration but there is no higher management to which the teams are answerable. But the teams have a self organizing sense and this can be provided by the scrum master which can enable this into the team in the project. The scrum master will help in facilitating the self organizing function in the team and give them space for the same.

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Role of Scrum Master as the Servant Leader in the Project

Well, after reading these points, you must be sure of how the professional scrum master role is aligned with servant Leadership quality and how they can benefit the project as a whole. Now we will look at the more elaborated role of the scrum master as the servant leader:

Service to the Scrum Team

There are various responsibilities that are being performed by the scrum masters for the team of developers and other scrum teams, this includes:

· Help the team to get familiar with Scrum and agile practices.

· Coaching the team for self organization and self management based on the scrum guide.

· Removing the impediments in the teams and helping them overcome these.

· Coach the team to become strong individuals and have a better professional as well as the personal growth which will help the project in the long run.

· Along with this, motivating the team to participate in events on team level for scrum and encouraging them for their creative side.

Service to the Product Owner

· The main service that is being provided by the scrum master to the product owner includes:

· The better management of backlog items as it cannot be done alone by the product owner.

· Make sure that the vision of the product is being shared by all the team and it should be aligned with the product owner.

· Helps the product owner with better product planning and works on the product backlog and finds the solutions and answers to those questions.

Also Read: Product Planning

Service to the Organization

Not only the professional scrum master is going to be a servant leader for the development team within the project, but this role goes beyond the team and affects the organization as well in the following way:

· For better implementation of scrum across the organization, the scrum master works with the organization as well as other scrum masters and explains the importance to them.

· Coach various teams and stakeholders in the organization about the scrum practices.

· The servant leader in scrum helps and plans the scrum transition in the organizations with the team.

· Explains and provides new solutions to the organization to help the team working in the scrum and remove any issues that may arise on the project level.

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Characteristics of Scrum master as Servant Leader:

The below-mentioned traits are of a servant leader who is making their way to the scrum role. While many people have these characteristics, learning and using them in the team can be learned! You will be able to work well in your psm certification when you are familiar with them.

1. The nature of professional scrum masters in the team should be empowering as well as motivating. The team should work on the shared goals. But the scrum master should maintain the balance between the personal as well as professional growth of all the team members and should be of caring nature.

2. While a scrum master is landing the team, there is no actual authority in the role. The scrum master should always work on the value of servant hood and make sure that he is always available for their team and caring for their needs and work in the project.

3. The scrum master is going to be in the team where he is going to serve the agenda of the team, not his own. There are many times that the agenda in the team is not clear and this is where the scrum master comes into the picture. The master needs to make sure that the team is working on a clear agenda and giving their best.

3. If the team has to see their full potential, they have to work in the team setting. The scrum master as the servant leader who will help in nurturing relationships with the various teams in any company. The team collaboration will help in building relationships and increase focus in the team. This is very much necessary for the project.

4. There are various other characteristics that should be present in the professional scrum master. He should be motivating and be emphatic to the people who are working in the team. If the professional scrum master is there for the team when they need emotional healing, then the purpose of the scrum master will be served completely.

Conclusion

The development, as well as the growth of the team, is very much necessary in the project and when the project is scrum-based, the scrum master can be very helpful in implementing these values to the team. The servant leadership trait in the professional scrum master will help the company, its various stakeholders and also the team included. Now we have seen how the scrum master as servant leader will help the team to walk in this journey and give their best. The professional scrum master will help in fostering the scrum thinking in the project along with the organizational level.

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