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Emergent Leadership

5 minutes 5 Questions

Emergent Leadership is not appointed or inherited, but rather emerges over time due to the individual's skills, behaviors and qualities that make others trust their leadership. In Agile, leadership should be seen as a role and not a title, and therefore it can, and should, emerge from different team members at different times. This style values and promotes self-organization, one of the key principles in Agile, as it allows for the leader to emerge naturally depending on the needs of the project or team at any given moment.

Guide to Emergent Leadership in the PMI-ACP Exam

Emergent Leadership is an integral concept in Agile methodologies. It is based on the idea that leadership can arise from various members of a team depending upon the circumstances, challenges, and needs of the project at a given moment. This contrasts with traditional leadership models where leadership is often strictly defined and hierarchical.

Why is it Important?
Emergent Leadership is crucial in Agile frameworks because it champions flexibility, adaptability, and empowerment. It creates a dynamic environment that elicits the best competencies from each team member, ultimately leading to more successful project outcomes.

How does it work?
In projects following Agile methodologies, roles are not strictly defined. As requirements or problems surface, team members who have the skills or insights to resolve these issues may step into leadership roles. Their influence is situational and based on trust and respect more than authority.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Emergent Leadership
Understanding Emergent Leadership theory and its implications in a practical setting is crucial for PMI-ACP. Here are a few tips:
- Be aware that the PMI ACP exam focuses on Agile concepts, so any questions about leadership will likely expect an understanding of Emergent Leadership.
- Often, 'ideal' answers will be the ones that highlight the dynamic, flexible, and non-hierarchical nature of Emergent Leadership.
- Remember that the authority in Emergent Leadership is derived from expertise and respect, not from formal roles.
- Questions may focus on how Emergent Leadership contributes to team dynamics, decision-making processes, and overall project success.
- Review real-life examples of Emergent Leadership to better understand how this concept is applied in practice.

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PMI-ACP - Agile Leadership Example Questions

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Question 1

As a Scrum Master, one of the team members is taking charge and influencing the direction of work. However, not everyone in the team appreciates his leadership style. What should be your approach in handling_this?

Correct Answer: Facilitate a team meeting to discuss leadership styles and how everyone prefers to be led, allowing open communication and understanding.

The best approach in this situation is to facilitate a team meeting to discuss the leadership styles and how everyone prefers to be led, allowing open communication and understanding. This approach ensures everyone's views are heard and understood, promoting a harmonious and conducive work environment. This answer is based on one of the key principles of Agile and Scrum methodology, which emphasizes communication and collaboration. The other options are not suitable. Asking the team member to stop leading the team might result in resentment or lower the morale of that member if not handled properly. Dictating your style of leadership does not foster a collaborative environment, which is crucial in a Scrum team. Ignoring the complaints about the team member's leadership style doesn't resolve the conflict and can lead to low team morale.

Question 2

You are a Scrum Master for a newly formed team. One of the team members is emerging as a natural leader and driving the team's vision forward but due to her dominance, others are not getting a chance to voice their opinions. What should be your approach to this situation?

Correct Answer: Encourage a culture of open dialogue and ensure everyone is included in the decision-making process.

The role of a Scrum Master is to facilitate communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution within the team. The Scrum Master should encourage a culture of open dialogue and ensure everyone is included in the decision-making process, not just the emerging leader. This option promotes equality, transparency, and inclusivity which are key Agile principles, making answer 'Encourage a culture of open dialogue and ensure everyone is included in the decision-making process' the correct one. 'Let the situation resolve itself organically' is not the best approach because it might lead to a power dynamic that stifles the team's creativity and productivity. The option of 'Replace the emerging leader with a more passive team member' can demoralize the emerging leader and can create a negative impact on the team's dynamic. It also goes against the agile principle of building projects around motivated individuals. Isolating the leader from the rest of the team to maintain balance also is not an appropriate response. This is harmful to the team dynamic and does not solve the root cause of the problem, which is a lack of open communication.

Question 3

The agile team you are leading is reluctant to adapt to changes due to their fear of failure. As an emergent leader, what would be an ideal approach towards this situation?

Correct Answer: Encourage the team to view failure as a learning opportunity, hence fostering a culture of experimentation.

The best approach in this situation is to 'encourage the team to view failure as a learning opportunity, hence fostering a culture of experimentation.' As an Agile leader, one should focus on creating an environment where the team is willing to take risks and learn from their mistakes or failures. This is crucial in Agile methodologies that emphasize adaptation, learning, and collaboration. The other approaches such as 'assure the team that failure will attract penalties' or 'direct the team to avoid any situations that might lead to failure' or 'ignore the fear of the team and push the changes' are counterproductive, as they create an environment of fear and risk-aversion, which is contrary to Agile principles.

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