--- title: Agile Change Leadership - Become a Sponsor of your Agile agenda description: We take a look at how your organisation can ensure strong Change Leadership in developing and delivering Agile promises and ambitions, and the importance thereof. image: https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/Agile%20Change%20Leadership%20-%20are%20you%20an%20active%20sponsor.png --- [![Changefirst_logo_Hubspot.png](https://blog.changefirst.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo/Changefirst_logo_Hubspot.png?width=174&height=61&name=Changefirst_logo_Hubspot.png "Changefirst_logo_Hubspot.png")](http://www.changefirst.com) [Contact us](https://changefirst.com/contact-us) [+44 (0) 1444 450777](tel:+44-0-1444-450777) [Solutions](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-solutions) ### Solutions Change Management Solutions matched to your specific business needs. #### [![orgainizations](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/orgainizations.jpeg) For Organizations Engage more of your people in change with a cost effective and scalable solution that builds sustainable capability.](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-solutions/organisations) #### [![consulting-firms](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/consulting-firms.jpeg) For Consulting Teams Digitalize and differentiate your Change Management practice, quickly on-board new hires and create ‘sticky’ client relationships](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-solutions/consulting-firms) #### [![change professionals](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/change%20professionals.jpeg) For Change & Project Experts Deliver strategic projects, support Executives through continuous change and add new tools, skills and Certification to your playbook](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-solutions/change-and-project-professionals) #### [![technology companies](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/technology%20companies.jpeg) For Technology Companies Take advantage of the missing ingredient in your Adoption Services model. To drive higher adoption rates for clients and improve renewal rates](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-solutions/technology-companies) #### [![drive up adoption](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/drive%20up%20adoption.jpg) Drive up adoption Focus on engaging people in your technology roll-out projects. To drive successful adoption and deliver projected business outcomes](https://www.changefirst.com/business-issues/drive-up-adoption) #### [![deliver projects](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/deliver%20projects.jpg) Deliver projects more succcessfully Get business-critical projects delivered right, first time. By ensuring you have more change capability and higher engagement levels](https://www.changefirst.com/deliver-projects-more-successfully) #### [![build ECM capacility](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/build%20ECM%20capacility.jpg) Build ECM capability Change is no longer the ‘secret sauce’ of a few individuals in your organisation. So creating the capacity for business-critical changes is crucial](https://www.changefirst.com/build-ECM-capability) #### [![upskilling of teams](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/upskilling%20of%20teams.jpg) Quickly upskilling your teams Make change everyone’s business by getting consistent change skills, tools and support to distributed and remote teams](https://www.changefirst.com/business-issues/upskilling-of-teams) #### [![agile change management](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/agile%20change%20management.jpg) Develop an agile change culture Create an agile Change culture by fostering a mind-set that 'change is your business'. As part of an enterprise-wide approach](https://www.changefirst.com/business-issues/agile-change-management) #### [![credibility](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/credibility.jpg) Gain credibility and differentiate yourself Gain the credibility you need to deliver effective Change inside your organisation and differentiate yourself from the rest of the crowd](https://www.changefirst.com/gain-credibility-and-differentiate-yourself) [Products](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-products/roadmap-pro) ### Products This will be the products group #### [![roadmap pro](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/roadmap%20pro.jpeg) Roadmap Pro® - digital OCM platform Transform the way Change Management is planned and executed across your organization. With digital skills, methods and tools for faster, more sustainable business result](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-products/roadmap-pro) [Training](https://www.changefirst.com/training) ### Training Role-relevant training solutions for leaders, their teams and professionals to build rapid, sustainable change capabilities #### [![executive](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/executive.jpeg) Leaders, Heads of Business & Steering Teams Executive Bootcamps - learning for senior leaders tasked with sponsoring strategic change and building sustainable Organisational Change Capability](https://www.changefirst.com/training/executive) #### [![change agent](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/change%20agent.jpeg) Change, Project and Internal development professionals Robust, action focused training course and certification for CMOs, PMO and anyone helping leaders drive major business change](https://www.changefirst.com/training/change-agent) #### [![local teams](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/local%20teams.jpeg) Line Managers, local teams, HRBPs & Communication Experts Workshops and learning development programs focused on compelling change communication, sponsor behaviour, assessing people risks, data driven planning and effective engagement.](https://www.changefirst.com/training/manager-and-local-teams) #### [![on demand individual](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/on%20demand%20individual.jpeg) Employees, large groups & accidental/new change agents Learning ‘on-demand’ to introduce key change management methods and development coaching to build help individual resilience.](https://www.changefirst.com/training/on-demand-individual) #### [![change projects introductory](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/change%20projects%20introductory.jpg) Project and Programme Managers (Introductory) Learn a structed approach to people-change processes, activities and measures designed to improve project success](https://www.changefirst.com/training/change-projects-introductory) #### [![change projects intermediate](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/change%20projects%20intermediate.jpg) Project and Programme Managers (Intermediate) Initiate local change initiatives right, first time and in a people - centred way](https://www.changefirst.com/training/change-projects-intermediate) #### [![train the trainer](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/train%20the%20trainer.jpg) Train-the-Trainer Build an internal community of Change Experts and create agility in your internal Change Training](https://www.changefirst.com/training/train-the-trainer) #### [![](https://res.cloudinary.com/changefirst-media/uploads/Content_Licencing_Menu_Sized_TP_84ed8849b6.jpg) Content licensing Licence our proven Change Management materials and establish a standardised approach to delivering change across your organisation](https://www.changefirst.com/training/content-licensing) #### [![certification](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/certification.jpg) Certification Recognise your investment in Change Management training and development with individual and organisational level Certification](https://www.changefirst.com/training/certification) #### [![coaching and consulting](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/coaching%20and%20consulting.jpg) Application Coaching and Consulting We provide 6 week to 6 month partner packages that enable us to partner with you to accelerate your change success](https://www.changefirst.com/training/application-coaching-and-consulting) [Methodologies](https://www.changefirst.com/methodologies) ### Methodologies This will be the methodologies page group #### [![pci](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/pci.jpeg) PCI® - People - Centred Implementation Changefirst’s research-based, highly practical, results-oriented methodology, for planning and executing the people-side of change, to achieve sustainable organisational results](https://www.changefirst.com/methodologies/pci) #### [![pai](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/pai.jpeg) PAI – Personal Adaptability Inventory PCI® People-Centred Implementation Changefirst’s proprietary psychometric, with development system, help leaders and their teams develop resilience and adaptability for change](https://www.changefirst.com/methodologies/pai) [Resources](https://www.changefirst.com/resources) ### Resources All the resources you need to help build your Change Management capability. #### [![resources](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/resources.jpeg) Whitepapers Download our latest Change Management whitepapers.](https://www.changefirst.com/resources) #### [![videos](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/videos.jpeg) Videos Watch our latest Change Management videos.](https://www.changefirst.com/resources#videos) #### [![blog](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/blog.jpeg) Blogs Read our latest Change Management blogs.](https://blog.changefirst.com/) [About us](https://www.changefirst.com/about-us) [Contact](https://www.changefirst.com/contact-us) Solutions [For Organizations](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-solutions/organisations) [For Consulting Teams](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-solutions/consulting-firms) [For Change & Project Experts](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-solutions/change-and-project-professionals) [For Technology Companies](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-solutions/technology-companies) [Drive up adoption](https://www.changefirst.com/business-issues/drive-up-adoption) [Deliver projects more succcessfully](https://www.changefirst.com/deliver-projects-more-successfully) [Build ECM capability](https://www.changefirst.com/build-ECM-capability) [Quickly upskilling your teams](https://www.changefirst.com/business-issues/upskilling-of-teams) [Develop an agile change culture](https://www.changefirst.com/business-issues/agile-change-management) Products [Roadmap Pro® - digital OCM platform](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-products/roadmap-pro) Training [Leaders, Heads of Business & Steering Teams](https://www.changefirst.com/training/executive) [Change, Project and Internal development professionals](https://www.changefirst.com/training/change-agent) [Line Managers, local teams, HRBPs & Communication Experts](https://www.changefirst.com/training/manager-and-local-teams) [Employees, large groups & accidental/new change agents](https://www.changefirst.com/training/on-demand-individual) [Project and Programme Managers (Introductory)](https://www.changefirst.com/training/change-projects-introductory) [Project and Programme Managers (Intermediate)](https://www.changefirst.com/training/change-projects-intermediate) [Train-the-Trainer](https://www.changefirst.com/training/train-the-trainer) [Content licensing](https://www.changefirst.com/training/content-licensing) [Certification](https://www.changefirst.com/training/certification) [Application Coaching and Consulting](https://www.changefirst.com/training/application-coaching-and-consulting) Methodologies [PCI® - People - Centred Implementation](https://www.changefirst.com/methodologies/pci) [PAI – Personal Adaptability Inventory PCI®](https://www.changefirst.com/methodologies/pai) Resources [Whitepapers](https://www.changefirst.com/resources) [Videos](https://www.changefirst.com/resources#videos) [Blogs](https://blog.changefirst.com/) [About us](https://www.changefirst.com/about-us) [Contact](https://www.changefirst.com/contact-us) # [Welcome to the Changefirst Blog](https://blog.changefirst.com) # Agile Change Leadership - Become a Sponsor of your Agile agenda Posted by [Audra Proctor](https://blog.changefirst.com/author/audra-proctor) In this post, we turn to take a close look at the importance of [strong change leadership](https://www.changefirst.com/ourapproach) in developing and delivering on Agile promises and ambitions in your organisation.  ![Agile Change Leadership - are you an active sponsor](https://blog.changefirst.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Agile%20Change%20Leadership%20-%20are%20you%20an%20active%20sponsor.png?width=800&height=400&name=Agile%20Change%20Leadership%20-%20are%20you%20an%20active%20sponsor.png)  With so much being redefined across our economic and political landscapes, delivering Agile is more of a target range than an end state. It’s about: - being **able to respond quickly and to successfully change things**, while maintaining an engaged and motivated workforce - balancing the demand for change (more projects, albeit smaller ones and the potential for overload) **with the organisation’s capacity to deliver** - making the right decisions, and at the right time, to adapt, pivot and **improve i****n an incremental way** - and also about **leading a cultural change** in the business itself Delivering Agile is really about preparing for the unknown – gearing up to be as responsive as possible to significant levels of [disruption](https://blog.changefirst.com/the-importance-of-effective-change-leadership-in-todays-turbulent-times), which are already upon us, but also the future of which will continue to be highly uncertain.  It is this, all- encompassing, nature of Agile which means it can no longer be the sole preserve of a select band of specialists in the organisation.  Agile Change is everyone’s business, and its style, pace and expectations are best modelled and legitimised at the C-suite level to permeate all aspects of an organisation or change initiative.  Organisations are increasingly seeking people with adaptive capabilities, but it takes adaptive change leadership to: - engage, empower and devolve appropriate power and authority to your teams - see the value in building collaborative communities to solve problems - understanding that change – and more so Agile change – is a “contact” sport ## Mini Case Study by Marc Benioff (CEO of Salesforce) - Agile Change Leadership in action This is best illustrated by giving consideration to a change leadership example in practice. A few years ago, Marc Benioff showed how this heightened collaboration could be achieved using social media at Salesforce. Employees had already been using Chatter extensively and many of the people with critical connections to customer knowledge were adding the most value but were not even known to the leadership team. Benioff was keen on leading cultural change and for leaders to craft a new leadership style and cultural approach that would *loosen* control but meant they wouldn’t *lose* control. He built this around 4 key thrusts that are recurring themes in any analysis of successful Agile change approaches: 1. **Leaders model collaboration themselves** - valuing both learning and sharing goals (which encourage exploring opportunities to acquire knowledge from others), versus performance goals (which induce people to favor tasks that make them look good). 2. **Leaders attract and develop diverse talent** - bringing people together from different backgrounds, disciplines, cultures and generations; rather than attracting talented employees only to subject them to homogenizing processes that kill creativity. 3. **Leaders play the role of the connector** - in his best-selling book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell used the term “connector” to describe individuals who have many ties to different social worlds. It is not the number of people they know that makes connectors significant. It is their ability to link people, ideas, and resources that wouldn’t normally bump into one another.  Leaders are the critical facilitators of collaboration. 4. **Leaders also balance hard and soft control** - maintaining agility by directing teams, forming and disbanding as opportunities come and go. They also coach and support their teams when people get weary and as implementation gets difficult. This is just one of a myriad of change leadership examples we could have selected but we feel it highlights some of the key issues at play.   [![AdaptiveLeadersWebSiteContentPromotionPanelTP](https://blog.changefirst.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20and%20Website%20EbookPromoImages/AdaptiveLeadersWebSiteContentPromotionPanelTP.png?width=350&height=247&name=AdaptiveLeadersWebSiteContentPromotionPanelTP.png)](https://info.changefirst.com/ebook-a-guide-to-adaptive-change-leadership-in-disruptive-times)   ## **Not all good change leaders are Agile Change leaders**  Agile Change Leaders are the ones who can adapt – although we should caveat the fact that there are many good leaders in organizations who struggle to adapt and learn [(especially from the failures)](http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/article-details/mastering-agile-leadership) -  and be ready for the next challenge.  And this is where agile with a small “a” and Agile with a big “A” collide: being agile is about taking decisions with (often) limited information but with a desire to experiment; expecting to use feedback from a varied audience; getting it wrong quickly and early, rather than failing spectacularly at the end.  ## **Measuring Agile Change Leadership behaviours** These are the beliefs and the mindset that allow practice Agile change leadership behaviors to flourish.  Data from the Changefirst database highlights the global trend, based on responses from >5,000 change leaders as of January 2019.  We place a strong emphasis on using people data to drive change decisions, and using people-centered tools to quickly gather, codify and extract meaning from the widest possible collaboration.    You can see the results below, from our Change Leader Assessment – the 3rd most popular of the change assessment tools available on [Roadmap Pro](https://www.changefirst.com/product/roadmappro) – our digital change delivery platform.  ![Measuring Agile Change Leadership behaviors](https://blog.changefirst.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Measuring%20Agile%20Change%20Leadership%20behaviors.png?width=700&name=Measuring%20Agile%20Change%20Leadership%20behaviors.png) As you can see, averages from our global data would suggest that there is still some work to be done in the 5 key areas: - Tracking - Reinforcement - Resourcing - Modeling - Creating an environment for Openness.   If these resonate with you as some examples of Agile Change leadership behavior, then how do you measure up? Are you creating the belief systems and processes for Agile Change Leadership behaviors to flourish?# | ![WhyAgileOrgNeedAgile-2](https://blog.changefirst.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WhyAgileOrgNeedAgile-2.png?width=374&height=232&name=WhyAgileOrgNeedAgile-2.png)   | ## **Download our Agile Change Management eBook** To find out. - What exactly is Agile - and **what is driving it?** - What Agile means for Change Management and **how to adapt your approach** to align with it digitally - Why Enterprise Change Management is the **key building block of Enterprise Agility** **[![DOWNLOAD NOW](https://hubspot-no-cache-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/2401974/7cd23416-e99e-4aa7-ab21-a995bfa4879a.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/2401974/7cd23416-e99e-4aa7-ab21-a995bfa4879a)** | | --- | --- |   ![Audra Proctor](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/Audra200x200.png) Posted by [Audra Proctor](https://blog.changefirst.com/author/audra-proctor) Audra is Managing Director at Changefirst and has over 30 years' experience of enabling organisations leaders and their teams to deliver complex Organisational Change. She leads an amazing, diverse team of highly experienced multi-industry Change Practitioners, Consultants, Coaches, Trainers, Technology Experts and trusted Strategic Partners to help organisations to deliver more effective Change through their people. Audra is a regular speaker at events focusing on Change and Transformation globally on a number of key themes including Agile Change Management and the use of digital in Change and Transformation. Find me on: [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/audraproctor/) Tags: [change leadership](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/change-leadership), [change management expetise](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/change-management-expetise), [agile leaders](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/agile-leaders), [agile change](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/agile-change), [agile change managment](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/agile-change-managment), [change leadership example](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/change-leadership-example), [leading cultural change](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/leading-cultural-change) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ### Leave a comment Search Blog ### Keep me updated ### Recent Posts ### SHARE THE BLOG [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.changefirst.com%2Fagile-change-leadership-are-you-an-active-sponsor-of-your-agile-agenda%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/linkedin-24x24.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.changefirst.com%2Fagile-change-leadership-are-you-an-active-sponsor-of-your-agile-agenda%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.changefirst.com%2Fagile-change-leadership-are-you-an-active-sponsor-of-your-agile-agenda%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.changefirst.com%2Fagile-change-leadership-are-you-an-active-sponsor-of-your-agile-agenda%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Agile%20Change%20Leadership%20-%20Become%20a%20Sponsor%20of%20your%20Agile%20agenda) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fblog.changefirst.com%2Fagile-change-leadership-are-you-an-active-sponsor-of-your-agile-agenda%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fblog.changefirst.com%2Fagile-change-leadership-are-you-an-active-sponsor-of-your-agile-agenda%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ### Posts by Tag [![](https://changefirst.com/images/Icons/Social_LI.svg)](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/changefirst) [![](https://changefirst.com/images/Icons/Social_TW.svg)](https://twitter.com/Changefirst) [![](https://changefirst.com/images/Icons/Social_VM.svg)](https://vimeo.com/changefirst) [![](https://changefirst.com/images/Icons/Social_FB.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/Changefirst-129807110363683/) [Website T&Cs](https://info.changefirst.com/website-tcs)    |     [Security Policy](https://info.changefirst.com/security-statement)    |     [Privacy Policy](https://info.changefirst.com/privacy-policy)    |     [Cookie Policy](https://info.changefirst.com/cookie-policy)