No Manager in Scrum?

When leaders first hear that Scrum teams are self-managing, I don’t blame them for immediately fearing for their jobs. It can sound a little scary. But when we say that Scrum teams are self-managing, we don’t mean that they don’t have a reporting structure or that leadership is not necessary. In fact, the best Scrum teams that I have ever worked with were supported by outstanding leaders.

The role of the leader in Scrum is to be a true leader - not a micromanager. When we say that Scrum teams are self-managing, we don’t mean that leadership needs to be fired. Instead, what we are saying is that we need to remember that Scrum is used in complex environments, where the people doing the work are applying creativity and problem-solving to add value. This means that they need to be free to think creatively and to decide how best to approach their work. We hired them for their knowledge, and they need to be empowered to use that knowledge to solve problems.

Since all of that sounds pretty fluffy, let me give you some concrete examples of what we mean when we say that Scrum teams are self-managing.

1. In the Sprint Planning meeting, the Developers decide how much work to pull into the Sprint, and they decide who will take on which work. This is actually a big change from the days when the management team assigned Developers to each project. Instead of assigning Developers to the work, the work is prioritized and ordered by the Product Owner, and Developers decide how to deliver it.

2. The Product Owner decides what will add the most value to the Product. Rather than executives prioritizing a list of projects, the Product Owner creates the Product Goal and works with stakeholders and the Scrum team to determine the content and ordering of the Product Backlog.

3. Scrum Masters coach the team and make sure that they are working together well. But of course, they don’t do this in a vacuum. Great Scrum Masters build bridges and collaborate with leaders to support the Scrum team. For example, as a Scrum Master, if I see that there is strife on the Scrum team, I might meet with management to brainstorm ways to improve the collaboration of the Scrum team.

4. During a Sprint, if technical challenges arise, the Developers have the autonomy to choose the best solution or approach rather than waiting for approval from management (within limits, of course). This allows them to respond quickly and creatively to obstacles.

5. The team decides how to improve their own process. In the Sprint Retrospective, the Developers, Product Owner, and Scrum Master identify improvements and implement them without needing management sign-off on every change.

The Role of Leadership

None of this happens without strong leadership from the top. Leaders set guardrails within with the Scrum team operates. The set the organizational goals and ensure that the Product Owner creates a Product Goal and vision that aligns with organizational expectations. They remove impediments and help empower the Scrum teams. They work to make sure that the team is collaborating effectively and that they are delivering value to the customer. In short, leadership paints a clear picture of where the organization is going, backs up the transformation consistently, and addresses resistance directly.

Conclusion

Agile isn’t about getting rid of managers though. It’s about redefining what good management looks like in a more empowered, collaborative environment.

The managers who succeed are the ones who move from controlling work to enabling great work. When organizations support that transition, they create the conditions for real agility: faster delivery, better outcomes, and a culture where people at all levels can contribute their best.