So I am a business owner uh in the tite, which is a part of uh Deutsche Telekom concern.And today I will talk about the Agile LSD, which is actually uh my way, how I uh summarize what are the good tricks and tips uh to create an agile environment. Uh So I was um so uh I am, I am my name. Uh So, uh basically my um what I want to tell you about a little bit about me, it's that I'm uh a bit of a provocative person and a little bit of uh uh I like humor and uh I'm, I'm usually brutally honest and quite observ. So, um and based on that, I, I also created this LSD, which I know means drug because in our company, it feels like uh everybody wants to get an agile drug. Uh We were a very traditional it company with a very waterfall oriented style and currently everybody is really uh addicted to, to agile and trying to promote it in our company. So, but as I already mentioned, the, what does the Agile LSD mean? And what does the shortcut stand for? Uh what is important in the company. So for me, uh as I already mentioned, uh the L stands for not Folena is my name.

Uh But for really leading, I think one of the ex uh extreme important elements of, of uh agile environment is really a good leadership. Uh So, um if I say a li maybe you ask yourself what uh what does it mean uh in the uh in the company. So uh for me, uh actually, leadership uh consists of, of things uh of, first of all, of dis disregard of a self interest. Uh In many cases, I see that uh people act uh in the organizations for their personal good. Uh But uh they forget the good of the company. Uh When I talked to my coach, actually, he told me that um uh we have the dark triad of, of uh of uh our behavior which is called, which is really directed on, on having our personal goods. Uh and really trying to uh the, the dark triad. Maybe you heard it about it. It's actually narcissism, psychopathy and meals. So people try to control the environment, this is what the traditional lead or previous leadership was about. And in the agile environment actually, um we see that this kind of trade is also pre uh prevailing. Uh but in the agile environment, what we try to promote as leaders and I think women are very pre night for that is the personal uh is not only the personal, good, but also good of the company. I can tell you a little story about it actually.

Um I think um really, um when uh when I talked to my colleagues, uh and uh uh when they are really, when you say, OK, this regard of a self-interest might be also that you do not really protect your solution. So, um actually, it was always um and that the uh actually that the women have a lot of uh empathy towards each other and um uh that they uh really try to walk the talk. Um So, uh if you say uh what are the tips and tricks how to create in the uh to create an agile environment as a woman leader in, in regards to leading is to start with you. Uh So what first thing I did uh when I uh when I started as a leader was to that I reflected on myself. So if I had a company, I know, you know, I'm working in a big uh uh concern, I would say a big um enterprise of uh 220,000 people. So I, I started to think about, if I had a company, would I hire myself for the job if I was paying myself for that? And uh do I um do I have what it takes? So, if not fully, what do I need to work on?

So, and I started to ask also and uh sought for really brutal honesty. Uh of the second thing is that I shared really theon UHS quite openly. Uh So, uh in my team, when we discuss and work together on certain solutions, I always uh told them what I expect. Yeah. And um uh that uh I also, uh sometimes when I get into the struggle, I, I feel that if we explain the story behind, uh and the expectations uh that it helps. Uh For example, we had currently trouble with the one solution, one vendor. And uh when I tell them, OK, I know when you help us uh the because we need some support of other teams to implement this technical solution. And when I tell them, so I understand for you, it is extra work, but for the whole company, it helps. Uh then it is um more interest as the people are more willing to support and create this kind of uh co creation. Uh I think one thing that belongs to really uh uh agile leadership is not being afraid to show the uh vulnerability and to admit that you are wrong and or do not know something. Yes.

So for example, um I, I do not have a problem as a, as a leader of our organization to say I did something wrong or I made a mistake. And I think that's something that is a good sign of a leadership. So where you start with yourself. Yeah. And uh my personal best thing is about the, when you want to be kind of an as a leader as a woman is to do something very unconventional. Yeah. So for example, I had one colleague who was very shy and timid and she didn't want to uh say that much. Uh And I, I knew she has what it takes to be a good leader. Yes. So I tried to support her and I told her like, um, I know sometimes you, you, um, come across very stiff. So go out to the woods and, and cry, cry. Uh, so, uh, cry out loud and, uh, so cry out some, some things, uh, to that makes you angry. And, um, and this is something I also do when I, when I need and when I have a moment to, uh, when I want to push myself and do not take myself too seriously to do something funny in that sense.

And then if we say l uh is also for leading, I talked about, uh, not looking only for your personal, um, uh, prospects are good for the company, but the third element of a good leadership is, is a really deep allegiance to the team. So really sticking for the team. And, um, and I think here when, when we work in the team environment, it's important to, uh, to do certain things. And, uh, based on my experience, I found out, um, five things extremely important. The first one is really walking the talk. Yes. So if you, if you really uh are a person uh that wants to be trusted to really walk the talk in the agile environment because this is people where that you can build the trust, you build the transparency. And uh you also bring on uh the uh the importance of sticking to your promises in the team. Uh The second one is uh as I already mentioned, the feedback. Yes. So not only walking the team, but really promoting the feedback culture in your team, you can do it by really embracing the 1 to 1 feedbacks. Uh then or uh what I really think if somebody asks me is like, what is the first element of an agile environment where I should um contribute? I say the first easiest step is to do it is to introduce to your teams, the retrospectives.

So for me, uh uh really uh looking for personally for the feedback, admitting it trying out on the things that were advised to you in the team together. So it's not only about your personal thing, of course, it can be a personal uh perspective, but also really the team perspective. Trying the things that the team developed for their personal um or for their team uh in development is the second most important part. Um The third important part which I always um and try to promote is really to have uh the really uh decision making do uh done in the team. And for the good of the team, of course, this is something where, where people all struggle and this is something we always struggle also in my team, where is the good uh decision making? When you say good decision making with the team? Uh how does it look like? Sometimes there is a prevailing um opinion that the team uh fully should decide that no leadership is expected or on the other extreme which we uh experienced before was that only the leader decided? And the rest had no saying in it, I think it's, this is the kind of a balance which we uh need to need to uh which every team needs to work on.

And um and this is the third import, the most important part after world talk and the feedback culture. Uh So really, um for example, what I do is that we uh I first uh we, we can use also like a delegation poker to create the transparency on which decisions are made in which uh areas and discuss with the team. Um Where do you, where do you need that? So I think if, if, especially for, for uh female leaders, I think this is the uh the one of the qualities we can bring to the teams that we have this kind of empathy that we bring on also the inclusion part uh into the team. So that was one uh that those number three, the number four is uh for me, really the uh not being protective and uh then really to protect him in several senses. So really uh being like a visionary in what kind of uh technical solutions we can bring really uh also addressing it to the team to try out uh new things and think out of the box.

Uh Here, this is extremely important because um if we do not always take the ta if we always look work on the task which we currently have and do not uh look out of the box. And in the box where we are working, this is uh here where the good leadership stands as well to, to bring the visionary part into that. And uh last but not least uh for me, uh it, it what really worked uh is this kind of uh delegation, I think uh when I was at the beginning of, of my career, I always thought that if I work on the things uh myself, uh that would be that I would ensure the quality that I expect out of the results.

Uh oh And it was of course, uh uh becoming quite clear once with the complexity of the job and the complexity of current environment growth that this is not sustainable. So, really working on uh delegation culture and the trust culture is uh another good trick uh to, to embrace your, your leadership skills as a as a female leader. So um here where uh this LS as I mentioned to you and I dedicated most of my session to, to the L because I think the leadership is extremely important. And if you, if you think of leadership, it is not that the leadership belongs to a certain person, only that it is uh for example, somebody who was, who is responsible as a business owner or product manager or release train engineer or Scrum Master, it is important to embrace in the team.

And this is extremely uh uh valuable if you embrace in the team that each of the members of the team is the leader and is leader in the, in the job he has to do has to do for the favor for the, let's say good result of the team because sometimes people say, OK, we have in, in agile world, some, some leadership roles which you would call like a Protone or, or Scrum master.

But in the end, also the um I would say the senior developers, DeVos engineers are the guy, are the colleagues uh uh who are as well uh the leaders in their areas. Um So L I already covered. So now you would ask what it, what is the s so s uh for me uh stands for and what the ed a leader should do is setting the scene and setting the values. So basically set S as a set uh means um that um also when you come to, to a kind of a design thinking workshop or you come to uh agile leadership. Um And then as uh then it's important that the environment is also embracing the collaborative culture. Uh So I would say as a, a leader, you, you need to cater for really good environment setting, the scene is about not only about the room how it looks like or about the um I would say uh about the language that is being used but or at the time that you, you are giving to the, to the team or the content you are working on.

But it is also about the social um collaboration, the group dynamics. So that is your job as a leader. And as I told you, uh also everybody can take on this, this role uh to make sure that the group is working jointly here, Anna, I see the chat ask, how do you make sure that everybody speaks? This is a AAA common. Uh I would say Antipater on the agile teams that uh there are, of course, there's some experts feel or seniors feel that they want to talk more. But uh this is the way you are, you are taking on the role as a facilitator in the agile teams to ensure that all the voices have the saying, if they are more timid to, to approach them and directly talk to them and if they, if you see that during the call, they are quiet and to speak to uh speak up to them and say, OK, Anna, what would be your contribution to the solution?

So this is as I would put it under the s so really setting the scene in the, in the uh perspective of the, of the rooms uh I know and also the virtual room can be specifically set up of the content of the time that you are given. Not, not to discuss topics too long, but not too short to give everybody a voice and on the social perspective. And as I already mentioned, to set the values. So really to um I know most of you maybe know the edge of manifesto. But for me, uh for my uh personality, what works is really to have the transparency in the team to have the openness, I hate hierarchies. So to have really the equality I and I don't like also the hierarchies among the technical positions. So really to ensure that even though somebody is junior can maybe contribute with a good uh environment to have a really a good diversity. So I really enjoy when I can work with the people from different uh age, from different cultures. I, I think it really brings on uh the different perspectives and the most important value for, for an R team is for me and humor really to bring some jokes like also sometimes situational, like uh sometimes when you also make uh some misspellings. Like I once said that I want to say we are collecting missing pieces and I said we are collecting ping misses. So if you, if you uh see uh something like uh have fun together, it's or make fun of our architects like uh do you have butter?

Does it make you so love uh uh that you like your solution and have butterflies like in first love for that solution. So try to make some synonyms to bring guys uh also out of their comfort zone and uh to make also that architects can have feelings. Yes. So I, so I was a bit late, so not to finish and so not to finish uh with uh and leaving out the D and for me, uh the D is uh standing for dream uh a dream. As I already mentioned, the leadership should be visionary, should be giving some direction. So dreaming you as a as a leader, should have a dream for the team and uh bring the team to the perspective, technical pers uh person who will have a dream about their technical solution.

Architects have that uh product manager about their products, business leaders about the the way how they will help the customers, but that the dreams kind of convert and bring the best results because this is what, what edile should do really to bring, bring the best products to our customers.

This was my agile LSD. So leading setting and dreaming. And uh one thing, maybe you will develop your LSD on your journey. For example, I have tons of other L sds like uh for example, I also my favorite. Uh the other second favorite would be uh D also for also li L for live, really live. The culture. Do not fear to have it as for serving, really serving as an a leader or, and D for daring. So I would say goodbye with, with the D as a dare, so dare to dream and dare to try out my RLSD. Thank you for, for being with me. And it was a pleasure. Uh Maybe if you, if you want to say Anita, how to motivate people for innovation who complain uh that they have day to daily, day to day activities in the sprint. I think this is very, extremely difficult. We are currently also facing in our team. So for me, uh I would say find an alliance first of people who are willing to try uh innovative things. So and then usually this kind of small uh plans um uh or small groups that bring some results, try to convince some people are having just different styles of thinking, some needs really conviction, they need some provable results that the innovation works and then they are able or willing to dedicate their time to innovation.

Some people uh need to have the study time to, to think about it. So try to find out what that person wants and needs in order to have the time because people usually complain about the time as you mentioned. So um try to ask the people, what do you need to, to be able to think out of visionary? And uh as I mentioned, based on their feedback, uh try to explore that a bit and based on their feedback, you can think about, OK, what would work for your L program as I already told you for, for our L program where we had people who just needed conviction. Somebody needs to work on very small piece of innovation to see what comes uh so based of our, based on our uh based on what people have and uh needs, then you can think of uh how to act. OK, I'm sorry, the time is up. But if you, if you are interested in my thoughts and or you want to connect. So find me on linkedin as Lanka Zayat. Anyway, Zayat means uh rabbit. So like a rabbit in the shortcut. And it was really a pleasure for me. Take care. Bye bye.