Agility Lead vs. Scrum Master: differences & tips

In an increasingly agile business world, the role of Agility Lead can also be found on one job portal or another. However, the titles Scrum Master and Agility Lead raise questions about the extent to which the role descriptions differ at all (we’ll leave the Agile Coach out of the equation here). Arguably, the key people both play a crucial role in promoting collaboration, self-organization and continuous improvement. So what is the difference?

Agility Lead vs. Scrum Master

The Agility Lead Role

An “Agility Lead” typically refers to a leader or key role in a company or team who is responsible for promoting and implementing agile methods and practices. Agile methods are a group of approaches to software development and project management that focus on flexibility, collaboration, and continuous adaptation to change.

The main responsibilities of an Agility Lead can of course vary depending on the organization, but in general their duties are likely to include the following:

1. Agile Transformation: Leadership and support in the introduction of agile practices throughout the company or in specific teams.

2. Coaching: Provide training and coaching for team members, managers and stakeholders to promote a better understanding of agile principles.

3. Team empowerment: Promoting self-organization and personal responsibility within the teams to enable more effective and autonomous decision-making.

4. Continuous improvement: Implementation of mechanisms for continuous review and improvement of agile processes and practices.

5. Communication and collaboration: Promoting open communication and collaboration between different teams, departments and stakeholders.

6. Removal of obstacles: Identifying and eliminating obstacles and problems that may hinder progress.

It is important to note that the exact role and specific tasks of an Agility Lead may vary from organization to organization. In many cases, the Agility Lead may also have other titles such as “Agile Coach”, “Scrum Master” or “Agile Project Manager”, depending on the specific agile frameworks used in the organization.

For example, JPMorgan Chase currently has job postings for Agility Leads, some of which include the word “Scrum Master” itself. The job description also sounds very much like the profile of a Scrum Master role (or that of an Agile Coach).

If there are differences between the two roles, what could they be?

Agility Lead vs. Scrum Master

Agility Lead vs. Scrum Master: Differences and Priorities

An Agility Lead and a Scrum Master are both roles that focus on promoting and implementing agile practices in a team or organization, but there are differences in their responsibilities and focus.

Scrum Masters:

1. Scrum framework: The Scrum Master is a specific role in the Scrum framework, which is an agile method for software development. The focus of the Scrum Master is primarily on supporting and applying Scrum principles.

2. Team focus: The Scrum Master works closely with (at best) a specific Scrum team and focuses on ensuring that the team understands and adheres to the principles of Scrum. He helps the team to remove obstacles, promotes self-organization and continuously improves the team’s effectiveness.

3. Meetings: The Scrum Master leads and organizes Scrum meetings such as the Daily Scrum, Sprint Planning, Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective.

Agility Lead:

1. Broader focus: The term “Agility Lead” is more general and can target various agile methods and practices, not just Scrum. This role can exist in organizations that use different agile frameworks or a combination thereof.

2. Organization-wide influence: The Agility Lead can extend beyond individual teams and take an organizational perspective. It can focus on promoting agile practices at the organizational level, facilitating collaboration between teams and integrating agile principles into the overall workflow.

3. Change management: An Agility Lead may also be tasked with leading agile transformation initiatives, including training, coaching and implementing agile practices at an organizational level.

In many cases, the Scrum Master may play a role as part of the agile transformation in an organization, while the Agility Lead may have a broader perspective and responsibility for the overall agile transition. It is important to note that the exact definition and responsibilities of these roles may vary depending on the organization.

Agility Lead vs. Scrum Master

Tip: Continuous improvement at the touch of a button

Whether you’re an Agility Lead or Scrum Master: Continuous improvement will be one of your core tasks. But how do you measure the success of sometimes very “soft” initiatives such as agile retrospectives? Echometer can help with this.

Echometer is a digital tool that helps agile team leads with agile retrospectives and team Health Checks. Whether remote, hybrid or on-site: it makes team coaching measurable and professionalizes your work while saving you a lot of work. Just take a look at our website to find out more: www.echometerapp.com.

Are companies simply inventing new titles because they sound more attractive?

Christian Heidemeyer, Psychologist & Scrum Master

Agility Lead vs. Scrum Master

Conclusion: Agility Lead vs. Scrum Master

In an era where adaptability is crucial, Agility Leads or Scrum Masters are guides for agile transformations - regardless of their title. They not only create more effective teams, but also pave the way for a flexible and innovative organizational future. 

Finally, one more note: If you’d like to try out what it’s like to develop your team with our tool: You can start an agile retrospective without logging in below, in this case the “Keep, Stop, Start” workshop. 

Alternatively, simply forward our website to the responsible colleagues: www.echometerapp.com.