Building Trust

One thing that I find very interesting in Scrum is the fact that the Scrum Master doesn't have any power over the team. So there's genuine need to persuade the people. Motivate them and get them to do things through leadership. And I think this lack of power is the key in expert organizations.

In case you are dealing with complex products, you probably have very intelligent people working with you. And usually those people know their value. If you boss them around and manage them too tightly, they will just pack their things and move to another company. So you need to have a light touch. Leadership is required.

And I think one key thing in leadership is building trust. Let's say there's a building on fire. Everyone is exiting the building in a rapid fashion. Who knows, the building might even be collapsing soon. But there might still be people trapped inside and they might need help.

a) You are always telling people what they need to do. They don't usually like it and people talk behind your back. You don't care since you get the job done. Who cares if you have to cut a few corners or lie in a couple of places? And if you hear something useful, you usually take advantage of it without thinking about others too much.

b) You always treat people with respect. You see others as persons who have their own hopes and dreams. And you realize you spend a lot of time with these other people, so you like to make sure you all enjoy your time together. If someone needs help, you offer assistance. When someone tells you something private, you don't spread that around. And every time you are true. Whatever happens, people know that you are telling the truth.

Okay, there are now these two persons: a) and b). Which one would you follow into a burning building?