Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches

Leading Change Without Hierarchical Power | Stuart Tipples

Jun 11, 2025
Stuart Tipples, an Agilista and Scrum Master passionate about empowering teams, shares insights on leading change without hierarchical power. He discusses his experience building a community of practice and the effectiveness of engaging leadership in retrospectives, which inspired teams across the organization. Stuart emphasizes the contagion effect of change, highlighting the importance of daily presence as a change agent and fostering collaboration over isolation in leadership.
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ANECDOTE

Leading Agile Change Without Authority

  • Stuart Tipples built a Scrum Master chapter at British Telecom to drive Agile change without formal power.
  • He used new Scrum Masters as change agents and got leadership to run their own retrospectives as an example.
ADVICE

Get Leadership to Practice Agile

  • Show leadership how to run their own retrospectives to model Agile practices.
  • Encourage leadership to act visibly on improvement actions to gain team trust and improve ways of working.
ANECDOTE

Failing Agile Without Inclusion

  • Stuart experienced a failed value stream transformation where leadership designed a waterfall-like structure without involving teams.
  • He struggled to influence change amid closed-door decisions and delegated roles that added no real value.
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