BONUS The Evolution of Agile Leadership: Embracing the Therapeutic Turn with Ari-Pekka Skarp

In this BONUS episode, we dive deep into the evolving landscape of Agile leadership with Ari-Pekka Skarp, an experienced Agile Coach, Psychotherapist, and Organizational Psychologist. Drawing from his unique blend of expertise, Ari-Pekka shares his lessons learned on how leadership has transformed over the past decades and what the future holds for Agile organizations.

"We replaced authority with collaboration, this was revolutionary."

The journey of Agile adoption over the past 16 years has been marked by two significant developments: technological advancement and increasing social complexity. Ari-Pekka reflects on how Scrum introduced a revolutionary "shared" aspect of collaborative work, fundamentally changing how hierarchies are established in modern organizations. This shift represents a departure from traditional command-and-control structures towards more collaborative approaches.

"Nowadays we are almost talking about the leaders as some sort of therapist."

One of the most significant shifts in organizational dynamics has been the "therapeutic turn" in leadership. Where leaders were once expected to be commanders, today's leaders must embody the qualities of a therapist - demonstrating empathy, emotional intelligence, and a deep understanding of their team members' well-being. This transformation reflects broader societal changes, with mental health awareness becoming increasingly central to workplace dynamics.

"We need a more humanistic leadership, but what does that look like in practice?"

As organizations become more networked and complex, the need for humanistic leadership approaches becomes evident. Ari-Pekka shares his experience as an organizational psychologist, highlighting how traditional role definitions often fall short in addressing modern workplace challenges. The integration of tools from family therapy and other psychological disciplines is becoming crucial for effective leadership.

"In order to compete you have to have a very well functioning organization!"

Looking ahead, Ari-Pekka emphasizes the importance of viewing organizations through a psychological lens. He argues that organizational mental health culture and the psychological aspects of work are becoming critical competitive advantages. This perspective extends beyond processes and tools to encompass the holistic growth and well-being of people within organizations.

"The biggest change was from a mechanistic world-view to a more humanistic world-view."

As Agile evolves beyond its origins as a protest movement, Ari-Pekka explores how organizations are increasingly forming around purposes rather than just profits. He advocates for generative planning processes that foster creativity and human flourishing, suggesting a shift toward viewing work and organizations as social processes rather than mechanical systems.

"Why don't we look at work, organizations as social processes?"

The conversation concludes with a powerful metaphor of leaders as gardeners, nurturing growth and development through meaningful conversations. This approach represents a fundamental shift in how we think about leadership and organizational development, emphasizing the importance of creating environments where people can thrive.

In this segment, we refer to the work of Esko Kilpi, a thought leader and business philosopher who helped introduce complexity to the Agile community.

About Ari-Pekka Skarp

Ari-Pekka is a highly experienced Agile Coach, Psychotherapist, and Organizational Psychologist with over 20 years of experience working with organizations. As an author of several books on topics such as Complexity, the mind, and Mindfulness, Ari-Pekka blends deep psychological insight with practical expertise to help leaders and teams navigate the evolving landscape of work.

You can link with Ari-Pekka on LinkedIn and connect with Ari-Pekka on Twitter.