Leading for Outcomes

Session Overview

Leadership is the biggest lever for agility: delivering Better Value Sooner Safer Happier.

In this compelling session, Jonathan Smart discusses "Leading for Outcomes" and why leadership behavior is the primary driver for organizational agility. He contrasts the "Age of Oil and Mass Production"—where work was repetitive and knowable—with today's "Age of Digital," where work is unique and unknowable. Jonathan argues that traditional command-and-control styles are no longer effective in this new era.

Jonathan introduces the concept of "Better Value Sooner Safer Happier" (BVSSH) as the true definition of outcomes, moving beyond simple Agile adoption. He identifies key leadership anti-patterns (such as "Do as I say, not as I do" and a deterministic mindset) and offers powerful patterns for success, including "Leaders Go First," fostering psychological safety, and embracing an emergent mindset to navigate uncertainty.

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Key Takeaways & Concepts

• Better Value Sooner Safer Happier: The goal is not "Agile"; the goal is outcomes—Quality, Value, Time to Value, Safety, and Happiness.
• Leadership Patterns: To succeed, leaders must move from "Command & Control" to "Serve & Support," ensuring they model the behaviors they wish to see.
• Psychological Safety: The number one determinant of high-performing teams is the safety to experiment, fail intelligently, and speak up without fear of reprisal.

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