Effective leaders or Scrum Masters are the catalyst that transforms ordinary teams into high-performing, self-organizing powerhouses. But this transformation capability doesn’t happen overnight. Just as teams develop through stages, Scrum Masters must evolve their own skills and approaches to match their teams’ needs and effectively guide their development.
Understanding the ScrumMaster’s or Leader’s Development Path
Earlier when I discussed the Scrum Master’s role in fostering a self-organizing team, I highlighted that the ScrumMaster needs to be self-aware of her individual skills development journey. She must understand at her own level of expertise and continuously work on advancing to higher levels to effectively serve team. In addition, an experienced ScrumMaster or servant-leader also understands team development models and adapts her leadership style as she helps the team transition through these stages to get them to a high performing stage as quickly as possible.
Angel Medinilla offers a brilliantly practical framework that connects a Scrum Master’s or leader’s maturity to their approach to servant-leadership and delegation. This model helps Scrum Masters identify where they are in their journey and what growth areas they should focus on next.
The Four Stages of ScrumMaster Development
The Scrum Dude: Certification Without Experience
Development Stage: Shu (follow the rules) / Novice or Advanced Beginner in the Dreyfus model
The Scrum Dude is newly certified with little practical experience. They’re enthusiastic about Scrum but haven’t yet developed the depth of understanding that comes with practice. The Scrum Dude typically:
- Focuses primarily on logistics and coordination
- Schedules and facilitates the required Scrum events
- Updates tools, charts, and artifacts diligently
- Takes detailed notes and provides status updates
- Strives to make everyone happy and keep things running smoothly
The Scrum Dude operates primarily as a friendly facilitator rather than a change agent. While they successfully implement the mechanics of Scrum, they haven’t yet developed the skills to drive deeper transformations in team behavior or organizational culture.
Growth Areas for the Scrum Dude:
- Develop a deeper understanding of agile principles beyond practices
- Learn to identify and address team dynamics issues
- Build skills for handling resistance and difficult conversations
- Begin to recognize systemic impediments beyond immediate obstacles
The Scrum Mom: The Protective Parent Shield
Development Stage: Competent in the Dreyfus model
As the ScrumMaster gains experience, they evolve into what Medinilla calls the “Scrum Mom” or Scrum Parent stage. At this level, they understand that their role extends far beyond facilitation. The Scrum Mom:
- Actively shields the team from external interference
- Tirelessly removes impediments for the team
- Identifies and resolves problems, often before the team notices them
- Ensures tasks are appropriately assigned and tracked
- Monitors progress closely and jumps in to help when needed
- Avoids conflict to maintain team harmony
- Works extraordinarily hard to provide whatever the team needs
The Scrum Mom shows genuine care for the team and works tirelessly on their behalf. However, this protective approach can inadvertently create dependency, as the team relies on the Scrum Mom to solve problems rather than developing their own problem-solving capabilities.
Growth Areas for the Scrum Mom:
- Learn to progressively delegate responsibilities to the team
- Develop coaching skills to help team members solve their own problems
- Become comfortable with productive conflict as a growth mechanism
- Begin to address systemic issues rather than just symptoms
The True Scrum Master: The Empowering Coach
Development Stage: Proficient in the Dreyfus model / Ha (break the rules) in ShuHaRi
At this stage, the Scrum Master truly embodies servant-leadership principles. They understand that their role is to develop the team’s capabilities rather than solving problems for them. The true Scrum Master:
- Empowers the team to take ownership and accountability
- Guides the team’s progression from coordination to collaboration
- Progressively delegates responsibilities to the team
- Highlights problems but lets the team resolve them
- Ensures conflict remains constructive and productive
- Understands group dynamics and team development stages
- Adjusts their leadership style based on the team’s current stage
- Focuses on continuous learning and improvement
- Serves as a strong advocate for organizational change
The true Scrum Master has developed the wisdom to know when to intervene and when to step back. They create the conditions for self-organization rather than directing the team’s activities.
Growth Areas for the True Scrum Master:
- Develop systems thinking to address organizational impediments
- Refine coaching approaches to handle diverse team member needs
- Build influence skills to drive change beyond the team level
- Deepen understanding of technical practices that support agility
Agile Nirvana: The Transformational Presence
Development Stage: Expert in the Dreyfus model / Ri (transcend the rules) in ShuHaRi
The most advanced stage in Medinilla’s model is what he calls “Agile Nirvana.” At this level, the Scrum Master’s impact stems from who they are rather than what they do. The Nirvana-level Scrum Master:
- Creates transformation through their presence and insights
- Demonstrates remarkable calmness and thoughtfulness in all situations
- Listens deeply and reflects in ways that generate profound insights
- Makes everyone around them better through their interactions
- Achieves results that seem almost magical to outside observers
This Scrum Master has internalized agile principles so deeply that their actions flow naturally from this understanding. They’ve transcended the need for conscious application of techniques and operate from an intuitive grasp of what each situation requires.
Evolving Your Scrum Master Approach
Understanding these four stages provides a roadmap for Scrum Master development. However, it’s important to recognize that growth isn’t always linear. Many Scrum Masters and leaders exhibit characteristics from multiple stages simultaneously, and situational factors may require temporarily shifting between approaches.
The key is continuous self-assessment and intentional development. Here are some strategies for advancing your Scrum Master practice:
1. Assess Your Current Stage
Begin by honestly evaluating where you stand in your Scrum Master journey. Ask yourself:
- Which stage most closely matches my current approach?
- What behaviors do I exhibit from each stage?
- How do team members respond to my current style?
- What feedback have I received about my effectiveness?
2. Identify Development Opportunities
Based on your self-assessment, identify specific growth areas that will help you progress to the next stage:
- What new skills do I need to develop?
- What current behaviors might I need to modify or reduce?
- What knowledge gaps do I need to fill?
- What mindset shifts would support my development?
3. Create a Personal Growth Plan
Develop a structured approach to your own development:
- Seek mentorship from more experienced Scrum Masters
- Join communities of practice to share experiences
- Study advanced topics in team dynamics and coaching
- Practice new approaches in low-risk situations
- Reflect regularly on your experiences and lessons learned
4. Adapt Your Style to Your Team’s Needs
Remember that different teams and even different situations with the same team may require different approaches:
- A newly formed team may need more structure (Scrum Dude elements)
- A team facing significant external pressure might benefit from protection (Scrum Mom elements)
- A maturing team needs empowerment and coaching (True Scrum Master elements)
- A high-performing team will thrive with subtle guidance (Nirvana elements)
The art of effective Scrum mastery lies in flexibly applying the right approach at the right time while continuously evolving toward the more advanced stages of practice.
Building Your Scrum Master and Leadership Capabilities
In our Building High Performing Teams Workshop, we provide leaders with practical tools for assessing their current stage and creating development plans that accelerate their growth. Through hands-on activities and guided reflection, participants gain insights into their strengths and growth areas while learning strategies for adapting their approach to their teams’ evolving needs.
By understanding and embracing this growth journey, Scrum Masters and leaders can dramatically increase their effectiveness in fostering truly self-organizing, high-performing teams. The journey from Scrum Dude to Agile Nirvana isn’t quick or easy, but it’s immensely rewarding, both for the Scrum Master and for every team fortunate enough to work with them.
So, what type of leader are you today? And more importantly, what type of leader are you working to become?
Review Angel Medinilla’s awesome slides starting at p34 at http://www.slideshare.net/proyectalis/developing-scrummasters
Further Reading:
Also check out the complete Fostering Self-organizing Teams series:
- What is a Self-Organizing Team?
- Scrum Magic! Do Scrum – Become Hype-productive!
- 3 Models for Skills Acquisition
- The 3 Stages of Shu Ha Ri for Gaining Knowledge
- The Dreyfus Model of Skills Acquisition
- Situational Leadership
- The 5 Stages of Tuckman’s Group Model
- Drexler/Sibbet Team Performance Model
- The ScrumMaster’s Role in Fostering a High Performing Self-Organizing Team
- 7 Attributes of a Self-Organizing Team
- Delegation Board for Fostering a Self-Organizing Team
- The ScrumMaster’s Progressive Delegation Responsibility
- Fostering Self-Organizing Teams Presentation