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A Scrum Master can take on a variety of positions and roles. Depending on the circumstance and context, a competent Scrum Master is aware of them and understands when and how to use them. Everything that will aid understanding and use of the Scrum framework.

This blog article is on the servant-leadership role of the scrum master. All Scrum values—courage, openness, respect, focus, and commitment—align with servant leadership. Since it serves as the foundation of the Scrum Master function, it seems sensible to start by describing it.

What is a servant-leader?

The phrase "servant-leadership" was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf, who defines a servant-leader as "Leaders who put others first are servants. It starts with the instinctive desire to help others. Deliberate decisions then bring about the desire to lead. The best gauge of whether someone is serving them is whether they develop as people: do they get better, smarter, more liberated, more independent, and more likely to help others? And how will it affect those who are least fortunate in society; will they benefit or at the very least not become even less fortunate?"

Servant leadership is a way of thinking and a set of behaviors centered on leading by serving and caring for others. By improving people's lives and forming stronger companies, servant leadership conduct makes the world more fair and compassionate.

A servant leader puts service before self. It starts with the instinctive desire to serve first and foremost. Deliberate decisions then bring about the desire to lead. That leader notably varies from one who takes on the role of the leader first, which may result from a desire to gain control, authority, and financial wealth inside the company.

The Scrum Master is a servant leader

One of Scrum's most crucial and misunderstood roles is that of the Scrum Master. The Scrum framework's designers, Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber understood that change is difficult and that teams needed coaching and assistance to implement Scrum successfully. So, the Scrum Master position was created.

The task that the team needs to be done is not expected of this function. Additionally, this position shouldn't serve as the team's secretary by organizing calendar invitations and updating Jira cards, among other minor duties. This should be treated as work, and a team member should handle it. The Scrum Master's responsibility should instead be to assist the team in implementing Scrum, increasing productivity, and raising the level of work quality (Intended to refer to both the team's ability to produce high-quality work and the atmosphere in which it works).

Additionally, or at least not directly, the Scrum Master job has no control over the team. They cannot dictate to anyone how they should act or what they should do. Instead, they take a non-commanding position, make the team's environment more productive, and offer guidance through coaching. The Scrum Master is essentially a servant leader for the team.

The role of the Scrum Master as a servant leader

A Servant Leader leads a team by removing obstacles from their path, advising them on how to grow better, and not by telling them what to do. In Scrum, the Scrum Master plays a similar role. They teach team members about Agile and Scrum best practices and assist the team in locating and eliminating obstacles.

A servant leader is driven to help others. A leader who is a servant first. This action goes against the norm for managers, who should manage and lead first.

A Servant Leader is a Scrum Master. The Scrum Master supports the team's goals, enables growth, and promotes success. According to the Scrum Guide, the Scrum Team's Servant Leader is the Scrum Master. The Scrum Master job intentionally lacks organizational authority and influence to promote Servant Leadership conduct.

The role of the Scrum Master is neither that of a team manager nor a boss.

The Scrum Master may create a psychologically secure environment for the team because organizational power is absent. It, in turn, gives the team members more autonomy and enables them to organize themselves. A safe atmosphere is less likely to be created if the Scrum Master has organizational influence.

Conclusion

An exemplary leader People may participate and thrive in an atmosphere the scrum master provides. A setting where individuals are taken care of and feel free to express themselves. A setting where they are empowered enough to take the appropriate actions. The Scrum Master leads the Scrum Team.

The team members benefit from the assistance of a competent servant leader because they feel safe. This ensures that workers have the confidence to be their best selves and provide answers and ideas. Additionally, it guarantees that your team members respect you for who you are as a servant Leader and follow you freely. If you wish to begin an agile transformation, it might be simple to convert employees into supporters of your business.