the matter of leading agile teams is discussed generically in terms of the concept of servant- leadership. It's also covered specifically with regard to how the concept is exemplified in the Scrum Master role. Any organization which fully implements agile and creates self-managed teams has to deal with the matter of finding people to properly lead them. If Scrum is to be used, someone must successfully fulfill the role of Scrum Master. Remember, the role includes serving the product owner, the developers and the sponsoring organization. It requires mastery of Scrum, a great deal of soft skills and most of all, servant-leadership.

content describes the Scrum Master role in detail and notes its key aspects. It raises the question of what kind of resources in an organization should be appointed as Scrum Masters. It discusses two models or archetypes used by Jeff Sutherland when Scrum was originally created: The technical expert and the catalyst. This two-part exercise is intended to help students consider relevant issues and factors when selecting a Scrum Master.

Part 2

will prepare and submit a one to two page paper using the assignment template which will summarize his / her / their viewpoints regarding the questions posed for the Part 1 discussion. may draw on points raised by other teams as well as their own. are also expected to address the circumstances in which they would feel capable of serving as a servant-leader for a project or indicate if they are playing such a role now in some way. (Keep in mind that one can be a servant-leader even if Scrum isn't being used.) Some supporting details should be provided for answers to this question. For example, you might describe situations in which you would feel more or less comfortable leading a team in this way.

What factors would be relevant to choosing a technical expert versus a catalyst for a particular Scrum project? These factors might include aspects of the organization, the project or the team.

How might you compensate for any weaknesses in whoever is eventually chosen for the role?