Agile Leadership
      Recognising Competences in a changing World
                       A changing world needs a new kind of leadership                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           IPMA Agile Leader Certification
                 Because the world is rapidly transforming, a new breed              agile transition to become more adaptive to their                                                                                                                                                                                    That is what the IPMA Agile Leader certification is for. This                    This certification aims to be objective and provides proof that 
                 of leader is required. Individuals that are capable                 environments. Of the remaining organisations,                                                                                                                                                                                        international professional association, which once only                          an Agile Leader can thrive in every environment.
                 of responding swiftly to technological innovation,                  almost none can be found that is not considering                                                                                                                                                                                     focused on the professionalisation of project, programme and 
                 changing social relations, new divisions of labour                  going agile.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         portfolio managers, has used its many decades of experience                      This new IPMA certification will eventually have four levels, 
                 and new ways of working that are developed. The                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          in the assessment of proven competencies to meet this need.                      from high to low:
                 challenges we face are more complex than ever                       Organisations that already have experience working                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    A. IPMA Certified Agile Organisational leader
                 before. The tried and tested application of best                    with agile know that it takes more than just sending                                                                                                                                                                                 Agile Leadership is not a certificate, but a certification of                    B. IPMA Certified Senior Agile Leader
                 practices is therefore no longer the way forward.                   people to a training course in a certain agile                                                                                                                                                                                       proven experience and competence! It focusses on the major                       C. IPMA Certified Agile Leader
                 We have come to realise that planning everything                    framework. They realise that agile working is easier to                                                                                                                                                                              success factor of becoming agile, competent individuals. This 
                 in advance makes us rigid rather than flexible. When                understand than it is to do! People are needed who                                                                                                                                                                                   certification distinguishes itself from all other agile certifications           D. IPMA Certified Agile Associate
                 we start with focusing on what is valuable to our                   lead the way in a common learning process and who                                                                                                                                                                                    because it is independent from framework, and the IPMA 
                 customers, good practices are good enough.                          inspire the employees in their organisation to adopt                                                                                                                                                                                 association has no other interest than to professionalise                        At the moment, only the Agile Leader certification is available. 
                                                                                     an agile mindset.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    leaders who initiate and implement sustainable change.                           The other levels will soon follow.
                 The complexity and uncertainty also call for 
                 a different form of control. Responsibilities will now              The need for agile leaders                                                                                                                                                                                                           The certification process
                 be found on lower levels within the organisation. 
                 The decision-makers increasingly entrust the                        As a result, there is a great need for competent                                                                                                                                                                                     The process goes through a number of specific steps, in each step the candidate provides evidence of his or her competence.
                 responsibility to the experts, and management                       Agile Leaders. Not in a new formal role, but rather 
                 is replaced by leadership at all levels of the                      in an informal one. Someone can be release train 
                 organisation.                                                       engineer, tribe lead, agile coach, scrum master,                                                                                                                                                                                       1 Training                                       2 Theoretical                        3 Composition                        4The interview
                                                                                     product owner, or agile pm, but one is only a true                                                                                                                                                                                            and experience                                   examination                          of the portfolio
                 Working both lean and agile                                         Agile Leader when he or she is already able to inspire                                                                                                                                                                                 The candidate provides an overview of            Because the certification is          The candidate compiles               During the interview, the 
                                                                                     others to put the agile mindset into practice. Some                                                                                                                                                                                    the knowledge and experience gained.             framework independent, we             a portfolio of evidence. This        candidate discusses the 
                 One of the answers to these challenges is lean-                     are more competent in this than others.                                                                                                                                                                                                The training he or she has followed, the         expect a broad theoretical            portfolio consists of self-          submitted portfolio with the 
                 agile working, an essential part of the way we                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             experience relevant for this certification       knowledge of agile-lean               made blogs, presentations,           assessors. The examples 
                 organise. Organisations learn to make a distinction                 Leaders that make an impact by bridging the                                                                                                                                                                                            and which people can be approached               concepts. Both in perspective,        videos and descriptions of           provide a picture of the 
                 between what is valuable and what is irrelevant –                   gap between aspiration and reality are true Agile                                                                                                                                                                                      before the final assessment to inquire           people and practical elements         activities that clearly show         candidate’s competence.  
                 a development that has been going on for decades                    Leaders. The Agile Leader is more of a phenomenon                                                                                                                                                                                      about the impact the candidate has made          of agile working. This broad          the impact that has been             If interviewed positively, the 
                 in a row. Many organisations have taken the first,                  than a role. As a responsible decision-maker, how                                                                                                                                                                                      as a leader. Their experience is explained in    knowledge enables the                 made. In support of this, the        candidate can finally be  
                 sometimes bold, steps in the much-needed lean/                      do you know that you are working with a good Agile                                                                                                                                                                                     an agile biography and a self-assessment         leader to develop an agile            assessors make inquiries of          called an IPMA Agile Leader.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            in which the candidate reflects on the           mindset and prevents slavish          the respondents listed earlier.
                                                                                     Leader? How does someone demonstrate good                                                                                                                                                                                              development he or she has undergone in           obedience to a single model.
                                                                                     leadership?                                                                                                                                                                                                                            recent years.
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                IPMA World Map
                ALGERIA               JAPAN
                ARGENTINA             KAZAKHSTAN
                AUSTRALIA             KOSOVO
                AUSTRIA               LATVIA
                AZERBAIJAN            LITHUANIA
                BOLIVIA               MALAYSIA
                BOSNIA AND            MONTENEGRO
                HERZEGOVINA           MOROCCO
                BRAZIL                MEXICO
                BULGARIA              NEPAL
                CANADA                NETHERLANDS
                CHILE                 NIGERIA
                CHINA                 NORWAY
                COLOMBIA              PANAMA
                COSTA RICA            PERU
                CROATIA               POLAND
                CYPRUS                PORTUGAL
                CZECH REPUBLIC        PHILIPPINES
                DENMARK               ROMANIA
                DOMINICAN REPUBLIC RUSSIA
                ECUADOR               SERBIA
                EGYPT                 SLOVAKIA
                ESTONIA               SLOVENIA
                FINLAND               SOUTH AFRICA
                FRANCE                SOUTH KOREA
                GEORGIA               SINGAPORE
                GERMANY               SPAIN
                GREECE                SWEDEN
                GUATEMALA             SWITZERLAND
                HUNGARY               TAIWAN (CHINA)
                ICELAND               TURKEY
                INDIA                 UNITED KINGDOM
                INDONESIA             UKRAINE
                IRAN                  UNITED STATES
                IRELAND               URUGUAY
                ITALY
                 CONTACT INFORMATION
                 International Project Management Association (IPMA)
                 www.ipma.world •
                                       info@ipma.world
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