ZDNet – “First it was Agile software development, now Agile management is remaking the workplace The most effective managers have used the past 12 months to support new remote-working practices with Agile leadership styles. This is what two digital leaders have learnt from the experience – and here’s how you can benefit. This flexible form of leadership, which involves the application of the principles of Agile software development to management tasks, relies on decentralised decision-making. It breaks tasks into smaller components and integrates planning with execution, which it’s supporters say allows an organisation to create a mindset that helps a team respond effectively to changing requirements. Agile management has proven to be a good fit for our socially distanced times, where geographically disparate leaders and their teams must respond rapidly to fast-changing circumstances.  Managers – even if they want to – can no longer keep a close eye on their teams. Their employees aren’t physically close and they have a complex range of priorities to balance. Agile management produces benefits in two key ways: it gives workers the empowerment that research suggests they crave, and it frees up leaders to focus on higher-level tasks, such as refining strategy and developing new business models. Yet while the beneifts of Agile seem clear, the switch to looser forms of management will be a shock for some leaders who have tended to keep a tight grip on their people and projects. Learning to relinquish control can be difficult, says Rob Doepel, partner at consultant Ernst & Young…”