Agile Mindset Dance

Living and shaping agility: Creator and creature in a dynamic dance 🌈

“Agile is a mindset defined by values, guided by principles, and manifested through many different practices.” But wait a minute, what does that really mean for you? Does it mean that you first develop an agile mindset, then internalize the agile values, apply the agile principles, and finally implement the agile practices? So, a clear, linear sequence like a to-do list item? Or is there perhaps more to it?

Let’s consider this thought: Perhaps you know the saying, “Does being determine consciousness, or does consciousness determine being?” When you look at the agile mindset, you realize that it’s not simply about first developing an agile consciousness to then implement agile practices. Instead, what you do constantly influences your thinking. By asking yourself: “Are you the creator or the creature of the agile mindset?” you realize that there is no straightforward relationship here. No – it’s not a linear path from mindset to principles to practices. Rather, it’s a kind of cycle, an interplay that you experience.

Because by living agile practices, you also shape the agile mindset – and the mindset, in turn, helps you become even more agile. You are both the creator and the creature of this mindset. A kind of symbiotic relationship between what you do and who you are. 🚀

This was an important realization for me. For a long time, I thought I had to find the right attitude first before I could truly live agile values and principles. The causality, often described to this day, from agile mindset to agile practices, never made sense to me. Because agility is non-linear, experimental in many areas, a continuous learning process, and navigating uncertainty. Why, then, should a simple causality suddenly define the whole thing? But the truth is: becoming agile means experimenting over and over, learning over and over, shaping yourself over and over. The more you live these values in real situations, the more they influence your mindset and shape you.

Perhaps being agile is less a question of thinking and more a question of doing. It’s like a dance: You learn the steps (the practices), understand the music (the principles), and ultimately become the dancer by finding the freedom to express yourself in all of it (the mindset). This dynamic strongly resembles the concept of Shu-Ha-Ri: Initially, you follow the rules (Shu), then you begin to vary and understand the principles (Ha), and finally, you achieve the freedom to embody the principles and find your own ways (Ri). Just like with the agile mindset, it’s about deepening understanding through practical action and ultimately reaching a level of mastery that enables true creativity.

The point is: You are not only a creator of this agile process but also let yourself be shaped by it. By living in feedback cycles, iterations, and constant adaptation, you shape your mindset – and this, in turn, enables you to try new things, adapt, and continue learning. ✌️

Perhaps this is the essence of agility: This co-evolutionary relationship. The freedom to be both teacher and student, creator and creature at the same time.

How do you experience this cycle in your work? Do you see yourself more as the creator or the creature of agile values – or perhaps both?

Let’s talk about it! 🤔💬

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