Agility Strategist | 3 Decades of Change Leadership | Creator of CIRCA: A Framework for Complexity & Fast Flow
"Agile is DEAD." I’ve heard this phrase so often lately that it almost sounds like a foregone conclusion. But what if we’ve misunderstood what dead really means? Last year, I started replying to these “Agile is dead” posts with something different. Something unexpected. A reframing. A new acronym: DEAD = Dynamic. Evolving. Adaptable. Disruptive. Not a tombstone. A wake-up call. After three decades of working in Agile ways — long before the Manifesto was even written — I’ve seen agility morph, migrate, and mature. I’ve also seen it hollow out when it becomes a ritual rather than a response. This post isn’t about defending Agile dogma. It’s about reclaiming the intent behind it — and asking some honest questions: ⁉️ When did iteration become the goal instead of learning? ⁉️ When did frameworks become fences? ⁉️ When did Agile stop challenging the status quo and start embalming it? If your Agile feels lifeless, maybe it’s time to let that version go — and revive what agility really means. I’ve written something personal, practical, and (I hope) provocative. Take a look. Share your thoughts. Tell me what still feels alive to you. 🪦 ➡️ DEAD: [Dynamic. Evolving. Adaptable. Disruptive.] 👉 Share your thoughts below #Agile #BusinessAgility #AgileIsDead #DEADAgile #AgileLeadership #Leadership #FutureOfWork
Neil Walker 🔁
4mo
I'm deeply grateful to Alistair Cockburn, Andy Hunt, Arie van Bennekum, Brian Marick, Dave Thomas, James Grenning, Jeff Sutherland, Jim Highsmith, Jon Kern, Ken Schwaber, Kent Beck, Martin Fowler, Mike Beedle, Robert Martin, Ron Jeffries, Stephen Mellor, Ward Cunningham for continuing to inspire so many of us. Hopefully, you agree that Agile continues to be Dynamic. Evolving. Adaptable. Disruptive (DEAD) in the most vital way?
Neil Walker 🔁 - I think you’ve nailed the point here! In my view everyone who’s used this title is sharing these very sentiments. But the challenge lies in the fact that readers take the title as truth and roll with it.
Noel Warnell
4mo
Nice one Neil. I love what you’ve done here. True inspect and adapt and a punch in the face to the agile bs ! 🥊
Big fan of DEAD. Branding matters. Theater doesn’t. If you’re doing Agile for the ritual, not the reason, it’s time to let that version die.
One for Sanches Clarke to ponder
Love this article and the acronym Neil Walker 🔁 If you think Agile is DEAD then think again ;-) Agility is more alive then ever if you want to and understand what that really means. And there it often goes wrong. If leaders want to drive a thriving company that is relevant and fit for the future they should pause and reflect to what Agile really means.
Agility Strategist | 3 Decades of Change Leadership | Creator of CIRCA: A Framework for Complexity & Fast Flow
4moThank you for all the messages about this. Inspired I've written a follow-up article. Its just been published to here https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/agile-dead-rebirth-adaptability-business-neil-walker--darpe/