#AgileProtocol
Scott M. Graffius Recognized as a Top Thought Leader in Digital Disruption by Thinkers360
16 April 2025
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
Scott M. Graffius has been named a Top Thought Leader in Digital Disruption by Thinkers360. This prestigious recognition highlights his ongoing, impactful contributions to the rapidly evolving landscape of digital transformation, innovation, and future-focused leadership.
Digital Disruption and Its Impact
Digital disruption continues to reshape industries, business models, and customer expectations at unprecedented speed. Powered by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain, this transformation presents extraordinary challenges—and even greater opportunities—for organizations worldwide.
In this dynamic environment, thought leaders like Graffius play a vital role in providing clarity, strategic direction, and actionable insights to help businesses and leaders successfully navigate the accelerating pace of change.
Graffius' Ongoing Contributions
Scott M. Graffius has long been at the forefront of helping organizations thrive amidst digital disruption. His thought leadership spans AI, Agile, Project Management/PMO, innovation, and team development leadership—equipping companies with the tools, frameworks, and mindset needed to adapt and excel.
His written work is a testament to his influence:
Early reviews of Agile Protocol include, "Can’t believe no one’s done a satirical take on Agile before now. Glad Scott called out the madness and made it hilarious" and "A sharp, funny satire that sneaks legit Agile lessons into the hilarious story." Agile Protocol is a satirical adventure that doubles as a covert guide to Agile. It’s packed with insightful commentary on the misapplication of Agile, overcomplicated bureaucracy, and corporate cosplay—all wrapped in a fast-paced narrative that’s both entertaining and educational. It blends hilarious corporate parody with actionable Agile insights. It's a must-read for anyone interested or involved in Agile.
Thinkers360 Recognition and Continuing Leadership in Digital Innovation
The Thinkers360 recognition underscores Graffius’ growing influence as a thought leader in digital disruption and innovation. Through his speaking engagements, research, and writing—including Agile Protocol—Graffius continues to guide leaders and teams on how to embrace change, lead through disruption, and thrive in the future of work.
As organizations race to adapt to new technologies, shifting markets, and evolving cultural expectations, Graffius’ insights, resources, and sharp wit remain invaluable. His ability to make complex topics like Agile, AI, and transformation accessible, actionable, and even entertaining are some of the things that set him apart.
Read on for:
About Thinkers360
Thinkers360 is the world’s first, largest, and premier open platform for thought leaders and influencers. It covers academics, advisors, analysts, authors, consultants, executives, speakers, and others. Thinkers360’s patent-pending approach to rating thought leaders and influencers factors each candidate’s diverse contributions and content such as articles, books, media coverage, podcasts, social media, speaking events, videos, and more. Thinkers360’s reach includes over 100 million followers on social media combined.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius sparks breakthroughs in AI, agile, and project management/PMO leadership as a globally recognized practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and international public speaker.
Graffius has generated more than USD $1.9 billion in business value for organizations served, including Fortune 500 companies. Businesses and industries range from technology (including R&D and AI) to entertainment, financial services, and healthcare, government, social media, and more.
Graffius leads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded talent, and consulting services to public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™. Graffius is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
He is the author of three books.
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have featured Graffius and his work including content from his books, talks, workshops, and more. Select examples include:
Graffius has been actively involved with the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the development of professional standards. He was a member of the team which produced the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition. Graffius was a contributor and reviewer of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition, The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition, and The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition. He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
He divides his time between Los Angeles and Paris, France.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, April 16). Scott M. Graffius Recognized as a Top Thought Leader in Digital Disruption by Thinkers360. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/scott-m-graffius-recognized-as-a-thought-leader-in-digital-disruption-by-thinkers360-in-2025.html.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)
Content Acknowledgements
This article includes a brief excerpt from Thinkers360, attributed to Thinkers360 and used under fair use for news reporting and analysis.
Thinkers360 name and mark are the property of Thinkers360.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
Scott M. Graffius has been named a Top Thought Leader in Digital Disruption by Thinkers360. This prestigious recognition highlights his ongoing, impactful contributions to the rapidly evolving landscape of digital transformation, innovation, and future-focused leadership.
Digital Disruption and Its Impact
Digital disruption continues to reshape industries, business models, and customer expectations at unprecedented speed. Powered by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain, this transformation presents extraordinary challenges—and even greater opportunities—for organizations worldwide.
In this dynamic environment, thought leaders like Graffius play a vital role in providing clarity, strategic direction, and actionable insights to help businesses and leaders successfully navigate the accelerating pace of change.
Graffius' Ongoing Contributions
Scott M. Graffius has long been at the forefront of helping organizations thrive amidst digital disruption. His thought leadership spans AI, Agile, Project Management/PMO, innovation, and team development leadership—equipping companies with the tools, frameworks, and mindset needed to adapt and excel.
His written work is a testament to his influence:
- His first book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, received 17 awards for its clear, practical, and highly useful approach to Agile/Scrum.
- His second book, Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, was named by BookAuthority as one of the best Scrum books of all time.
- His newest release—and his first work of fiction—Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum was just released and is already creating buzz.
Early reviews of Agile Protocol include, "Can’t believe no one’s done a satirical take on Agile before now. Glad Scott called out the madness and made it hilarious" and "A sharp, funny satire that sneaks legit Agile lessons into the hilarious story." Agile Protocol is a satirical adventure that doubles as a covert guide to Agile. It’s packed with insightful commentary on the misapplication of Agile, overcomplicated bureaucracy, and corporate cosplay—all wrapped in a fast-paced narrative that’s both entertaining and educational. It blends hilarious corporate parody with actionable Agile insights. It's a must-read for anyone interested or involved in Agile.
Thinkers360 Recognition and Continuing Leadership in Digital Innovation
The Thinkers360 recognition underscores Graffius’ growing influence as a thought leader in digital disruption and innovation. Through his speaking engagements, research, and writing—including Agile Protocol—Graffius continues to guide leaders and teams on how to embrace change, lead through disruption, and thrive in the future of work.
As organizations race to adapt to new technologies, shifting markets, and evolving cultural expectations, Graffius’ insights, resources, and sharp wit remain invaluable. His ability to make complex topics like Agile, AI, and transformation accessible, actionable, and even entertaining are some of the things that set him apart.
Read on for:
- About Thinkers360,
- About Scott M. Graffius,
- How to Cite This Article,
- and more.
About Thinkers360
Thinkers360 is the world’s first, largest, and premier open platform for thought leaders and influencers. It covers academics, advisors, analysts, authors, consultants, executives, speakers, and others. Thinkers360’s patent-pending approach to rating thought leaders and influencers factors each candidate’s diverse contributions and content such as articles, books, media coverage, podcasts, social media, speaking events, videos, and more. Thinkers360’s reach includes over 100 million followers on social media combined.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius sparks breakthroughs in AI, agile, and project management/PMO leadership as a globally recognized practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and international public speaker.
Graffius has generated more than USD $1.9 billion in business value for organizations served, including Fortune 500 companies. Businesses and industries range from technology (including R&D and AI) to entertainment, financial services, and healthcare, government, social media, and more.
Graffius leads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded talent, and consulting services to public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™. Graffius is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
He is the author of three books.
- Graffius' first book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions (paperback ISBN-13: 9781533370242) (Kindle ebook ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY), received 17 awards.
- His second book is Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change (paperback ISBN-13: 9781072447962) (Kindle ebook ASIN: B07R9LJLPJ). BookAuthority named it one of the best Scrum books of all time.
- His third book—his first work of fiction—is Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum (Kindle ebook ASIN: B0F2SJ83WT) (Audible audiobook ASIN: B0DJG163R5). This article shares the news of its release.
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have featured Graffius and his work including content from his books, talks, workshops, and more. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Tennis Association,
- Veleučilište u Rijeci Croatia,
- Verizon,
- Virginia Tech,
- Warsaw University of Technology,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has been actively involved with the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the development of professional standards. He was a member of the team which produced the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition. Graffius was a contributor and reviewer of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition, The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition, and The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition. He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
He divides his time between Los Angeles and Paris, France.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, April 16). Scott M. Graffius Recognized as a Top Thought Leader in Digital Disruption by Thinkers360. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/scott-m-graffius-recognized-as-a-thought-leader-in-digital-disruption-by-thinkers360-in-2025.html.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)
Content Acknowledgements
This article includes a brief excerpt from Thinkers360, attributed to Thinkers360 and used under fair use for news reporting and analysis.
Thinkers360 name and mark are the property of Thinkers360.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
“Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum” Lands on the Amazon Best Sellers List!
17 April 2025
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
Amazon Influences How People Buy, Read, and Listen to Books
Founded on 5 July 1994, Amazon began as an online bookstore before expanding into one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the world. While the company now offers everything from cloud computing to groceries, books remain a cornerstone of its identity.
Amazon sells millions of books annually, offering titles across every genre and format—including print, eBooks, and audiobooks. The company played a pivotal role in reinvigorating the ebook market with the introduction of Kindle on 19 November 2007, making digital reading more accessible and convenient for millions of people around the world. Readers don’t need a Kindle device to enjoy these books—the free Kindle app allows users to read on their phones, tablets, and computers.
On 19 March 2008, Amazon expanded its reach in audio storytelling by acquiring Audible, the world’s leading producer and provider of audiobooks. Just like with Kindle, listeners don’t need an Audible device—audiobooks can be enjoyed via the Audible app on any smartphone, tablet, or computer.
With a vast and dynamic inventory, Amazon’s Best Sellers lists are updated hourly, reflecting real-time demand and reader interest. These rankings are driven by sales data, making them a powerful snapshot of what readers are buying at any given time.
Best Seller Rankings
Amazon's Best Sellers rankings reflect real-time sales data. As a result, books can move on the list quickly based on reader demand, often before reviews appear. Less than 1% of readers leave reviews for books in certain genres.1,2,3 Further, reviews can take up to 14 days or longer to post, and reviews from outside the US (e.g., from amazon.co.uk, amazon.fr, or amazon.co.jp) sometimes do not display on Amazon.com. So while a book’s early position on the list might seem ahead of its review count, it signals strong early sales and reader enthusiasm.
Agile Protocol Made the List!
Just days after its release, Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum by Scott M. Graffius has earned a spot on the Amazon Best Sellers list in IT Project Management.
A visual follows.
Praise for Agile Protocol
Readers looking for an entertaining and insightful take on Agile are driving this early momentum. Now’s a great time to discover what’s behind the buzz.
Here's an early review of Agile Protocol:
"A sharp, funny satire that sneaks legit Agile lessons into the hilarious story" — Review on Goodreads
Learn More about Agile Protocol
References
More
Read on for:
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius sparks breakthroughs in AI, agile, and project management/PMO leadership as a globally recognized practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and international public speaker.
Graffius has generated more than USD $1.9 billion in business value for organizations served, including Fortune 500 companies. Businesses and industries range from technology (including R&D and AI) to entertainment, financial services, and healthcare, government, social media, and more.
Graffius leads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded talent, and consulting services to public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™. Graffius is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
He is the author of three books.
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have featured Graffius and his work including content from his books, talks, workshops, and more. Select examples include:
Graffius has been actively involved with the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the development of professional standards. He was a member of the team which produced the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition. Graffius was a contributor and reviewer of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition, The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition, and The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition. He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
He divides his time between Los Angeles and Paris, France.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, April 17). "Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum" Lands on the Amazon Best Sellers List! Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/agile-protocol-the-transformation-ultimatum-lands-on-the-amazon-best-sellers-list.html.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)
Content Acknowledgements
This article includes a brief excerpt from Amazon, attributed to Amazon and used under fair use for news reporting and analysis.
Amazon name and mark are the property of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
Amazon Influences How People Buy, Read, and Listen to Books
Founded on 5 July 1994, Amazon began as an online bookstore before expanding into one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the world. While the company now offers everything from cloud computing to groceries, books remain a cornerstone of its identity.
Amazon sells millions of books annually, offering titles across every genre and format—including print, eBooks, and audiobooks. The company played a pivotal role in reinvigorating the ebook market with the introduction of Kindle on 19 November 2007, making digital reading more accessible and convenient for millions of people around the world. Readers don’t need a Kindle device to enjoy these books—the free Kindle app allows users to read on their phones, tablets, and computers.
On 19 March 2008, Amazon expanded its reach in audio storytelling by acquiring Audible, the world’s leading producer and provider of audiobooks. Just like with Kindle, listeners don’t need an Audible device—audiobooks can be enjoyed via the Audible app on any smartphone, tablet, or computer.
With a vast and dynamic inventory, Amazon’s Best Sellers lists are updated hourly, reflecting real-time demand and reader interest. These rankings are driven by sales data, making them a powerful snapshot of what readers are buying at any given time.
Best Seller Rankings
Amazon's Best Sellers rankings reflect real-time sales data. As a result, books can move on the list quickly based on reader demand, often before reviews appear. Less than 1% of readers leave reviews for books in certain genres.1,2,3 Further, reviews can take up to 14 days or longer to post, and reviews from outside the US (e.g., from amazon.co.uk, amazon.fr, or amazon.co.jp) sometimes do not display on Amazon.com. So while a book’s early position on the list might seem ahead of its review count, it signals strong early sales and reader enthusiasm.
Agile Protocol Made the List!
Just days after its release, Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum by Scott M. Graffius has earned a spot on the Amazon Best Sellers list in IT Project Management.
A visual follows.
Praise for Agile Protocol
Readers looking for an entertaining and insightful take on Agile are driving this early momentum. Now’s a great time to discover what’s behind the buzz.
Here's an early review of Agile Protocol:
"A sharp, funny satire that sneaks legit Agile lessons into the hilarious story" — Review on Goodreads
Learn More about Agile Protocol
Don’t have a Kindle device? No problem! You can read Agile Protocol (or any other Kindle ebook) on your phone, tablet, or computer with the free Kindle app from Amazon. Learn more and get the app here: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/fd/kcp.
Don’t have an Audible device? No problem! You can listen to Agile Protocol (or any other Audible audiobook) on your phone, tablet, or computer with the free Audible app. Learn more and get the app here: https://www.audible.com/apps.
References
- Chevalier, J. A.; & Mayzlin, D. (2020). The Impact of Online Reviews on Book Sales. Journal of Cultural Economics, 44 (3): 355–379.
- Greco, A. N. (2022). The Evolution of Book Reviews in the Digital Age. Publishing Research Quarterly, 38 (4): 621–635.
- Nielsen BookData. (2023). Global Book Consumer Trends 2023. Nielsen BookData.
More
Read on for:
- About Scott M. Graffius,
- How to Cite This Article,
- and more.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius sparks breakthroughs in AI, agile, and project management/PMO leadership as a globally recognized practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and international public speaker.
Graffius has generated more than USD $1.9 billion in business value for organizations served, including Fortune 500 companies. Businesses and industries range from technology (including R&D and AI) to entertainment, financial services, and healthcare, government, social media, and more.
Graffius leads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded talent, and consulting services to public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™. Graffius is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
He is the author of three books.
- Graffius' first book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions (paperback ISBN-13: 9781533370242) (Kindle ebook ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY), received 17 awards.
- His second book is Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change (paperback ISBN-13: 9781072447962) (Kindle ebook ASIN: B07R9LJLPJ). BookAuthority named it one of the best Scrum books of all time.
- His third book—his first work of fiction—is Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum (Kindle ebook ASIN: B0F2SJ83WT) (Audible audiobook ASIN: B0DJG163R5). This article shares the news of its release.
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have featured Graffius and his work including content from his books, talks, workshops, and more. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Tennis Association,
- Veleučilište u Rijeci Croatia,
- Verizon,
- Virginia Tech,
- Warsaw University of Technology,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has been actively involved with the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the development of professional standards. He was a member of the team which produced the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition. Graffius was a contributor and reviewer of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition, The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition, and The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition. He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
He divides his time between Los Angeles and Paris, France.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, April 17). "Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum" Lands on the Amazon Best Sellers List! Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/agile-protocol-the-transformation-ultimatum-lands-on-the-amazon-best-sellers-list.html.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)
Content Acknowledgements
This article includes a brief excerpt from Amazon, attributed to Amazon and used under fair use for news reporting and analysis.
Amazon name and mark are the property of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
The Problem with Heroes in Agile
09 May 2025
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
Introduction
In many organizations, heroism is celebrated. The person who stays late to finish a critical feature or who seemingly saves the sprint or deployment is often praised as indispensable. In Agile environments, however, that kind of heroism is often a red flag.
Agile values sustainable pace, team collaboration, and continuous improvement—not last-minute rescues. When a team depends on heroics to meet its goals, it’s likely a sign that something in the system is broken. This article explores why "heroes" can be a problem in Agile and what should be valued instead.
🚩 Why "Heroics" Are a Problem in Agile
1. Systemic Failure Indicator
If someone needs to stay up late or pull off a last-minute save, it’s typically not a sign of excellence—it’s a symptom of upstream failure. Maybe the sprint was overloaded or the team didn’t get the support or clarity they needed. Whatever the cause, relying on heroics signals that planning, process, or collaboration broke down.
2. Violation of Sustainable Pace
One of the core principles of Agile is maintaining a sustainable pace. The Agile Manifesto emphasizes sustainable development. A process that routinely requires people to go above and beyond, especially through long hours or high stress, can’t last. Burnout isn’t a theoretical concern; it’s a predictable outcome of unmanaged expectations and unchecked hero culture.
3. Masking Deeper Issues
Heroics often act as a smokescreen for larger dysfunctions. When one person is always stepping in to save the day, the team may be avoiding necessary conversations about:
If the "hero" keeps solving the symptoms, the root causes often go unaddressed, and the cycle repeats.
4. Knowledge Silos
Heroes frequently emerge because they hold critical knowledge or capabilities that others don’t. This creates dependency and undermines the Agile principle of shared ownership. If success hinges on one person, the team becomes fragile. What happens if that individual takes a vacation? Or burns out? Or leaves? High-performing Agile teams are resilient, not reliant.
5. False Sense of Success
A sprint that "succeeds" because one person pulled an all-nighter isn’t a real success. It’s a short-term win at the cost of long-term stability. These situations can distort metrics, mask delivery risks, and foster a misguided sense of performance. From the outside, everything looks fine—but it’s a brittle system waiting to break.
✅ What to Promote Instead
If heroics are a symptom of dysfunction, what does a healthy Agile practice look like? It resembles this:
1. Good Planning and Refinement
Teams need an appropriately-refined backlog, clear priorities, and achievable sprint goals. When the work is well understood and scoped appropriately, surprises decrease, and heroics become unnecessary.
2. Team Collaboration and Swarming
Work shouldn’t fall on one person. Promote collaboration through techniques like pair programming or swarming on high-priority items. Shared ownership reduces bottlenecks and increases collective learning.
3. Working at a Sustainable Pace
A consistent, manageable velocity is better than boom-and-bust cycles of burnout. Encourage teams to commit to what they can realistically deliver and improve incrementally.
4. Continuous Improvement and Retrospectives
Use retrospectives to identify root causes of stress, blockers, or missed work. Then take real action. Continuous improvement isn’t about putting out fires—it’s about building fire-resistant systems.
5. Cross-Functional Skill-Building
Encourage knowledge sharing and skill development. When teams invest in cross-training and mentoring, they become more adaptable and less dependent on individual heroes.
🧭 Final Thought
Agile should not require routine heroics. It’s about teams delivering value together in a sustainable, adaptable, and resilient way. When heroics are needed, they should prompt a deep look at what made them necessary.
So the next time someone "saves the day," ask: What system failure required that save in the first place? Then fix that.
More
Read on for…
Bibliography
Based on Scott M. Graffius' experience—and inspired by insights from Jim Highsmith’s Agile Project Management and other resources listed in the bibliography—this article explores why real agility emerges from adaptive, resilient teams and systems—not individual saviors.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius sparks breakthroughs in AI, agile, and project management/PMO leadership as a globally recognized practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and international public speaker.
Graffius has generated more than USD $2.3 billion in business value for organizations served, including Fortune 500 companies. Businesses and industries range from technology (including R&D and AI) to entertainment, financial services, and healthcare, government, social media, and more.
Graffius leads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded talent, and consulting services to public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™. Graffius is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
He is the author of three books.
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have featured Graffius and his work including content from his books, talks, workshops, and more. Select examples include:
Graffius has been actively involved with the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the development of professional standards. He was a member of the team which produced the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition. Graffius was a contributor and reviewer of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition, The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition, and The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition. He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
He divides his time between Los Angeles and Paris, France.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, May 9). The Problem with Heroes in Agile. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/problem-with-heroes-in-agile-by-scott-m-graffius.html.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)
Content Acknowledgements
Names and marks are the property of their respective owners.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
Introduction
In many organizations, heroism is celebrated. The person who stays late to finish a critical feature or who seemingly saves the sprint or deployment is often praised as indispensable. In Agile environments, however, that kind of heroism is often a red flag.
Agile values sustainable pace, team collaboration, and continuous improvement—not last-minute rescues. When a team depends on heroics to meet its goals, it’s likely a sign that something in the system is broken. This article explores why "heroes" can be a problem in Agile and what should be valued instead.
🚩 Why "Heroics" Are a Problem in Agile
1. Systemic Failure Indicator
If someone needs to stay up late or pull off a last-minute save, it’s typically not a sign of excellence—it’s a symptom of upstream failure. Maybe the sprint was overloaded or the team didn’t get the support or clarity they needed. Whatever the cause, relying on heroics signals that planning, process, or collaboration broke down.
2. Violation of Sustainable Pace
One of the core principles of Agile is maintaining a sustainable pace. The Agile Manifesto emphasizes sustainable development. A process that routinely requires people to go above and beyond, especially through long hours or high stress, can’t last. Burnout isn’t a theoretical concern; it’s a predictable outcome of unmanaged expectations and unchecked hero culture.
3. Masking Deeper Issues
Heroics often act as a smokescreen for larger dysfunctions. When one person is always stepping in to save the day, the team may be avoiding necessary conversations about:
- Inadequate collaboration;
- Lack of cross-functionality;
- Poor backlog refinement; or
- Weak technical practices.
If the "hero" keeps solving the symptoms, the root causes often go unaddressed, and the cycle repeats.
4. Knowledge Silos
Heroes frequently emerge because they hold critical knowledge or capabilities that others don’t. This creates dependency and undermines the Agile principle of shared ownership. If success hinges on one person, the team becomes fragile. What happens if that individual takes a vacation? Or burns out? Or leaves? High-performing Agile teams are resilient, not reliant.
5. False Sense of Success
A sprint that "succeeds" because one person pulled an all-nighter isn’t a real success. It’s a short-term win at the cost of long-term stability. These situations can distort metrics, mask delivery risks, and foster a misguided sense of performance. From the outside, everything looks fine—but it’s a brittle system waiting to break.
✅ What to Promote Instead
If heroics are a symptom of dysfunction, what does a healthy Agile practice look like? It resembles this:
1. Good Planning and Refinement
Teams need an appropriately-refined backlog, clear priorities, and achievable sprint goals. When the work is well understood and scoped appropriately, surprises decrease, and heroics become unnecessary.
2. Team Collaboration and Swarming
Work shouldn’t fall on one person. Promote collaboration through techniques like pair programming or swarming on high-priority items. Shared ownership reduces bottlenecks and increases collective learning.
3. Working at a Sustainable Pace
A consistent, manageable velocity is better than boom-and-bust cycles of burnout. Encourage teams to commit to what they can realistically deliver and improve incrementally.
4. Continuous Improvement and Retrospectives
Use retrospectives to identify root causes of stress, blockers, or missed work. Then take real action. Continuous improvement isn’t about putting out fires—it’s about building fire-resistant systems.
5. Cross-Functional Skill-Building
Encourage knowledge sharing and skill development. When teams invest in cross-training and mentoring, they become more adaptable and less dependent on individual heroes.
🧭 Final Thought
Agile should not require routine heroics. It’s about teams delivering value together in a sustainable, adaptable, and resilient way. When heroics are needed, they should prompt a deep look at what made them necessary.
So the next time someone "saves the day," ask: What system failure required that save in the first place? Then fix that.
More
Read on for…
- Bibliography
- About Scott M. Graffius
- How to Cite This Article
- And more
Bibliography
Based on Scott M. Graffius' experience—and inspired by insights from Jim Highsmith’s Agile Project Management and other resources listed in the bibliography—this article explores why real agility emerges from adaptive, resilient teams and systems—not individual saviors.
- ATACC Group (TAG) (2024). Experience Learning. Talk by emergency response physicians Dr. Mark Forrest and Dr. Halden Hutchinson-Bazely for TBS 24 Switzerland Conference. Available at: https://scanfoam.org/experience-learning-atacc/.
- CFO South Africa (2021, August 19). Webinar: Agile Leadership Unlocked [Video]. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJZiitw5tHo&t=359s.
- Farr, J. V., & Brazil, D. M. (2012, September 5). Leadership Skills Development for Engineers. In IEEE Engineering Management Review, 40 (3): 13-22.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2016). Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. North Charleston, SC: CreateSpace.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2018, October 18). Agile Scrum Helps Innovators, Disruptors, and Entrepreneurs Develop and Deliver Products at Astounding Speed Which Drives Competitive Advantage [Presentation]. Talk delivered at Techstars Startup Week Conference. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.25009.12647.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2019). Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change. Scotts Valley, CA: CreateSpace.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2021, February 27). Are You Realizing All the Benefits from Agile? [Video]. Talk at the Scottish Summit Technology Conference. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVxtgLHqFMk.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2021, October 5). Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility for Happier and More Productive Teams [Presentation]. Talk delivered at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE Day 2021 Conference. Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 10.13140/RG.2.2.20055.19365. DOI link: https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.20055.19365.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2024, September 10). Broadcom Features Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property. Available at: https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/broadcom.html.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2025, January 7). Scott M. Graffius’ Phases of Team Development: 2025 Update. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/phases-of-team-development-update-for-2025.html. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.33705.30564.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2025). Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum. Seattle, WA: Amazon Digital Services.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2018, April 29). The Importance of Managing Work in Progress (WIP). Available at: https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/Importance-of-Managing-Work-in-Progress-WIP-in-Scrum-Projects.html.
- Highsmith, Jim (2009). Agile Project Management: Creating Innovative Products—Second Edition. Addison-Wesley.
- Kerzner, Harold (2022). Innovation Project Management: Methods, Case Studies, and Tools for Managing Innovation Projects—Second Edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley.
- Morsa, Luigi (2022, July 7). Agile. Creativity. Innovation. Available at: https://blog.iil.com/agile-creativity-innovation/.
- Schleckser, Jim (2019, December 24). Why Heroic Efforts Are Damaging Your Company Growth. Inc. Available at: https://www.inc.com/jim-schleckser/why-heroic-efforts-are-damaging-your-company-growth.html.
- Somers, Meredith (2023, November 30). Our Top 5 'Working Definitions' of 2023. MIT Sloan School of Management. Available at: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/our-top-5-working-definitions-2023.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius sparks breakthroughs in AI, agile, and project management/PMO leadership as a globally recognized practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and international public speaker.
Graffius has generated more than USD $2.3 billion in business value for organizations served, including Fortune 500 companies. Businesses and industries range from technology (including R&D and AI) to entertainment, financial services, and healthcare, government, social media, and more.
Graffius leads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded talent, and consulting services to public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™. Graffius is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
He is the author of three books.
- Graffius' first book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions (paperback ISBN-13: 9781533370242) (Kindle ebook ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY), received 17 awards.
- His second book is Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change (paperback ISBN-13: 9781072447962) (Kindle ebook ASIN: B07R9LJLPJ). BookAuthority named it one of the best Scrum books of all time.
- His third book—his first work of fiction—is Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum (Kindle ebook ASIN: B0F2SJ83WT) (Audible audiobook ASIN: B0DJG163R5).
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have featured Graffius and his work including content from his books, talks, workshops, and more. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Tennis Association,
- Veleučilište u Rijeci Croatia,
- Verizon,
- Virginia Tech,
- Warsaw University of Technology,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has been actively involved with the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the development of professional standards. He was a member of the team which produced the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition. Graffius was a contributor and reviewer of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition, The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition, and The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition. He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
He divides his time between Los Angeles and Paris, France.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, May 9). The Problem with Heroes in Agile. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/problem-with-heroes-in-agile-by-scott-m-graffius.html.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)
Content Acknowledgements
Names and marks are the property of their respective owners.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.