Leadership in agile software development methods

Abstract

There is a common agreement that Leadership is represented by two main ideas: direction and influence. The first related to the knowledge of where the organization should be oriented and the second with the capacity to mobilize others towards that direction. Recent research has rejected these assumptions, stating emphatically that the power of organizations and teams are not in these mythical figures (as the super leader), but in the knowledge shared by all its members. Thus, finding the right direction and success on the path undertaken shall not rest in the hands of one person, but in the capabilities of the entire group. This paper analyses how this approach to leadership can be observed in software development teams, specifically through agilists methods (Extreme Programming).