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AgileIT

In the realm of project management and software development, various methodologies have emerged, including Six Sigma (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control - DMAIC), , FMEA, Scrum, , Extreme Programming (XP), and Feature-Driven Development (FDD). Agile Kanban While proponents of each methodology often emphasize their uniqueness, a closer examination reveals that these methodologies share underlying principles and that the perceived disparities are often mere illusions. This article aims to explore the philosophical foundations that bind these methodologies, demonstrating that their variations serve primarily to perpetuate the belief in novelty. By uncovering their common principles, we can foster a deeper understanding and promote collaboration across these approaches. The Pursuit of Excellence: The Telos of Methodologies At the heart of all these methodologies lies the pursuit of excellence. Ancient philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle contemplated the notion of telos, the inherent purpose or goal of a thing. Similarly, these methodologies seek to improve processes, optimize outcomes, and achieve excellence in their respective domains. They share the recognition that constant refinement and the pursuit of perfection are crucial for success. Epistemology: The Foundation of Knowledge Epistemology, the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of knowledge, plays a vital role in these methodologies. They acknowledge that knowledge forms the bedrock upon which improvement is built. From John Locke's empiricism to Immanuel Kant's transcendental idealism, philosophers have explored different avenues to understand how we acquire knowledge and apply it to the world. Similarly, methodologies like Six Sigma (DMAIC), Agile, FMEA, Scrum, Kanban, XP, and FDD emphasize the value of data-driven decision-making, continuous learning, and leveraging insights from experience. They recognize that knowledge is dynamic and ever-evolving, driving progress and innovation. Ontology: Embracing Change and Uncertainty and ontology delve into the nature of reality, change, and existence. Ancient philosopher Heraclitus contended that change is constant and central to the nature of the universe. These methodologies align with this perspective, recognizing the inherent complexity and dynamism of projects and software development. Agile methodologies, such as Scrum, XP, and FDD, embrace change and uncertainty, advocating for iterative development, adaptive planning, and responsiveness to evolving requirements. Metaphysics They understand the importance of being adaptable and flexible in a swiftly changing environment. Ethics: Empowering People and Generating Worth The moral principles and the pursuit of value are central to these approaches. Renowned thinkers like Aristotle and John Stuart Mill have delved into ethics, underscoring the significance of virtuous behavior and the well-being of individuals. In a similar vein, these approaches place great emphasis on empowering people and fostering value creation. Agile methodologies prioritize the formation of self-managed teams, collaboration, and valuing individuals above strict processes and tools. They create an atmosphere that fosters respect, transparency, and collective responsibility. In this way, these approaches align with ethical principles and foster the growth of individuals and organizations. The Illusion of Methodological Difference The perceived differences among these methodologies often stem from superficial variations in terminology, practices, or contextual nuances. Some proponents may present their methodology as a groundbreaking revelation, perpetuating the illusion of distinctiveness. However, a comprehensive examination reveals that these methodologies are built upon shared principles and ideas. For example, Lean Six Sigma (DMAIC) incorporates principles from Six Sigma (DMAIC) and Lean manufacturing, recognizing the symbiotic relationship between process efficiency and quality improvement. Similarly, Crystal, Kanban, and Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM) share core principles with Agile methodologies, focusing on iterative development, collaboration, and delivering value to stakeholders. Image 1: The Six Sigma cycle Image 2: The Agile cycle Image 3: The Continuous Improvement cycle Waterfall, spiral and everything in between In the realm of software product development, agile methodologies have emerged as a significant trend. As software engineering gained attention from academia and industry experts, a compilation of practices known as waterfall methodology became the initial focus of discussion and evangelization. While the predominant discourse in software development process debates often centers around "waterfall vs. agile," it is important to recognize that these are not the only two methodologies that have existed. Although the concept of waterfall methodology did exist, it was not known by that term at its inception. The term "waterfall" emerged when it became evident that uncertainties and errors in early stages exponentially multiplied as subsequent phases progressed. Subsequently, the software development community introduced the concept of the "spiral" model, which allowed for slight iterations and adjustments in previous phases to accommodate changes in the development process. Another notable approach was the Rational Unified Process (RUP), which underwent several iterations aimed at incorporating agile principles. As an active participant in numerous panel discussions analyzing the merits and drawbacks of each approach, the consistent consensus reached was always focused on delivering maximum value to the customer and acknowledging the inevitability of change, requiring organizations to adapt accordingly. While agile methodologies have gained considerable attention in software development, it is crucial to acknowledge the historical progression from waterfall to spiral models, as well as the evolution of approaches like RUP. The fundamental objective remains consistent across methodologies: delivering exceptional value to customers and embracing the need for flexibility in the face of evolving requirements. Image 4: The Waterfall model Image 5: The spiral model Image 6: The Rational Unified Process model Consider the source and maintain your objective In the film "Devil's Advocate," during the climactic scene, Al Pacino, portraying the Devil, attempts to persuade Keanu Reeves' character that he, as the Devil, is the one to be followed, not God. Reeves responds with the phrase, "In the Bible, you lose," to which the Devil retorts, "Consider the source, son." There are undoubtedly circumstances in which strict adherence to a methodology is paramount. One such situation arises when a client imposes specific requirements. Others may include pursuing certification to enhance one's resume or fulfilling the prerequisite for participating in a bid process. The range of situations is extensive. Integration partners, service providers, certification courses, and consultant companies often emphasize the importance of methodology adherence. However, it is essential not to unquestioningly accept such assertions. Instead, consider the credibility and expertise of those offering advice. Question whether compliance is genuinely necessary. Seek the guidance of trusted individuals with sound judgment and market experience. If determined to be necessary, then proceed accordingly. Nevertheless, when the primary objective is to establish an effective team or streamline processes to consistently deliver value to your product and customers, look no further than the guiding principles. Remain steadfast in adhering to these principles. In the realm of software development, this entails embracing the Agile Manifesto. Within the Agile Manifesto lie the essential principles required to establish an efficient process that consistently delivers tangible value. Conclusion In conclusion, despite claims of novelty and distinctiveness, methodologies such as Six Sigma (DMAIC), Agile, FMEA, Scrum, Kanban, XP, FDD, and their counterparts share common ground. It is unnecessary to be preoccupied with adhering to any specific methodology, regardless of how enticing or fashionable it may appear. What truly matters is aligning with and adhering to the fundamental principles. By doing so, you can ensure your path to success, as ultimately, these principles converge and lead to similar outcomes. References: Aristotle. (2009). Nicomachean Ethics. Penguin Classics. Title: "The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook: A Quick Reference Guide to Nearly 100 Tools for Improving Quality and Speed" Author: Michael L. George, John Maxey, David T. Rowlands, Mark Price Title: "The Agile Manifesto" Authors: Mike Beedle, Arie van Bennekum, Alistair Cockburn, Ward Cunningham, Martin Fowler, im Highsmith, Andrew Hunt, Ron Jeffries, Jon Kern, Brian Marick, Robert C. Martin, Ken Schwaber, Jeff Sutherland, Dave Thomas Title: "The Agile Samurai" Authors: Jonathan Rasmusson Title: "Agile Experience Design: A Digital Designer's Guide to Agile, Lean, and Continuous (Voices That Matter)" Authors: Lindsay Ratcliffe, Marc McNeill Title: "Agile Project Management with Scrum" Author: Ken Schwaber Title: "The Philosophy Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained" Author: DK Title: "The Ethics of Aristotle" Author: Aristotle (Translated by J.A.K. Thomson) Title: "Utilitarianism: On Liberty, Essay on Bentham" Author: John Stuart Mill The lead image for this article was generated by HackerNoon's AI Image Generator via the prompt "man finding enlightenment"

The Unified Principles of Methodologies and the Illusion of Differences

Times are changing faster than we ever thought possible. It seems like every morning I wake up and there is a brand new revolutionary technology or political movement creating massive ripples in the world. As , and as leaders in general, we need to take the future very seriously. We live in a world that's changing at breakneck speed, and leadership has never been more crucial. entrepreneurs In business, things don’t stop moving, so if we can’t keep up and adapt on the fly, then our business is doomed. So as we gear up to dominate the next decade, we need to be aware of the challenges that lie ahead for leaders. It's time to strap on our boots and prepare ourselves to tackle the obstacles that are coming our way. , an HBS professor, I picked his brain about leadership. In my recent conversation with Bill George He has studied it his entire life and gave me a lot of insight into what it takes to make a great leader. One of the most interesting ideas we touched on that inspired me to write this week's newsletter, was the idea of the challenges leaders are going to face in the future. The world is changing at an unprecedented rate, and as a leader, it’s vital to keep a pulse on things that could be coming down the pipeline. So in this newsletter, I'm going to break down the most pressing challenges that leaders will face in the next ten years. From technological disruption to shifting demographics, we'll cover everything you need to know to stay ahead of the game. Buckle up, because it's time to get real about the future. Study The Past To Predict The Future As the futurist Alvin Toffler once proclaimed, "You've got to think about 'big things' while you're doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction." One way we can incorporate this wisdom is through a deep, immersive study of the past to make informed predictions about the future. Amid the dizzying speed of technological innovation, shifting market landscapes, and ever-evolving consumer preferences, it becomes crucial to take a step back and look to history. In a world that often seems besotted by the 'new,' remember that history often rhymes if it doesn't repeat itself. In fact, there are two salient reasons to for a better grip on the future: detecting patterns and trends, and gaining comprehensive contextual understanding. delve into the annals of history Unearthing Patterns and Trends Historical analysis serves as a treasure trove of patterns and trends that can provide us with invaluable insights. A systematic review of past events and data can arm us with the understanding of what strategies and approaches were effective and those that led to fiascos. Take, for instance, the infamous s. During this period, an insatiable investment frenzy in Internet-centric businesses led to a market situation where the emphasis on actual profitability was lost in the dust. Many of these businesses folded, leading to enormous financial losses. An analysis of this scenario reveals the perils of speculation, unsustainable growth expectations, and poor due diligence. Such knowledge is invaluable in spotting similar warning signs in emerging markets and enabling more prudent investment strategies. dot-com bubble of the late 1990 Gaining Holistic Contextual Understanding A secondary, yet equally important, benefit of historical study is contextual understanding. When we dissect past events and situations from different perspectives, we stand to gain a more nuanced view of the conditions that led to specific outcomes. By understanding the contextual intricacies, we can anticipate how a similar confluence of factors may precipitate comparable outcomes in the future. Take the example of the . A calamitous period in global economic history, the Depression was the result of a potent cocktail of factors: unfettered stock market speculation, widespread bank failures, and insufficient governmental checks and balances. Recognizing these as catalysts of a cataclysmic economic downturn, we can stay vigilant against policies that could potentially create a similar risk scenario. Great Depression of the 1930s The past serves as a powerful compass for the future. Its stories, lessons, and patterns help us navigate the complex landscape of the present and prepare us for the future. As Mark Twain said, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." By studying these historical rhymes, we can make more informed decisions and create a future that learns from the past rather than repeating it." What To Look Out For In The Future As we've navigated the lessons from the past, it's time to cast our gaze towards the future, specifically in the realms of business and leadership. The coming decade holds a multitude of challenges, and success will hinge on the ability to adapt to monumental shifts. Here are key trends you should watch as we navigate the tumultuous tides of change: Technological Disruption As we stand on the brink of a technological revolution, we face a future that's hurtling towards us at breakneck speed. Advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other emerging technologies are not merely twinkles on the horizon; they're meteor showers poised to reshape the landscape of business and leadership. They're driving us into a future where the only option is to adapt, innovate, and conquer. Navigating this labyrinth may seem daunting, but let's remember that within these challenges lie immense opportunities - golden threads woven into the very fabric of this disruption. It's about breaking free from the anchor of complacency and setting sail on the voyage of continuous learning, evolution, and growth. It's about turning these winds of change into the jetstream that propels us forward. Here's your compass: Fully immerse yourself in the waves of emerging technologies. Make it your business to understand these dynamic trends, not just as abstract concepts but as tangible tools of transformation. Dedicate time for learning sessions, tech-trend roundtables, and meaningful discussions with tech experts. As the adage goes, knowledge is power, and in this case, it's the power to propel us into the future. Dive into the Digital Deep-End: In the era of rapid technological change, the traditional playbooks of business strategy need to be rewritten. Instead of a culture that tiptoes around change, we need one that somersaults into it. Nurture an environment where teams are inspired to take calculated risks, experiment with new ideas, and see the potential of technology as a catapult rather than a cliff. Cultivate a Culture of Innovation: As the tech landscape evolves, so too must our skill sets. Partner with academic and professional institutions to develop personalized learning paths that cultivate the necessary skills within your teams. This not just equips them to ride the tech wave but also empowers them to be the wave-makers of the future. Equip Your Team for Tomorrow: Shifting Demographics With the turn of the century, we've seen the demographics of our world shift like pieces on a grand, global chessboard. An aging population in some regions, a youth surge in others, and cultural and ethnic diversities blossoming everywhere - these are not mere statistical changes. They are evolving narratives that hold the power to shape the marketplace of the future. As leaders, we need to take the pulse of these changes, understand the new rhythms, and adapt our strategies to the beats of these evolving demographics. It's about striking the right chord with our audience, not just echoing their sentiments but also resonating with their unarticulated needs and desires. Here's how we can orchestrate this: Stay acutely aware of the shifting demographic patterns, be it the changing age dynamics or cultural shifts. Listen to their stories, understand their unique needs, and tailor your products or services to fit snugly into their narratives. It's not just about market satisfaction; it's about crafting a customer experience that feels personal and purposeful. Get a Pulse on Your Audience: The diversifying cultural fabric of our world presents a beautiful mosaic of opportunities. Learn the intricate patterns, appreciate the uniqueness of each culture, and weave these insights into your organizational strategy. Fostering a diverse and inclusive team can be your guide here, enabling you to connect with a wider audience and open the floodgates of untapped markets. Embrace Globalization: Demographics are dynamic; they're the tides that shape the shorelines of our markets. Stay flexible and responsive to these changes. From altering your business model to customizing your strategies, keep your hands on the wheel of adaptability. In the end, the key to thriving in a shifting demographic landscape is not just about riding the wave, but learning to steer and shape it in your favor. Stay Agile: Climate Change As the sun rises on the 21st century, we find ourselves in an era where the call to action on climate change has never been louder or more urgent. The footprint of our businesses on this planet is casting a longer shadow than ever, making it imperative to step into the light of sustainability. What was once a moral and ethical responsibility has now become a critical business imperative. Ignoring it would be like turning a blind eye to the rising tide. Embracing it, on the other hand, opens doors to a new realm of possibilities - cleaner operations, sustainable solutions, and a future that is not just prosperous but also habitable. It's about steering our businesses from a short-term, profit-focused perspective to a long-term, sustainability-driven one. The green revolution is not coming; it's here. And here's how we can take the reins: Embed sustainability into the DNA of your business. From opting for renewable energy sources to reducing waste, there are myriad ways to transition into a greener business model. This won't just help shrink your carbon footprint, but also sprout opportunities for cost reduction and efficiency. Think Green, Act Green: As consumers become more conscious about their ecological footprint, businesses must meet them on this green pathway. Strive to design products and services that are not just high on quality but also low on environmental impact. It's not just about delivering to market demand; it's about paving the way for a sustainable future. Meet the Eco-Consumer: In the era of green innovation, keeping your eyes and ears open to the ground can give you a head start. Be it cleaner technology, sustainable supply chain practices, or eco-friendly packaging solutions, being informed can be the first step towards being innovative. Stay One Step Ahead: Globalization In the grand theater of business, the curtains have lifted on a new act - globalization. Our world has shrunk into a global village where businesses can traverse continents at the speed of a click. This new act, however, comes with its own set of rules and cues. Crossing borders is not just about geographical distances but also cultural gaps. It's about understanding foreign landscapes, respecting their nuances, and blending our strategies to fit these new molds. But let's remember that within these challenges lie untapped markets, potential partnerships, and a world of opportunities. It's about viewing the world through a wide-angle lens and turning the globe into your playground. Here's your playbook: The first step to playing the global game is understanding its rules. This involves getting a firm grasp on the laws and regulations of the international markets you wish to enter. Collaborating with local partners or hiring experts can serve as your guiding beacon, helping you navigate the complex maze of global business. Get Acquainted with the Rules: As businesses expand across borders, they must also expand their cultural understanding. This means cultivating cultural sensitivity, promoting clear and open communication, and celebrating the diversity that is intrinsic to the global marketplace. It's about building teams that are not just fluent in languages but also in cultures. Bridge the Cultural Divide: New markets are like uncharted territories waiting to be explored. Be proactive in identifying these opportunities, build robust networks with local businesses, and don't hesitate to venture into unfamiliar terrains. Globalization is not just about surviving in the global market; it's about flourishing and growing. Seize the Opportunity: Talent Management Talent management in today's rapidly evolving business landscape isn't just a strategic element - it is the cornerstone of organizational success. In an age where competition for top talent is fierce and retaining them is a Herculean task, it's about time we flip the script. Today's workforce isn't just hunting for good paychecks, they are yearning for purpose, growth, and recognition. It's about leading your company towards a horizon where talent is not just managed but celebrated, engaged, and inspired. Here's your map to the talent management territory: Creating a vibrant, inclusive culture is a surefire way to attract top talent. By fostering an environment that values creativity and innovation, you pave the way for a workforce that is not just productive but also dedicated. It's about building a workplace that is a melting pot of ideas, a platform for growth, and a harbinger of positivity. Craft a Compelling Culture: Employee engagement is the secret sauce that retains top talent. Encourage open dialogue, provide ample opportunities for skill development, and ensure a healthy work-life balance. It's about helping your employees feel a sense of belonging, a sense of achievement, and a sense of purpose. Keep the Engagement Meter High: Position your organization as an employer of choice. A strong employer brand that aligns with your company's core values can be a powerful talent attractor. It's about amplifying your strengths, sharing your success stories, and showcasing what sets you apart from the rest. Be a Talent Magnet: Cybersecurity In the digital realm where businesses are bolstered by technology, the dark shadow of cybersecurity threats looms large. Cybersecurity is no longer a mere item on the IT checklist - it is the very armor that can shield your business from dire consequences. In this era of frequent data breaches and sophisticated cyberattacks, keeping your cyber-guard up is not an option; it is a mandate. But let's not just view cybersecurity as a defense strategy; let's consider it as a robust foundation upon which a business can safely innovate, evolve, and thrive. Here's how to gear up: Your digital assets are the treasure troves that cybercriminals are after. Ensure they are fortified with state-of-the-art cybersecurity measures. From firewalls and encryption to timely security updates, make sure your digital fortress is impregnable. Safeguard Your Digital Fortress: Having a comprehensive incident response plan in place is a business imperative. From identifying the breach to containing the damage, your plan should be a well-choreographed sequence of actions that can minimize the impact of a cyberattack. Be Battle-Ready: Your employees are your first line of defense against cyber threats. Equip them with the knowledge and tools to recognize potential threats and respond promptly. After all, cybersecurity is not a one-time project; it's a constant endeavor. Empower Your Human Firewall: Wrap-Up The challenges that leaders will face in the next ten years are complex and diverse. To succeed in this ever-changing world, entrepreneurs must be nimble, flexible, and ready to adapt at the drop of a hat. But, with proper preparation and forward thinking, not only can you be ready to survive in the future, you can be ready to thrive in it. If you want to hear more about this, . He has a lifetime of knowledge and insights, and this conversation is one of my all-time favorites! be sure to check out the full conversation with Bill That’s it for now; thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this article, I’d love to hear from you. Reply to this email or at me and I'll do my best to get back to everyone! tweet @ScottDClary The lead image for this article was generated by HackerNoon's via the prompt "leaders on a mountain" AI Image Generator

The Biggest Challenges Leaders Are Going to Face in The Next 10 Years

পরবর্তী 10 বছরে নেতারা সবচেয়ে বড় চ্যালেঞ্জের মুখোমুখি হচ্ছেন

Die größten Herausforderungen, denen sich Führungskräfte in den nächsten 10 Jahren stellen müssen

Los mayores desafíos que enfrentarán los líderes en los próximos 10 años

Les plus grands défis auxquels les dirigeants seront confrontés au cours des 10 prochaines années

अगले 10 वर्षों में नेताओं को सबसे बड़ी चुनौतियों का सामना करना पड़ रहा है

リーダーが今後 10 年間に直面する最大の課題

향후 10년 동안 리더들이 직면하게 될 가장 큰 과제

Os maiores desafios que os líderes enfrentarão nos próximos 10 anos

Liderlerin Gelecek 10 Yılda Karşılaşacağı En Büyük Zorluklar

Những thách thức lớn nhất mà các nhà lãnh đạo sẽ phải đối mặt trong 10 năm tới

领导者在未来 10 年将面临的最大挑战

Everyone who’s reading this is out there grindin', always pushing your limits and searching for those game-changing moves to take your business to the next level. You're all about innovation, opportunity, and delivering that value to your customers, team, and stakeholders. But hold up. It feels like it’s all uphill. You might be feeling like your business isn't quite running the way you know it should/could be running. It’s times like these we need to pause and get real and ask ourselves, "Am I the one holding it back?" One of the biggest roadblocks I see is this: a lack of true, real, leadership. Leadership, is the art of influencing, guiding, and hyping up others to build something together. It's about setting a vision, prioritizing, sparking that fire, and building trust. Small startup or global powerhouse, it doesn't matter—leadership is the key to success. Without it, your business ain't gonna thrive, innovate, or hold its own in this fast-paced world. I had this , and her insights on leadership and company culture got me seriously inspired. It's a topic that needs more attention, so we're diving in, folks. amazing conversation with Dr. Kimberly Janson In this piece, we're gonna break down what makes a great leader, how to level up your leadership skills, and how to skyrocket your business to new heights. Ready? Let's get it! What is Leadership? This subject's been picked apart for centuries, but listen up, it's not just about calling the shots or making choices. Leadership is about influencing, guiding, and motivating your squad to crush those shared goals. It's a mix of traits, skills, and actions that let you fire up and steer your team, company, or community to win big. It's all about crafting a vision, setting priorities, sparking enthusiasm, and building trust. To be a leader that people will rally behind, you gotta clearly express your vision and goals, communicate like a pro, and be the driving force that empowers and inspires your team to take action. And let's be real, you also need the guts to make hard calls, adapt to change on the fly, and tackle obstacles like a boss. Seems like a tall order? Yeah, it is. That's why leadership can be such a tricky and touchy subject for many entrepreneurs. A lot of them like to think they're born "natural leaders," but they don't invest time in self-reflection or evaluating their leadership effectiveness. This is a critical exercise, because top-notch leadership can mean the difference between epic success and crashing and burning. Why Leadership Is Everything Let me break it down for you: You're the trailblazer, the goal-setter, the decision-maker, and the team motivator. leadership is the lifeblood of your entire operation. Whether you're a solopreneur, hustling in a startup, or running a corporate giant, there are four key reasons why you need to be a top-tier leader. Vision Crafting Laying out the vision is everything. You gotta paint that bright, shiny future and make sure your team is pumped to chase it. A clear, electrifying vision keeps your crew focused, amped, and all-in. Your vision should be bold, actionable, and meaningful. It's gotta vibe with your values, purpose, and mission, and resonate with your team, customers, and stakeholders. A killer vision builds a killer culture and gives everyone a sense of belonging and purpose. Staying Competitive Strong leadership keeps you ahead of the pack. A badass leader can lay down crystal-clear goals and communicate like a pro so everyone's on the same wavelength, grinding together towards those targets. This creates a culture where innovation, collaboration, and levelling up are the norm – all crucial for staying at the top of your game. The Talent Attractor Great leadership is a talent magnet. People wanna work for leaders who inspire, got their back, and are all about helping them shine. A true leader creates a positive, empowering atmosphere where employees feel valued, respected, and driven to give their best. This builds a loyal, committed team that's key to holding onto top talent and ensuring long-term success. Growth and Victory Last but not least, true, real, next-level leadership fuels growth and victory. A skilled leader makes the tough calls, rolls with the punches, and smashes through obstacles, helping their team and company unlock their full potential. They fire up and motivate their team to take action and build a culture of accountability where everyone delivers the results. Not Everyone's Born Ready to Lead Becoming a real leader isn't an overnight deal. It takes time, effort, and a dedication to personal growth. We all want to think we've got the confidence, charisma, and charm to lead, but the truth is, most of us need to work at it daily. when stepping into a leadership role. I've narrowed down a few key things to think about: There's a ton to consider Your personality influences your leadership style, communication skills, and problem-solving approach. Knowing your personality, strengths, and weaknesses helps you interact better with others and identify areas to improve. Personality Type: Your energy impacts your ability to lead. Great leaders need high energy, enthusiasm, and positivity to inspire and motivate their team. Prioritise your physical and mental health and maintain a solid work-life balance. Energy Levels: Communication is the backbone of leadership. Effectively articulating your vision and goals is vital. Good leaders listen actively, build rapport, and provide feedback. Enhance your communication skills to build trust, resolve conflicts, and make better decisions. Communication Skills: Knowing your motivation style is key. Some people thrive on rewards, while others need recognition, feedback, or growth opportunities. Understand your motivators and your team's to inspire, engage, and retain them. Motivation Style: Your ability to learn fast from experiences, failures, and successes is a game-changer. Being learning agile means adapting quickly to new info, changing direction, and pivoting when needed. Recognize patterns, make connections, and apply new knowledge in real-world situations. Agile leaders grow continuously and inspire their team to do the same.. Learning Agility: How to Become The Most Effective Leader Whether you're leading a duo or a two-hundred-strong crew. Leading ain't a one-stop shop - , where you gotta keep levelling up and learning the ropes. Ready to become a badass leader? Here's what you need to do to actually make it happen (we’re taking it a step deeper than just personality) it's a never-ending hustle Talk the Talk Clear communication is the backbone of real leadership. Make sure everyone on your team knows the score and what they gotta bring to the table. Lay out your vision, your goals, and your expectations, and invite your crew to be real with you. And don't forget to give feedback that's on-point and respectful. Get Emotionally Woke Emotional intelligence ain't just a buzzword, it's the key to unlocking your leadership potential. Be in tune with your own feelings and those of your team. Show you care, celebrate their wins, and you'll earn their trust and loyalty. Walk the Walk You're the head honcho, so your actions gotta be louder than your words. Be the real deal: honest, ethical, and transparent. Get your hands dirty, and your team will see you're all in for their success. That's how you create a kickass work culture. Ignite That Collab and Innovation Fire To really kill it in the business world, you gotta think outside the box. Spark that innovative spirit by getting your team to brainstorm, challenge each other, and vibe together. Embrace different perspectives and be open to new ideas, no matter how wild they seem. Level Up with a Growth Mindset To be a real leader, you gotta keep growing and evolving. In business, if you're not moving forward, you're going backwards. So, embrace that growth mindset and never stop learning. Encourage your team to do the same, and watch your empire rise. Be a Change Chameleon The business world's always shifting, so you gotta be agile and open-minded. Flexibility is the name of the game. Adaptability is your secret weapon for staying ahead and crushing the competition. Wrap-Up For way too long, leadership has been treated like some vague art form, undervalued and overlooked. People haven't been taught the skills they need to be a boss leader, and it's time to shake things up. Let's kick that old-school mindset to the curb and shed some light on what it really means to be a kickass leader. We're talking a total game-changer, where we define, measure, and develop leadership potential in a way that's deliberate and consistent. Being an A+ leader is all about knowing who you are, connecting and communicating with your team like a pro, expanding your mindset, and staying agile. Level up these skills, and I promise you, your business will soar to new heights! Wanna dig deeper into this and score some killer leadership tips? Check out my in-depth chat with . Dr. Janson That's all for now, folks. Catch you next week with more success stories to inspire your journey! If you enjoyed this article, I’d love to hear from you. Reply to this or tweet at me and I'll do my best to get back to everyone! email @ScottDClary The lead image for this article was generated by HackerNoon's via the prompt "a leader in front of an army". AI Image Generator

One of the Biggest Roadblocks is a Lack of True, Real, Leadership

The Beasts of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . Betrayed Betrayed The two savages, Kaviri and Mugambi, squatting before the entrance to Kaviri’s hut, looked at one another—Kaviri with ill-concealed alarm. “What is it?” he whispered. “It is Bwana Tarzan and his people,” replied Mugambi. “But what they are doing I know not, unless it be that they are devouring your people who ran away.” Kaviri shuddered and rolled his eyes fearfully toward the jungle. In all his long life in the savage forest he had never heard such an awful, fearsome din. Closer and closer came the sounds, and now with them were mingled the terrified shrieks of women and children and of men. For twenty long minutes the blood-curdling cries continued, until they seemed but a stone’s throw from the palisade. Kaviri rose to flee, but Mugambi seized and held him, for such had been the command of Tarzan. A moment later a horde of terrified natives burst from the jungle, racing toward the shelter of their huts. Like frightened sheep they ran, and behind them, driving them as sheep might be driven, came Tarzan and Sheeta and the hideous apes of Akut. Presently Tarzan stood before Kaviri, the old quiet smile upon his lips. “Your people have returned, my brother,” he said, “and now you may select those who are to accompany me and paddle my canoe.” Tremblingly Kaviri tottered to his feet, calling to his people to come from their huts; but none responded to his summons. “Tell them,” suggested Tarzan, “that if they do not come I shall send my people in after them.” Kaviri did as he was bid, and in an instant the entire population of the village came forth, their wide and frightened eyes rolling from one to another of the savage creatures that wandered about the village street. Quickly Kaviri designated a dozen warriors to accompany Tarzan. The poor fellows went almost white with terror at the prospect of close contact with the panther and the apes in the narrow confines of the canoes; but when Kaviri explained to them that there was no escape—that Bwana Tarzan would pursue them with his grim horde should they attempt to run away from the duty—they finally went gloomily down to the river and took their places in the canoe. It was with a sigh of relief that their chieftain saw the party disappear about a headland a short distance up-river. For three days the strange company continued farther and farther into the heart of the savage country that lies on either side of the almost unexplored Ugambi. Three of the twelve warriors deserted during that time; but as several of the apes had finally learned the secret of the paddles, Tarzan felt no dismay because of the loss. As a matter of fact, he could have travelled much more rapidly on shore, but he believed that he could hold his own wild crew together to better advantage by keeping them to the boat as much as possible. Twice a day they landed to hunt and feed, and at night they slept upon the bank of the mainland or on one of the numerous little islands that dotted the river. Before them the natives fled in alarm, so that they found only deserted villages in their path as they proceeded. Tarzan was anxious to get in touch with some of the savages who dwelt upon the river’s banks, but so far he had been unable to do so. Finally he decided to take to the land himself, leaving his company to follow after him by boat. He explained to Mugambi the thing that he had in mind, and told Akut to follow the directions of the black. “I will join you again in a few days,” he said. “Now I go ahead to learn what has become of the very bad white man whom I seek.” At the next halt Tarzan took to the shore, and was soon lost to the view of his people. The first few villages he came to were deserted, showing that news of the coming of his pack had travelled rapidly; but toward evening he came upon a distant cluster of thatched huts surrounded by a rude palisade, within which were a couple of hundred natives. The women were preparing the evening meal as Tarzan of the Apes poised above them in the branches of a giant tree which overhung the palisade at one point. The ape-man was at a loss as to how he might enter into communication with these people without either frightening them or arousing their savage love of battle. He had no desire to fight now, for he was upon a much more important mission than that of battling with every chance tribe that he should happen to meet with. At last he hit upon a plan, and after seeing that he was concealed from the view of those below, he gave a few hoarse grunts in imitation of a panther. All eyes immediately turned upward toward the foliage above. It was growing dark, and they could not penetrate the leafy screen which shielded the ape-man from their view. The moment that he had won their attention he raised his voice to the shriller and more hideous scream of the beast he personated, and then, scarce stirring a leaf in his descent, dropped to the ground once again outside the palisade, and, with the speed of a deer, ran quickly round to the village gate. Here he beat upon the fibre-bound saplings of which the barrier was constructed, shouting to the natives in their own tongue that he was a friend who wished food and shelter for the night. Tarzan knew well the nature of the black man. He was aware that the grunting and screaming of Sheeta in the tree above them would set their nerves on edge, and that his pounding upon their gate after dark would still further add to their terror. That they did not reply to his hail was no surprise, for natives are fearful of any voice that comes out of the night from beyond their palisades, attributing it always to some demon or other ghostly visitor; but still he continued to call. “Let me in, my friends!” he cried. “I am a white man pursuing the very bad white man who passed this way a few days ago. I follow to punish him for the sins he has committed against you and me. “If you doubt my friendship, I will prove it to you by going into the tree above your village and driving Sheeta back into the jungle before he leaps among you. If you will not promise to take me in and treat me as a friend I shall let Sheeta stay and devour you.” For a moment there was silence. Then the voice of an old man came out of the quiet of the village street. “If you are indeed a white man and a friend, we will let you come in; but first you must drive Sheeta away.” “Very well,” replied Tarzan. “Listen, and you shall hear Sheeta fleeing before me.” The ape-man returned quickly to the tree, and this time he made a great noise as he entered the branches, at the same time growling ominously after the manner of the panther, so that those below would believe that the great beast was still there. When he reached a point well above the village street he made a great commotion, shaking the tree violently, crying aloud to the panther to flee or be killed, and punctuating his own voice with the screams and mouthings of an angry beast. Presently he raced toward the opposite side of the tree and off into the jungle, pounding loudly against the boles of trees as he went, and voicing the panther’s diminishing growls as he drew farther and farther away from the village. A few minutes later he returned to the village gate, calling to the natives within. “I have driven Sheeta away,” he said. “Now come and admit me as you promised.” For a time there was the sound of excited discussion within the palisade, but at length a half-dozen warriors came and opened the gates, peering anxiously out in evident trepidation as to the nature of the creature which they should find waiting there. They were not much relieved at sight of an almost naked white man; but when Tarzan had reassured them in quiet tones, protesting his friendship for them, they opened the barrier a trifle farther and admitted him. When the gates had been once more secured the self-confidence of the savages returned, and as Tarzan walked up the village street toward the chief’s hut he was surrounded by a host of curious men, women, and children. From the chief he learned that Rokoff had passed up the river a week previous, and that he had horns growing from his forehead, and was accompanied by a thousand devils. Later the chief said that the very bad white man had remained a month in his village. Though none of these statements agreed with Kaviri’s, that the Russian was but three days gone from the chieftain’s village and that his following was much smaller than now stated, Tarzan was in no manner surprised at the discrepancies, for he was quite familiar with the savage mind’s strange manner of functioning. What he was most interested in knowing was that he was upon the right trail, and that it led toward the interior. In this circumstance he knew that Rokoff could never escape him. After several hours of questioning and cross-questioning the ape-man learned that another party had preceded the Russian by several days—three whites—a man, a woman, and a little man-child, with several Mosulas. Tarzan explained to the chief that his people would follow him in a canoe, probably the next day, and that though he might go on ahead of them the chief was to receive them kindly and have no fear of them, for Mugambi would see that they did not harm the chief’s people, if they were accorded a friendly reception. “And now,” he concluded, “I shall lie down beneath this tree and sleep. I am very tired. Permit no one to disturb me.” The chief offered him a hut, but Tarzan, from past experience of native dwellings, preferred the open air, and, further, he had plans of his own that could be better carried out if he remained beneath the tree. He gave as his reason a desire to be close at hand should Sheeta return, and after this explanation the chief was very glad to permit him to sleep beneath the tree. Tarzan had always found that it stood him in good stead to leave with natives the impression that he was to some extent possessed of more or less miraculous powers. He might easily have entered their village without recourse to the gates, but he believed that a sudden and unaccountable disappearance when he was ready to leave them would result in a more lasting impression upon their childlike minds, and so as soon as the village was quiet in sleep he rose, and, leaping into the branches of the tree above him, faded silently into the black mystery of the jungle night. All the balance of that night the ape-man swung rapidly through the upper and middle terraces of the forest. When the going was good there he preferred the upper branches of the giant trees, for then his way was better lighted by the moon; but so accustomed were all his senses to the grim world of his birth that it was possible for him, even in the dense, black shadows near the ground, to move with ease and rapidity. You or I walking beneath the arcs of Main Street, or Broadway, or State Street, could not have moved more surely or with a tenth the speed of the agile ape-man through the gloomy mazes that would have baffled us entirely. At dawn he stopped to feed, and then he slept for several hours, taking up the pursuit again toward noon. Twice he came upon natives, and, though he had considerable difficulty in approaching them, he succeeded in each instance in quieting both their fears and bellicose intentions toward him, and learned from them that he was upon the trail of the Russian. Two days later, still following up the Ugambi, he came upon a large village. The chief, a wicked-looking fellow with the sharp-filed teeth that often denote the cannibal, received him with apparent friendliness. The ape-man was now thoroughly fatigued, and had determined to rest for eight or ten hours that he might be fresh and strong when he caught up with Rokoff, as he was sure he must do within a very short time. The chief told him that the bearded white man had left his village only the morning before, and that doubtless he would be able to overtake him in a short time. The other party the chief had not seen or heard of, so he said. Tarzan did not like the appearance or manner of the fellow, who seemed, though friendly enough, to harbour a certain contempt for this half-naked white man who came with no followers and offered no presents; but he needed the rest and food that the village would afford him with less effort than the jungle, and so, as he knew no fear of man, beast, or devil, he curled himself up in the shadow of a hut and was soon asleep. Scarcely had he left the chief than the latter called two of his warriors, to whom he whispered a few instructions. A moment later the sleek, black bodies were racing along the river path, up-stream, toward the east. In the village the chief maintained perfect quiet. He would permit no one to approach the sleeping visitor, nor any singing, nor loud talking. He was remarkably solicitous lest his guest be disturbed. Three hours later several canoes came silently into view from up the Ugambi. They were being pushed ahead rapidly by the brawny muscles of their black crews. Upon the bank before the river stood the chief, his spear raised in a horizontal position above his head, as though in some manner of predetermined signal to those within the boats. And such indeed was the purpose of his attitude—which meant that the white stranger within his village still slept peacefully. In the bows of two of the canoes were the runners that the chief had sent forth three hours earlier. It was evident that they had been dispatched to follow and bring back this party, and that the signal from the bank was one that had been determined upon before they left the village. In a few moments the dugouts drew up to the verdure-clad bank. The native warriors filed out, and with them a half-dozen white men. Sullen, ugly-looking customers they were, and none more so than the evil-faced, black-bearded man who commanded them. “Where is the white man your messengers report to be with you?” he asked of the chief. “This way, bwana,” replied the native. “Carefully have I kept silence in the village that he might be still asleep when you returned. I do not know that he is one who seeks you to do you harm, but he questioned me closely about your coming and your going, and his appearance is as that of the one you described, but whom you believed safe in the country which you called Jungle Island. “Had you not told me this tale I should not have recognized him, and then he might have gone after and slain you. If he is a friend and no enemy, then no harm has been done, bwana; but if he proves to be an enemy, I should like very much to have a rifle and some ammunition.” “You have done well,” replied the white man, “and you shall have the rifle and ammunition whether he be a friend or enemy, provided that you stand with me.” “I shall stand with you, bwana,” said the chief, “and now come and look upon the stranger, who sleeps within my village.” So saying, he turned and led the way toward the hut, in the shadow of which the unconscious Tarzan slept peacefully. Behind the two men came the remaining whites and a score of warriors; but the raised forefingers of the chief and his companion held them all to perfect silence. As they turned the corner of the hut, cautiously and upon tiptoe, an ugly smile touched the lips of the white as his eyes fell upon the giant figure of the sleeping ape-man. The chief looked at the other inquiringly. The latter nodded his head, to signify that the chief had made no mistake in his suspicions. Then he turned to those behind him and, pointing to the sleeping man, motioned for them to seize and bind him. A moment later a dozen brutes had leaped upon the surprised Tarzan, and so quickly did they work that he was securely bound before he could make half an effort to escape. Then they threw him down upon his back, and as his eyes turned toward the crowd that stood near, they fell upon the malign face of Nikolas Rokoff. A sneer curled the Russian’s lips. He stepped quite close to Tarzan. “Pig!” he cried. “Have you not learned sufficient wisdom to keep away from Nikolas Rokoff?” Then he kicked the prostrate man full in the face. “That for your welcome,” he said. “Tonight, before my Ethiop friends eat you, I shall tell you what has already befallen your wife and child, and what further plans I have for their futures.” About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Edgar Rice Burroughs (1993). The Beasts of Tarzan. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/85/pg85-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html .

The Two Savages

Beyond Lies the Wub by Philip K. Dick, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . BEYOND LIES THE WUB here BEYOND LIES THE WUB The slovenly wub might well have said: Many men talk like philosophers and live like fools. THEY had almost finished with the loading. Outside stood the Optus, his arms folded, his face sunk in gloom. Captain Franco walked leisurely down the gangplank, grinning. "What's the matter?" he said. "You're getting paid for all this." The Optus said nothing. He turned away, collecting his robes. The Captain put his boot on the hem of the robe. "Just a minute. Don't go off. I'm not finished." "Oh?" The Optus turned with dignity. "I am going back to the village." He looked toward the animals and birds being driven up the gangplank into the spaceship. "I must organize new hunts." Franco lit a cigarette. "Why not? You people can go out into the veldt and track it all down again. But when we run out halfway between Mars and Earth—" The Optus went off, wordless. Franco joined the first mate at the bottom of the gangplank. "How's it coming?" he said. He looked at his watch. "We got a good bargain here." The mate glanced at him sourly. "How do you explain that?" "What's the matter with you? We need it more than they do." "I'll see you later, Captain." The mate threaded his way up the plank, between the long-legged Martian go-birds, into the ship. Franco watched him disappear. He was just starting up after him, up the plank toward the port, when he saw it. "My God!" He stood staring, his hands on his hips. Peterson was walking along the path, his face red, leading it by a string. "I'm sorry, Captain," he said, tugging at the string. Franco walked toward him. "What is it?" The wub stood sagging, its great body settling slowly. It was sitting down, its eyes half shut. A few flies buzzed about its flank, and it switched its tail. It sat. There was silence. "It's a wub," Peterson said. "I got it from a native for fifty cents. He said it was a very unusual animal. Very respected." "This?" Franco poked the great sloping side of the wub. "It's a pig! A huge dirty pig!" "Yes sir, it's a pig. The natives call it a wub." "A huge pig. It must weigh four hundred pounds." Franco grabbed a tuft of the rough hair. The wub gasped. Its eyes opened, small and moist. Then its great mouth twitched. A tear rolled down the wub's cheek and splashed on the floor. "Maybe it's good to eat," Peterson said nervously. "We'll soon find out," Franco said. THE wub survived the take-off, sound asleep in the hold of the ship. When they were out in space and everything was running smoothly, Captain Franco bade his men fetch the wub upstairs so that he might perceive what manner of beast it was. The wub grunted and wheezed, squeezing up the passageway. "Come on," Jones grated, pulling at the rope. The wub twisted, rubbing its skin off on the smooth chrome walls. It burst into the ante-room, tumbling down in a heap. The men leaped up. "Good Lord," French said. "What is it?" "Peterson says it's a wub," Jones said. "It belongs to him." He kicked at the wub. The wub stood up unsteadily, panting. "What's the matter with it?" French came over. "Is it going to be sick?" They watched. The wub rolled its eyes mournfully. It gazed around at the men. "I think it's thirsty," Peterson said. He went to get some water. French shook his head. "No wonder we had so much trouble taking off. I had to reset all my ballast calculations." Peterson came back with the water. The wub began to lap gratefully, splashing the men. Captain Franco appeared at the door. "Let's have a look at it." He advanced, squinting critically. "You got this for fifty cents?" "Yes, sir," Peterson said. "It eats almost anything. I fed it on grain and it liked that. And then potatoes, and mash, and scraps from the table, and milk. It seems to enjoy eating. After it eats it lies down and goes to sleep." "I see," Captain Franco said. "Now, as to its taste. That's the real question. I doubt if there's much point in fattening it up any more. It seems fat enough to me already. Where's the cook? I want him here. I want to find out—" The wub stopped lapping and looked up at the Captain. "Really, Captain," the wub said. "I suggest we talk of other matters." The room was silent. "What was that?" Franco said. "Just now." "The wub, sir," Peterson said. "It spoke." They all looked at the wub. "What did it say? What did it say?" "It suggested we talk about other things." Franco walked toward the wub. He went all around it, examining it from every side. Then he came back over and stood with the men. "I wonder if there's a native inside it," he said thoughtfully. "Maybe we should open it up and have a look." "Oh, goodness!" the wub cried. "Is that all you people can think of, killing and cutting?" Franco clenched his fists. "Come out of there! Whoever you are, come out!" Nothing stirred. The men stood together, their faces blank, staring at the wub. The wub swished its tail. It belched suddenly. "I beg your pardon," the wub said. "I don't think there's anyone in there," Jones said in a low voice. They all looked at each other. The cook came in. "You wanted me, Captain?" he said. "What's this thing?" "This is a wub," Franco said. "It's to be eaten. Will you measure it and figure out—" "I think we should have a talk," the wub said. "I'd like to discuss this with you, Captain, if I might. I can see that you and I do not agree on some basic issues." The Captain took a long time to answer. The wub waited good-naturedly, licking the water from its jowls. "Come into my office," the Captain said at last. He turned and walked out of the room. The wub rose and padded after him. The men watched it go out. They heard it climbing the stairs. "I wonder what the outcome will be," the cook said. "Well, I'll be in the kitchen. Let me know as soon as you hear." "Sure," Jones said. "Sure." THE wub eased itself down in the corner with a sigh. "You must forgive me," it said. "I'm afraid I'm addicted to various forms of relaxation. When one is as large as I—" The Captain nodded impatiently. He sat down at his desk and folded his hands. "All right," he said. "Let's get started. You're a wub? Is that correct?" The wub shrugged. "I suppose so. That's what they call us, the natives, I mean. We have our own term." "And you speak English? You've been in contact with Earthmen before?" "No." "Then how do you do it?" "Speak English? Am I speaking English? I'm not conscious of speaking anything in particular. I examined your mind—" "My mind?" "I studied the contents, especially the semantic warehouse, as I refer to it—" "I see," the Captain said. "Telepathy. Of course." "We are a very old race," the wub said. "Very old and very ponderous. It is difficult for us to move around. You can appreciate that anything so slow and heavy would be at the mercy of more agile forms of life. There was no use in our relying on physical defenses. How could we win? Too heavy to run, too soft to fight, too good-natured to hunt for game—" "How do you live?" "Plants. Vegetables. We can eat almost anything. We're very catholic. Tolerant, eclectic, catholic. We live and let live. That's how we've gotten along." The wub eyed the Captain. "And that's why I so violently objected to this business about having me boiled. I could see the image in your mind—most of me in the frozen food locker, some of me in the kettle, a bit for your pet cat—" "So you read minds?" the Captain said. "How interesting. Anything else? I mean, what else can you do along those lines?" "A few odds and ends," the wub said absently, staring around the room. "A nice apartment you have here, Captain. You keep it quite neat. I respect life-forms that are tidy. Some Martian birds are quite tidy. They throw things out of their nests and sweep them—" "Indeed." The Captain nodded. "But to get back to the problem—" "Quite so. You spoke of dining on me. The taste, I am told, is good. A little fatty, but tender. But how can any lasting contact be established between your people and mine if you resort to such barbaric attitudes? Eat me? Rather you should discuss questions with me, philosophy, the arts—" The Captain stood up. "Philosophy. It might interest you to know that we will be hard put to find something to eat for the next month. An unfortunate spoilage—" "I know." The wub nodded. "But wouldn't it be more in accord with your principles of democracy if we all drew straws, or something along that line? After all, democracy is to protect the minority from just such infringements. Now, if each of us casts one vote—" The Captain walked to the door. "Nuts to you," he said. He opened the door. He opened his mouth. He stood frozen, his mouth wide, his eyes staring, his fingers still on the knob. The wub watched him. Presently it padded out of the room, edging past the Captain. It went down the hall, deep in meditation. THE room was quiet. "So you see," the wub said, "we have a common myth. Your mind contains many familiar myth symbols. Ishtar, Odysseus—" Peterson sat silently, staring at the floor. He shifted in his chair. "Go on," he said. "Please go on." "I find in your Odysseus a figure common to the mythology of most self-conscious races. As I interpret it, Odysseus wanders as an individual, aware of himself as such. This is the idea of separation, of separation from family and country. The process of individuation." "But Odysseus returns to his home." Peterson looked out the port window, at the stars, endless stars, burning intently in the empty universe. "Finally he goes home." "As must all creatures. The moment of separation is a temporary period, a brief journey of the soul. It begins, it ends. The wanderer returns to land and race...." The door opened. The wub stopped, turning its great head. Captain Franco came into the room, the men behind him. They hesitated at the door. "Are you all right?" French said. "Do you mean me?" Peterson said, surprised. "Why me?" Franco lowered his gun. "Come over here," he said to Peterson. "Get up and come here." There was silence. "Go ahead," the wub said. "It doesn't matter." Peterson stood up. "What for?" "It's an order." Peterson walked to the door. French caught his arm. "What's going on?" Peterson wrenched loose. "What's the matter with you?" Captain Franco moved toward the wub. The wub looked up from where it lay in the corner, pressed against the wall. "It is interesting," the wub said, "that you are obsessed with the idea of eating me. I wonder why." "Get up," Franco said. "If you wish." The wub rose, grunting. "Be patient. It is difficult for me." It stood, gasping, its tongue lolling foolishly. "Shoot it now," French said. "For God's sake!" Peterson exclaimed. Jones turned to him quickly, his eyes gray with fear. "You didn't see him—like a statue, standing there, his mouth open. If we hadn't come down, he'd still be there." "Who? The Captain?" Peterson stared around. "But he's all right now." They looked at the wub, standing in the middle of the room, its great chest rising and falling. "Come on," Franco said. "Out of the way." The men pulled aside toward the door. "You are quite afraid, aren't you?" the wub said. "Have I done anything to you? I am against the idea of hurting. All I have done is try to protect myself. Can you expect me to rush eagerly to my death? I am a sensible being like yourselves. I was curious to see your ship, learn about you. I suggested to the native—" The gun jerked. "See," Franco said. "I thought so." The wub settled down, panting. It put its paw out, pulling its tail around it. "It is very warm," the wub said. "I understand that we are close to the jets. Atomic power. You have done many wonderful things with it—technically. Apparently, your scientific hierarchy is not equipped to solve moral, ethical—" Franco turned to the men, crowding behind him, wide-eyed, silent. "I'll do it. You can watch." French nodded. "Try to hit the brain. It's no good for eating. Don't hit the chest. If the rib cage shatters, we'll have to pick bones out." "Listen," Peterson said, licking his lips. "Has it done anything? What harm has it done? I'm asking you. And anyhow, it's still mine. You have no right to shoot it. It doesn't belong to you." Franco raised his gun. "I'm going out," Jones said, his face white and sick. "I don't want to see it." "Me, too," French said. The men straggled out, murmuring. Peterson lingered at the door. "It was talking to me about myths," he said. "It wouldn't hurt anyone." He went outside. Franco walked toward the wub. The wub looked up slowly. It swallowed. "A very foolish thing," it said. "I am sorry that you want to do it. There was a parable that your Saviour related—" It stopped, staring at the gun. "Can you look me in the eye and do it?" the wub said. "Can you do that?" The Captain gazed down. "I can look you in the eye," he said. "Back on the farm we had hogs, dirty razor-back hogs. I can do it." Staring down at the wub, into the gleaming, moist eyes, he pressed the trigger. THE taste was excellent. They sat glumly around the table, some of them hardly eating at all. The only one who seemed to be enjoying himself was Captain Franco. "More?" he said, looking around. "More? And some wine, perhaps." "Not me," French said. "I think I'll go back to the chart room." "Me, too." Jones stood up, pushing his chair back. "I'll see you later." The Captain watched them go. Some of the others excused themselves. "What do you suppose the matter is?" the Captain said. He turned to Peterson. Peterson sat staring down at his plate, at the potatoes, the green peas, and at the thick slab of tender, warm meat. He opened his mouth. No sound came. The Captain put his hand on Peterson's shoulder. "It is only organic matter, now," he said. "The life essence is gone." He ate, spooning up the gravy with some bread. "I, myself, love to eat. It is one of the greatest things that a living creature can enjoy. Eating, resting, meditation, discussing things." Peterson nodded. Two more men got up and went out. The Captain drank some water and sighed. "Well," he said. "I must say that this was a very enjoyable meal. All the reports I had heard were quite true—the taste of wub. Very fine. But I was prevented from enjoying this pleasure in times past." He dabbed at his lips with his napkin and leaned back in his chair. Peterson stared dejectedly at the table. The Captain watched him intently. He leaned over. "Come, come," he said. "Cheer up! Let's discuss things." He smiled. "As I was saying before I was interrupted, the role of Odysseus in the myths—" Peterson jerked up, staring. "To go on," the Captain said. "Odysseus, as I understand him—" About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Philip K. Dick (2009). Beyond Lies the Wub. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022, https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/28554/pg28554-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html .

BEYOND LIES THE WUB

It’s time for the next generation of Scrum: no Sprints needed. If you’re a small cross-functional team aiming to quickly deliver working value to your customer, pick the number one business and user need and build it. Get feedback, adjust, and release. Then pick the next one. Just deliver. Don’t throw in whatever a [time box] can fit. It’s not a container – it’s the lowest risk period of time teams try to manage. If you think the more tasks you throw in, the higher the chance to release – you won’t deliver anything. Waterfall One can only understand Sprint Planning and time-boxed Sprints if one has worked in a pure waterfall project that lasted, let’s say, a year and a half before anything was released. What is released at the end of such a cycle is basically a new product, almost completely incompatible with the previous version. The release notes are five pages long (that no one reads), and it takes another year to get existing customers accustomed to new versions. Most customers are unlikely to upgrade because the minor inconveniences a new release fixes isn’t worth the investment. I remember one of the most impressive presentations about Agile Transformations. Large enterprise virtualization company. They used to release a new version once every two years. But the average time a customer used to get a new version with a change request of theirs in it was … wait for it .. four years. Because, just like enterprise vendors, enterprise customers are not agile. It was impressive because they managed – the vendor – to transform and went all Scrum after months of training and experimentation. At the time of the presentation, they had teams that had started releasing directly to their customers every two weeks. Good Sprint Four years versus two weeks – that’s the power of Scrum when done with the right intentions and the right way. What is the right way? Decide and commit on all levels. The risk mitigation superpowers of the time-boxed Sprints are based on simple mathematics and faith in destiny. You need to be a little superstitious to make it work. Remember – if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. Murphy’s law Now, don’t get me wrong (unintended) – this is not about fear. This is about being reasonable. Information technologies are the fastest industry today. It’s one of the most complex ecosystems. There are tons of dependencies agile teams navigate through every day, most of them unplanned. You need while dealing with the inevitable daily surprises. practices to help you be productive There’s another famous law – a deficiency in any one of a number of factors dooms an endeavour to failure. Consequently, a successful endeavour (subject to this principle) is one for which every possible deficiency has been avoided. And here’s the question – to make sure your endeavour is going to be successful? for how long can you avoid every possible deficiency Can you make sure that all internal and external dependencies to your product and team – people, tools, resources, world economy —  will remain stable and in a condition favouring your goals for six months, one year, two years? No, you can’t. That’s why here comes Scrum with its safety net of time-boxed Sprints. One to three weeks sounds foreseeable, feasible, and low risk. We might try to get all conditions in place to deliver high-value and high-quality to our customers within two weeks or less. Sounds achievable, right? We have the time to consider the risks and continuously get feedback on customers’ top needs. The developers confirm they understand those top priorities and have everything they need to implement and deliver as expected. The expectation is to work and to receive it sooner than four years. Release early and release often. Once you master this, remove the Sprints and release earlier and more often – several times a day, for example. Sprints enable to happen at all. continuous delivery Scrum and Sprint Planning are a good step toward limiting and avoiding the risks of delays, not delivering at all, rework and waste and throwing months of work in the bin because no customer will get it. What’s sadder – no customer might need it anymore at the time we release it already if there were no Sprints. Bad Sprint The problems with Sprints begin when we start mixing Time and Space. And instead of perceiving “time-boxed” as a limit for time, we interpret it as a container for tasks and start throwing as many tasks in the “box” as it can fit and some more on top in case we finish some earlier. As if it has ever happened. And this is when our Scrum fails. Еngineers are not superstitious. They are opportunistic. They believe nothing can ever go wrong, and their plans are foolproof. They don’t believe in risk. That’s what lets them drive world innovation and technology but this approach has some downsides. The worst thing we can do in Sprint Planning is to initiate it with the question, “How many tasks can we fit in this Sprint?” This is the root cause of all evil we’re witnessing in Product and Engineering management nowadays. It doesn’t matter how many tasks your team they can do in one Sprint. What matters is which task they can get done that your customer can begin using at the end of the sprint. thinks If you don’t have a strong Product Goal turned into Useful, Meaningful, Feasible, Releasable that your team can commit to delivering with , and if you don’t have a clear vision and mechanisms how to handle the that will inevitably occur during the Sprint, your Sprint Planning is useless and a waste of time. descriptions of users’ needs first high quality unplanned deficiencies Throwing tens of items in that box doesn’t increase the chance to . at least release something On the contrary, it’s a sure way to failure and team demoralisation. There are two scenarios for bad Sprints. The one above is the most common occurrence – trying to add as many work items in the Sprint as the suggests. Have you noticed how we never plan as many stories as is the average velocity despite the Velocity charts? We always add more. velocity I cannot count how many times I’ve heard: “Oh, we have for some more story points. Which tasks should we add?” a capacity “Let’s leave some for bug-fixing.” capacity “Nah, let’s Sprint, and we can always the ones at the bottom if we see we can’t complete them at the meeting.” plan the whole remove grooming Guess how the Sprint ends. We manage to get a couple of tasks done, 18 stories are to the next Sprint, and 6 are moved back to the backlog. almost moved That’s why it’s called a backlog – it’s the log of everything we moved back. The other scenario of Sprint Planning failure is when the . This is actually the best thing if it’s on purpose, but when it is because the product manager does everything except figuring out what the most important features, fixes, and improvements are, which we should do first in order to meet customer expectations, grow our business and advance with our technology, this is a symptom of a burned-out product manager, wasted team effort and motivation, and irritated stakeholders. This is when the product manager gets fired. product backlog is almost empty The Next Generation Scrum We need new Scrum terminology for the 2025 edition to get people to get it. Let’s try to reimagine the next generation of Scrum: Timebox becomes . Low-Risk High-Efficiency – Streamlined E.g., The daily meetings are streamlined. The Sprint becomes good old because, with Sprints, we forget to build and get feedback and then build and get feedback again until the user is happy and we’ve reached our goals. Iteration iterate – E.g., What customer value are we going to deliver this iteration? Rather than sprinting (literally being in a rush because it’s a huge story) and coding for five Sprints and eventually caring to get feedback. That’s not agile. The Product Backlog should be straightened to because apparently, repeating a thousand times that the Product Backlog should be ordered by priorities is not enough. That’s why we should start talking only about Product (Business, Customer) Priorities. It implies thinking about what’s most essential and game-changing for the business compared to a To-Do list with random notes. Priorities E.g., Which are our top priorities as a company? No Sprints. Just deliver. Now, we clarified that all that matters is the company’s strategic goals, the business development plans, the customer needs, the technology evolution, and the product vision – we have to just start working on them. the Priorities – Which one to choose? Which one is the top priority? I like the idea of the one that will make the most significant difference – in quality and quantity. The one that will enable the . The one that will open the largest market expansion. The one that will bring more customers. In terms of quality, it’s called (appropriateness, completeness, correctness). highest growth Functional Suitability The one that will and increase your product (maturity, availability, fault tolerance, recoverability) and Performance Efficiency. If your system had a significant downtime last month, then you need to invest in your infrastructure – also Reliability. retain all customers Reliability The one that will offload customer success teams so they can really focus on success . instead of support. The quality characteristic to make this happen is (learnability, operability, user error protection) Usability The one that will make the product (modularity, reusability, analysability, modifiability, testability) more efficient. That’s the one that will of bug-fixing, lower the regression risk, and by enabling continuous delivery. Maintainability reduce the cost speed up the releases It might be that the last big feature was heavily delayed because of unforeseen regression issues. Then the one you should probably prioritise is cleaning tech debt and heavy refactoring. It will again increase your maintainability. There will be a few items in that priority list that are equally important. The prioritisation strategies differ depending on your business context at the moment. It might be that a big fish customer is knocking on your door. Then you’d go with the new big feature they are waiting for. This is the of your product. And the entire Team should start working on it together. Functional Appropriateness Whatever your current product situation is, account for it and always lean on the one that increases the quality of your product and service. It’s always the right choice. Once you decide what your goals are, it gets easy. . Let them think and ideate, let them draw and scratch, let them get loud, let them play, let them build features they are proud of, you are proud of, and your customers are recommending. Let them deliver your five-stars product to your thousands of happy customers. Gather the entire team together and let them create You don’t need Sprints to do that. You need a clear vision and Priorities. Decide. Commit. Succeed. Also published . here

The Next Generation of Scrum: No Sprints Needed. Just Deliver

Let’s start with technologies. Virtual reality makes a difference in multiple industries. Automotive front-runners use it to conduct engineering reviews of a vehicle and spot flaws before spending huge sums on manufacturing; healthcare professionals learn how to operate by applying VR-based apps; police officers conduct simulations to train personnel briskly make critical decisions. No wonder the global market size of AR/VR is forecasted to reach in 2028. $250 billion Another technology that is also gaining momentum ― By 2030, the number of delivered units will boost by tenfold and comprise . With their help, aerospace organizations create parts for plane interiors or elements for satellites, medical institutions make organ replicas, and even the food industry utilizes it to print meals for gourmets! 3D printing. 21.5 million So, no surprise that companies constantly contribute to staying current with emerging trends and infuse them into their roadmaps to efficiently attain set objectives. However, to function as intended, software solutions with such complex technologies at the core require proper QA and testing support. To build an effective testing strategy in the year ahead, I suggest considering the top 7 industry trends, which I’ll focus on in the two parts of the article. So, let’s cut to the chase. Trend 1. Stick to sustainable quality engineering Delivering tech at speed and within budget isn’t the only business objective anymore. Today, companies are making a big step towards wasting fewer resources by ensuring higher quality from the get-go, in other words ― green quality engineering. According to the World Quality Report, 2022-23 (WQR), which interviewed 1,750 IT executives, the most vivid advantages of following this practice are: better brand image, enhanced consumer and supplier loyalty, improved total revenue, and refined customer satisfaction. Although organizations test for energy and resource effectiveness, usability, performance efficiency, modularity, and reusability, only 54% of them possess accurately defined sustainability requirements. Currently, companies consider that the best ways to improve their resource usage are, for instance, cloud technology for test environments, optimized test data, performance testing, and test automation. And these are for sure good options. In addition to these measures, organizations can: to ensure high software quality from the early SDLC stages, make it a shared responsibility, and prevent defects rather than fix them. Focus more on shift-left testing Gauge environmental impacts due to configuring software performance monitoring solutions. to set up a more resource-intensive way of implementing the application. Push forward sustainability since the design stage Trend 2. Support emerging technologies with quality engineering Emerging technologies play a vital role in driving operational efficiencies as they create smarter systems that can improve performance across any industry. Just have a look: already today, nanotechnology helps us design materials with outstanding, self-healing capabilities; quantum computing development brings us closer to performing data processing at skyrocketed speed; the present-day work on green hydrogen will help us reach net zero gas emissions in the future. Isn’t that great? According to , we’ll witness the rise of... Gartner sustainable technology that possess the characteristics of an app, a platform, and an ecosystem superapps cloud platforms. My thoughts are also that will continue to stay a prominent trend in the years to come. However, it’s vital to first fully understand it, and only then gradually delegate responsibilities to this technology. artificial intelligence (AI) While the WQR states that in the years to come, organizations will bet on such pivotal technologies as blockchain and Web 3.0, digital twins, 3D printing, quantum computing, and the metaverse. The report also shows that the interviewed companies expect that these novel trends will help them reach seamless user experience (66%), significantly enhance test environment and data management (61%), and speed up processes without compromising software quality (59%). Considering the overall complexity of these evolving solutions, are required to cope with modern software development effectively: blockchain, cybersecurity, cloud computing, embedded systems, big data and analytics, AI/ML, and telecommunications. specific skills In addition, without a well-thought-out strategy for ensuring the quality of IT products with these tech novelties at the core, organizations confront cybersecurity threats, grow slowly, and struggle to attain business needs. To prevent that from happening and release top-tier software, it’s possible for companies to: Focus on proficient in decentralization and other high-priority dimensions. engaging high-skilled QA engineers Make to infuse security practices from the earliest development stages. a shift to DevSecOps Design to ensure successful implementation. a detailed quality engineering strategy Trend 3. Briskly reach business objectives with test automation The organizations surveyed by the WQR mentioned (48%), (47%), (46%), and (45%). that test automation positively impacts development requirements functional testing integration testing The WQR also states that it is still challenging for companies to set up automated workflows because of insufficient efforts spent on designing a fit-for-purpose strategy and the lack of its integration into the development process. Because of these factors, they attain the expected benefits only half the time. To increase the efficiency of automated testing, try to concentrate on the following high-priority steps: who know your business well and possess vast technical, communication, and organizational skills. Hire seasoned test automation experts Carefully considering the scope, tooling, environment, test data, etc., to make it successful. plan the implementation strategy Build a test automation approach beginning at to obtain value as early as possible. the requirements development phase Systematically to promptly change or configure them according to the project situation. make sure that tools and frameworks are efficient Consider the plans related to for years to come, for instance, the integration with third-party services or the expansion of supported platforms. It will help optimize testing efforts from the get-go and simplify the usage of automated workflows. further product development Trend 4. Measure and manage the value outcomes No matter what innovations you’d like to introduce or trends to follow, I suggest keeping in mind that their application must be appropriate and beneficial. And here’s when value stream management is of help for quality assurance. The WQR respondents marked that their QA activities aim to attain (49%), (45%), and (42%). business assurance and ensure end-user experience support all team members to achieve higher quality protect brand image and QA automation To improve QA function within Agile or DevOps projects, almost every time, the majority of the surveyed companies apply which I find highly effective. This is the process of analyzing work and information flows to determine the most and least valuable items and further adjust the workflows to optimize product delivery and meet end-user expectations. a value stream mapping technique, While doing so, organizations stick to such significant principles as relying on quality engineering to improve each stream (66%), gauging each stream’s value (62%), enhancing their contribution (59%). To provide better control over the value of the software development process, companies may: Rely on so that each team member can monitor progress in real time, identify areas for improvement, and make quick, well-considered decisions. value dashboards Make sure that all project stakeholders of quality assurance activities. are aware of business objectives and define the expected outcome specific to each project and verify that software testing results are linked to these indicators. Determine value indicators Please find out more about other impactful QA trends that will shape the industry and help generate greater value for your customers in Part 2 of the article.

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