The Human Side of Enterprise Agility

  Agile   Strategy  

Part of the Enterprise Agility Executive Voices Series

Enterprise agility is often framed through strategy, operating models, and transformation. But beneath these structural shifts is a simpler truth: agility is powered by people. The PMI Agile Alliance Manifesto for Enterprise Agility recognizes that adaptive organizations depend not just on new ways of working, but on new ways of leading, collaborating, and making decisions. 

This shift moves organizations away from command-and-control toward cultures built on trust, empowerment, learning, and shared ownership. It means making room for diverse perspectives, pushing decisions closer to the work, and strengthening the human capabilities technology cannot replace. 

To explore this human dimension, PMI interviewed executives across industries about the people-related factors that enable—or hinder—enterprise agility. The quotes that follow offer a candid view of the leadership behaviors, mindsets, and organizational conditions that help people thrive in a complex, fast-changing world.

1. Lead Through People, Not Control 

Johan Roos, Hult International Business School, Executive Advisor & Co-inventor LEGO® Serious Play®: “It’s about ensuring that people come with you rather than telling people to come with you. A leader’s&…

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