What Value Does An Agile Coach Bring? 

An Agile Coach is an effective leader who focuses on strengthening an organization’s ability to execute Agile practices. In an organization that has committed to following Agile practices, an Agile Coach will increase the likelihood of success.

Coaches frequently work across many teams, and 10 or more teams is not unusual. Being an expert in certain Agile practices, the coach identifies effective practices that work within this specific organization. No set of practices is ideal for all organizations, so the coach gets to know its inner workings, strengths, weaknesses, and personalities. Then, using this knowledge, the coach will introduce the right tools from the Agile suite of practices, teach other leaders such as Scrum Masters and Product Owners, and coach them to increasing levels of effectiveness. Therefore, it is necessary to work across many teams because the objective is organization-wide.

The central element of your question seems to make a possible distinction between a good leader and an Agile Coach. Well, good leadership skills are a prerequisite to becoming an Agile Coach. Agile is just a specialty within the leadership arena.

Could a good leader who is not an Agile expert do well? Effective leadership skills are always valuable. At the same time, if the goal is to bring the organization to greater agility, then the Agile Coach makes all the difference. They bring the ability to teach and problem-solve based on Agile’s proven practices.

To wrap up, I’ll make this comparison: What is more likely to bring success when an organization needs to strengthen its accounting, marketing, or sales practices? Hiring a strong leader? Or hiring a strong leader with accounting, marketing, or sales experience? That specialization, consistent with the organization’s needs, certainly makes a big difference. The same logic applies to Agile leadership.

Read more about managing Agile Teams here.