Lead the organization agility actually requires.
Agile teams need agile leadership above them, or the transformation stalls at the team boundary. CAL 1 gives executives and leaders the mindset, models, and practices to lead complexity instead of managing around it.
About the course
CAL 1 is a 2-day live training for leaders and executives who need their organization to operate differently, not just their teams.
You and your cohort work through case studies and complexity-thinking exercises built around real leadership challenges, not theoretical scenarios. You'll bring your own organizational situations into the room and leave with concrete approaches, not just concepts.
This is the prerequisite for CAL II and the Scrum Alliance's foundational agile leadership credential.
What you’ll learn
CAL 1 changes how you think about leading, not just what you know about agile.
• Apply complexity thinking to decisions that don't have a single right answer
• Design organizational structures that enable agility instead of fighting it
• Build the culture conditions that let self-organizing teams actually self-organize
• Use the Cynefin framework to match your leadership response to the situation
• Coach and influence rather than direct, without losing accountability
• Bring your own organizational challenge into the room and leave with a real approach
What's covered
Two days. Leadership mindset and organizational design. The class runs through case studies and complexity exercises, applying every concept to challenges you bring into the room.
Day 1
• The leader's role in creating culture for organizational agility
• Complexity thinking and the Cynefin framework
• Organizational design: structure, governance, and flow
• Personal, situational, and social awareness for leaders
Day 2
• Scaling agile practices across multiple teams
• Using the empirical process to support a learning organization
• Applying case studies to your own organizational challenge
• Building your leadership action plan
What you need to bring
A good appreciation of agile concepts, but no certification required.
• No prior certification required
• Helpful: some exposure to agile teams or transformation efforts
• Virtual sessions: set up Zoom and Mural (instructions provided)
Right for you if you are…
• An executive or senior leader sponsoring an agile transformation
• A manager leading multiple teams who needs the organizational layer, not just team mechanics
• An agile coach who needs leadership buy-in and wants to speak the leader's language
• A leader who has watched agile stall above the team level and wants to know why
• Anyone preparing for CAL II who needs the prerequisite first
Your Instructor
Dave is an acclaimed Scrum and Agile trainer, dedicated to helping individuals master Scrum methodologies for their personal growth and improved project management skills. His engaging and practical training approach empowers individuals to embrace an Agile mindset, driving their professional development and effectiveness in various team environments.
Everything included
• CAL 1 certification
• 2-year Scrum Alliance membership
• 16 PDUs (PMI) + 16 SEUs (Scrum Alliance)
• Access to IncrementOne's alumni coaching support platform, including community forums
• Course workbook and all in-class case study materials
• Pre- and post-course curated reading and video resources
Learn how AI supports leadership decisions under complexity
AI as a leadership thinking partner
When there's no playbook for the situation in front of you, AI can help you stress-test options and surface blind spots before you commit the organization to a direction.
Know where AI informs, and where you decide
AI can model scenarios and summarize trade-offs across an ambiguous decision. It can't carry the accountability of the decision or read the political reality of your organization. This course is explicit about that boundary.
AI prompt library examples
Structure Your Thinking
CONTEXT: {Describe your situation in 2-3 sentences: who you are, what the organisation or initiative is, what the challenge is.}
TASK: {What do you need the AI to do?}
THINK THROUGH IT STEP BY STEP:
First, {STEP 1}
Then, {STEP 2}
Finally, {STEP 3}
OUTPUT: {Format, length, what to include.}
Make It Real
CONTEXT: I lead a division with 3 departments reporting into me. One department consistently delivers ahead of schedule while the other two are overloaded and missing commitments. I suspect the resourcing model is the problem, not the people.
TASK: Help me diagnose whether this is a resourcing issue or something deeper in how we've structured accountability.
THINK THROUGH IT STEP BY STEP:
First, identify the most likely structural causes of uneven load across departments that report to one leader.
Then, suggest 3 diagnostic questions I should investigate with each department head.
Finally, propose 2 rebalancing approaches with trade-offs, including the political cost of each.
OUTPUT: Diagnosis framework + 2 options I can bring to my leadership team. Under 250 words.
Trusted by 2,000+ alumni
"Dave is a great trainer who created an engaging and adaptive learning environment. The course was thoughtfully designed and filled with aha moments, even for seasoned professionals. There was room to explore topics in more depth, and Dave skilfully adjusted to the group's needs, allowing for the co-creation of a meaningful learning experience. Thank you for four excellent days with valuable insights!"
"Loved the course! Learned a lot about how to be a great leader in agile, which was my goal in attending. We learned new frameworks that opened my mind to think about things differently. I feel like I have a refreshed take on agile and tactics I can use to improve our team."
