No one questions a Product Owner authority

No one questions a Product Owner’s authority. They decide priorities, manage stakeholders, and ensure the team works on the most valuable outcomes. Their ability to make tough calls is what drives product success.

But when we talk about the Scrum Master’s authority, the conversation changes. Why?

Scrum Masters are accountable for team effectiveness. That means upholding Scrum, causing the removal of impediments, and challenging dysfunction, or just taking action. Yet too often, they are expected to do this purely through persuasion.

Influence matters, but it’s not always enough. Sometimes, a Scrum Master needs to say “No, this isn’t how we work” or “This is blocking our ability to deliver value”—and have the authority to act on it.

If we accept that a Product Owner must have authority to fulfil their accountability, why do we question it for Scrum Masters?

Let’s stop treating Scrum Masters as passive facilitators. Their role is just as critical in ensuring agility.

Does your organisation recognise this?