Scrum Masters: Why Influence Alone May Not Be Enough

The idea that Scrum Masters should lead only through influence sounds noble—but in many organisations, it’s also naive.

Influence works when teams and leadership are already aligned. But what happens when they’re not? When teams reject Agile principles, leadership prioritises control over agility, or dysfunction is deeply embedded?

At some point, persuasion isn’t enough. A Scrum Master must be able to remove blockers, challenge bad practices, and uphold Scrum—not just suggest improvements and hope for the best.

If your Scrum Master has no authority to enforce the framework, to say “No, we don’t work like that,” or to hold teams accountable, what’s the point?

Scrum isn’t about soft influence. It’s about creating real, sustainable agility. That requires leadership backed by action, not just good intentions.

Where does your organisation stand on this?