Agile is an empty box

Agile has lost its soul. The soul lingers about finding a new home.

Agile is like an empty carcass. Something that in today’s world is meaningless. As a matter of fact, it is more related to failure than success as not many organisations can claim the adjective of being agile.

Agility, on the other hand, is still viable. Because it’s a quality and attitude that is attained through sense making practice. It could be saved. 

Making sense of the Agile principles and applying them in order to achieve or improve new ways of working is what going beyond agile is about.

Beyond Agile is a trip towards agility. And the way forward may be through lean, flow management, and theory of constraints. It’s evolving beyond agile principles, embracing a mindset for nimbleness.

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Author: Mario Aiello

Hi, I’m Mario – a retired agility warrior from a major Swiss bank, beyond agile explorer, lean thinker, former rugby player, and wishful golfer. What frustrates me most? Poor agile adoption, illusionary scaling, and the lack of true business agility. I believe agility should fit purpose, context, and practice – and continuously evolve. Active in the agile space since 2008, my consulting journey began in 2012, helping a digital identity unit adopt Scrum at team level. That work led to the design of an Agile Operating System for the entire organization. Today, as an independent consultant, I help organizations unlock sustainable agility – guided by adaptive intelligence: sensing challenges, learning fast, and adapting with purpose.