Growing beyond Scrum Master

For a Scrum Master who wants to develop, it is a great option to focus on the Senior Scrum Master role. This role involves working with several teams, handling complex projects, and mentoring other Scrum Masters. A Senior Scrum Master is not just a facilitator but a strategic leader who influences decision-making at a higher level.

To get there:

• strengthen your skills in multi-team management;
• enhance your knowledge of agile frameworks;
• and concentrate on developing strong leadership capabilities.

Becoming an Agile coach is often a natural evolution for a Scrum Master. It is a position where you focus from individual teams to the wider organization. Agile Coaches work to foster agile culture throughout the organization, they help not only for the teams but also for leadership to adopt and optimize agile practices.It's a role that requires strong communication skills, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of agility beyond Scrum itself.

To get there:

• invest time in learning various agile methodologies, such as Kanban or Lean;
• develop your coaching skills to work effectively with teams, stakeholders, and executives.

Moving on to the Product Owner role is another route that can be taken. The focus of Scrum Masters is on the process while the Product Owners are more concerned with the product. They contribute to maximizing the product value by maintaining the product backlog and confirming that the team is doing the right thing. For those Scrum Masters passionate about customer needs, business value, and product development, this career path can be very rewarding.

To get there:

• expand your knowledge of product management, business analysis;
• develop you customer-centric thinking and feedback loops incorporation;
• gain stakeholder management expertise.

A Delivery Manager is responsible for the oversight of the teams to make sure that they consistently produce quality work in a timely manner. When experienced Scrum Masters take care of the facilitating process, Delivery Managers deal with the challenges of how to make delivery faster and remove blockers at a broader, often cross-functional, level.This role is perfect for those with a passion for optimizing both team performance and technical workflows.

To get there:

• gain experience in end-to-end delivery ownership and managing delivery pipelines, resource allocation, and performance metrics across teams;
• know how to manage interpersonal dynamics across teams, handle escalations, and resolve conflicts quickly;
• identify and mitigate risks, manage dependencies.

Scrum Masters working in complex, enterprise environments based on the SAFe framework may decide on trying the roles of Release Train Engineer (RTE) or Solution Train Engineer (STE). The RTE manages a single ART, while the STE coordinates the work across multiple ARTs.

To get there:

• develop a deep understanding of SAFe framework, experience in multi-team coordination, and strong facilitation skills.
• at the solution level, and develop strong leadership and coordination skills across multiple teams. Gaining experience in large-scale agile implementations and complex project environments will also be essential.

For those who set high goals, the experience of a Scrum Master can be translated into leadership positions such as Head of Agile Practices, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), or even Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The ability to apply system thinking, lead teams, encourage collaboration, and execute strategic change is extremely valuable.

To get there:

• cultivate strategic thinking;
• gain a solid understanding of business operations;
• and continually refine your leadership skills.

Some Scrum Masters opt to stretch their wings into the world of consulting or teaching. For example, as an Agile Consultant or Scrum Trainer, you may share your knowledge with various organizations and help them introduce and develop agile practices. This function is beneficial for those who enjoy teaching, public speaking, and reaching various businesses.

To get there:

• deepen your knowledge of agile methodologies and frameworks;
• work on your presentation and facilitation skills;
• practice efficient teaching approaches (e.g. inspired by the book “Training from the BACK of the Room!)

Your next task may involve dealing with greater complexity, leading an entire company to new heights, or continuing with technical leadership. Regardless of your destination, know that continuous learning is a must. Keeping your options open. Taking on challenges. Look for ways to refine the skills and broaden your perspective.
The leadership skills that you have developed as a Scrum Master today will be the basis of your career in the future. They will empower you to be more confident in taking on new positions, influencing change, and creating real impact. So, ask yourself: What’s your next step? Are you ready to push your limits and grow further?

The choice is yours.