PM409
Agile Leadership and Product Execution

Faculty
Kate Vekova
Agile Coach, Facilitator, Trainer at Manychat
Course length
Duration
Total hours
Credits
Language
Course type
Fee for single course
Fee for degree students
Skills you’ll learn
Overview
Agile isn’t just a hyped methodology — it’s an evolution beyond rigid, top-down business leadership. This course equips students to replace bureaucratic inertia with adaptive strategy, using Scrum for iterative customer feedback and Kanban to optimise workflow efficiency. Through hands-on practice, learners will examine Agile roles (Product Owners and Scrum Masters) and master user-centred, iterative product development, turning strategy into actionable delivery. This course is ideal for leaders seeking to build resilient teams that deliver value quickly — without burning out.
Learning highlights
- Learn how Agile business management drives organisational value — balancing sustainable revenue growth with team well-being and development — through practical implementation strategies.
- Agile vs Rigid Leadership — Identify the limitations of rigid processes and understand where Agile flexibility delivers stronger business outcomes.
- User-Backed Strategy — Translate strategic goals into customer-focused deliverables and validate them through rapid feedback cycles.
- Scrum for Business Results — Deliver value-driven sprints with clearly defined roles (Product Owner, Scrum Master, Team), structured events, and measurable outcomes.
- Kanban Flow Efficiency — Map workflows, remove bottlenecks, and accelerate delivery using Kanban’s pull-based system.
- Sustainable Execution — Sustain high performance without burnout through clear role expectations, supportive culture, and continuous learning.
Course outline
15 classes
Agile vs. Rigid Business Leadership
Learning Outcome: Differentiate between Agile and traditional management, identifying scenarios where Agile delivers superior business results.
Systems Thinking for Agile Organisations
Learning Outcome: Apply systems thinking principles (feedback loops, leverage points) to diagnose organisational bottlenecks.
The Agile Mindset & Lean Principles
Learning Outcome: Explain how Lean thinking (value streams, waste reduction) supports Agile business execution.
Scrum Framework Fundamentals
Learning Outcome: Map Scrum roles (PO, SM, Team), artifacts and events.
User-Centric Work Decomposition
Learning Outcome: Break down strategic goals into user-focused backlog items with measurable outcomes.
Sprint Execution & Feedback Loops
Learning Outcome: Design and run business sprints that validate hypotheses with stakeholders.
Kanban Principles & Visualisation
Learning Outcome: Design a Kanban board to track workflow and expose wastes.
Work-in-Progress (WIP) Limits and Flow Metrics
Learning Outcomes: Implement WIP constraints to reduce multitasking and accelerate delivery. Measure cycle time/throughput and use data to optimise workflows.
Agile Team Dynamics & Psychological Safety
Learning Outcome: Foster high-performing teams through role clarity and trust-building practices.
Agile Transformation Case Studies
Learning Outcome: Analyse successes/failures of Agile adoption in real businesses. Part 1
Agile Transformation Case Studies
Learning Outcome: Analyse successes/failures of Agile adoption in real businesses. Part 2
Agile Transformation Case Studies
Learning Outcome: Analyse successes/failures of Agile adoption in real businesses. Part 3
Real Business Field Trip.
Travel to a real business site which implements Agile. Interview and facilitated conversations with real product teams and leaders that drive agility in organisation.
Capstone: Agile Business Plan
Learning Outcome: Design an Agile implementation roadmap for a real or simulated business context. Part 1.
Capstone: Agile Business Plan
Learning Outcome: Design an Agile implementation roadmap for a real or simulated business context. Part 2.
Course materials
Books
Prerequisites
Have a basic understanding of business and organisation environment vocabulary and definitions.
Methodology
Most of the sessions’ content will have 30% lecture, 70% individual and small group work through workshops, presentations and group projects.
Each lesson there will be a set of essential learning outcomes that students will integrate at the end of each session through “teach back” in small groups. Three final lessons will be dedicated to a more integration in small teams and feedback from the teacher on the outcomes.
Grading
Kate’s passion lies in creating work environments where people can do their best work – balancing ambition with sustainability. She believes agility is not about empty rituals, but about building resilient, self-managed teams that turn strategy into meaningful, valuable, and testable outcomes without burning out.
In her course “Agile Leadership & Product Execution”, Kate draws on six years of experience as an in-house change agent, including her work at Manychat where she founded the internal School of Facilitation and co-created leadership programs. Students will learn how to build and sustain product teams, enable strategies to land in reality, and apply practical tools that drive execution for self managed teams.
See full profileApply for this course
Agile Leadership and Product Execution
by Kate Vekova
Total hours
45 Hours
Dates
Mar 16 - Apr 03, 2026
Fee for single course
€1500
Fee for degree students
€750
How to secure your spot
Complete the form below to kickstart your application
Schedule your Harbour.Space interview
If successful, get ready to join us on campus
FAQ
Will I receive a certificate after completion?
Yes. Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate signed by the director of the program your course belonged to.
Do I need a visa?
This depends on your case. Please check with the Spanish or Thai consulate in your country of residence about visa requirements. We will do our part to provide you with the necessary documents, such as the Certificate of Enrollment.
Can I get a discount?
Yes. The easiest way to enroll in a course at a discounted price is to register for multiple courses. Registering for multiple courses will reduce the cost per individual course. Please ask the Admissions Office for more information about the other kinds of discounts we offer and what you can do to receive one.