In a world obsessed with Agile project management frameworks and certifications, Stop Chasing Agile cuts through the noise to reveal a simple truth: agility isn't something you install; it's how you behave. If your organization is stuck in endless ceremonies, dashboards, and transformation fatigue without real results, this book shows you why. With a sharp, honest voice, it challenges the industry's biggest myths and exposes how process has become a substitute for progress. More importantly, it offers a clear path back to what actually works. Grounded in real-world experience and decades of research on leadership, systems, and human behavior, this book shifts the focus from process to people, where real change happens. You'll learn how to improve decision making, create clarity in chaos, and build teams that adapt without burning out. This isn't another how-to Agile guide or framework manual. It's a practical lens for seeing what's getting in your way and fixing it. If you're ready to stop performing agility and start delivering real results, Stop Chasing Agile will change how you lead, think, and work.
Jeremy Berriaul is a human-first performance advisor and founder of Berriault & Associates Consulting Group, where he helps leaders recognize when performance comes at a human cost-and rebuild teams that can adapt, perform, and sustain success. His work is grounded in a behavior-first philosophy: real agility isn't a title or framework, but how people show up and work together under pressure. Drawing on decades of experience, he has developed practical tools and operating rhythms that cut through competing priorities, sharpen decision-making, and embed change that actually lasts. Jeremy has supported leaders across industries-from software and finance to hospitality and fitness-earning recognition for helping teams build clarity, trust, and healthier execution.
Chapter 1: The Agile Graveyard Agility Isn't New Agility as an Ecosystem So, Why Are We in a Graveyard? The Baggage We've Created The Coaching Problem (and Comfort Problem) Chapter 2: The Framework Fiasco The Damage of Process Obsession Over Outcomes When the Framework Becomes a Performance Scrum by the Book... and Still Failing Certification Culture: Fuel for the Fire The Real Question Chapter 3: Influencers, Gurus, and Snake Oil How Bad Influencers Poison the Well When Organizations Fall for the Show Thought Leadership vs. Thought Marketing The Ethics of Influencers Leaders: How Not to Get Fooled If You're a Coach, Read This Chapter 4: Buzzwords and Word Games A Guided Tour of the Worst Jargon Why This Matters How Language Gets Weaponized How Jargon Confuses and Divides How to Call It Out and Cut Through It All Underneath the Words, It's All Behavior Chapter 5: Behavior First: The Heart of Real Change Behavior What Behavior-First Agility Actually Means Change Management Is Behavior Change How Do You Create a Behavior-First Culture? Chapter 6: Team Well-being Over Everything Psychological Safety and Trust > Sprints and Story Points The AI Trap and the Hidden Cost of Efficiency Burnout, Stress, and Agile Done Wrong Well-being Is the System Stretch, Don't Snap: Workload and Calm Leadership Norms Around Availability: Remote, Hybrid, and Reality How Leaders Respond to Stress (Everyone's Watching) Chapter 7: Leadership Lessons (the Hard Way) What Is a Leader? What Authentic Leadership Looks Like When Things Go Sideways? Courage, Humility, and Learning from Failure Pulling It Together: How to Lead (Without the Hero Cape) Chapter 8: Jiu-Jitsu, Puzzles, and the Art of Adaptation No Plan Survives First Contact Pressure vs. Panic Tapping: Failure as Feedback Different Partners, Different Games Puzzles: A Model for Problem Solving in a VUCA World Pattern Recognition, Patience, and Partial Progress Collaborative Puzzles = Cross-Functional Teams Adaptability and Creative Problem Solving Beat Rigid Plans Ego vs. Adaptation Five Lessons from the Mat and the Puzzle Table Chapter 9: Real-World Wins (and Fails) Case Study 1: The Software Company That "Paused Agile" Case Study 2: The Jiu Jitsu Club That Went Agile, For Real Where I Failed the Software Company The Jiu-Jitsu Club Surprise Ego vs. Adaptation: The Pattern That Keeps Repeating Chapter 10: Continuous Improvement (Not Continuous Chaos) Real Improvement: Improvement = Saved Time (and Reduced Friction) Pointless Change: Motion Without Meaning How to Build Sustainable Systems (Without Getting Stuck) Practical Ways to Keep Improving Without Burning Out Chapter 11: The Cost of Chasing Trends Shiny Objects vs. Real Agility Why Leaders Chase Trends How Trend Chasing Kills Culture The Real Cost in Time and Money The Cost in Team Morale and Capability Trend Chasing Inside Agile Itself Red Flags: Are You Chasing Trends? How to Focus on What Actually Matters Guardrails for Evaluating New Trends Chapter 12: The Future of Agility (If We Build Something That Lasts) What This Future Is Here's the Future Worth Building What Makes That Future Possible What This Looks Like Day to Day Here's Your Part in Building It Final Thoughts: Build Something Worth Leaving Behind Conclusion
