Scrum Masters, Project Managers, Agile Coaches, and Delivery Leaders: You're probably tired of being questioned, undervalued, dismissed. You know you're making a difference, but you're struggling to prove it to the people signing your paycheck. Layoff rumors aren't just whispers anymore - you're watching friends and colleagues lose their jobs while facing an increasingly brutal job market. And despite all this turmoil, one thing remains unchanged: You are an experienced professional who knows your stuff. The complaints your leaders grumble about-"Agile was supposed to fix this mess" or "Everyone looks busy, but nothing is getting done"-aren't isolated. They're persistent grievances pointing to the same underlying issue: sweeping dysfunction that no amount of team improvement can fix. So, what's happening? Let me be blunt: You've been solving the wrong problems. See, if most of your energy goes into team-level work while organizational chaos above undermines everything you do, you'll keep banging your head against the same four walls. Over and over again. This is both exhausting and bad for your head. But here's the silver lining: beneath each frustration lies an opportunity in disguise. The delivery professionals who become truly indispensable - the ones who get promoted, funded, and trusted with exciting challenges - are the ones who solve system issues, not just team issues. Are you ready to join them? This book shows you how.
Kimberly Andrikaitis is a transformational coach, trainer, and organizational advisor with over 25 years of IT experience across roles including SM, PO, Agile Coach, and delivery leadership. She empowers professionals to identify systemic patterns, work strategically within dysfunctional organizations, and develop the personal resilience required for authentic leadership. Kimberly is based in Raleigh, NC. When not coaching, she enjoys traveling, reading, and yoga.
Much like Lean In entered the lexicon after Sheryl Sandberg's book, I expect Look Up! to become as common among delivery professionals.--Mike Cohn, Author of User Stories Applied, Agile Estimating and Planning, and Succeeding with Agile So often, vital team insights are missed or lost in translation. Look Up! gives practical ways to harvest them for better decisions and healthier, more adaptive organizations.--Lyssa Adkins, leadership coach/consultant and author Coaching Agile Teams Teamwork matters, but this book highlights lasting change when we also look up to the system that's shaping the teams.--Tricia Broderick, Co-Author of Lead without Blame, Founder of Ignite Insight + Innovation
