Autonomous teams

The authority of someone “above us” has been with us since childhood — parents, teachers, coaches. How do you build teams that don’t need a boss? How do you shift responsibility to people within the company without collapsing as a leader? How do I need to change as an organizational leader? The next episode of Agile Talks will answer these and many other questions, featuring two leaders who have experienced this transformation firsthand. We invited Michal Beránek, former chief of OpenOne, and Jirka Halousek, co-owner and CEO of Iresoft. Look forward to hearing their stories and insights from several years of building their companies.

Why watch this episode?

• You’ll learn what was most important on the journey of shifting responsibility to teams without the need for a boss “cracking the whip.”
• You’ll find out what worked and didn’t work for these leaders when creating such an organization.
• You’ll see where the concept of self-organized autonomous teams is appropriate and where it isn’t.

Who is Michal Beránek?

Michal Beránek has been leading companies and teams for over 20 years. For the past 4 years, at OpenOne, where he is the majority owner, he has been searching for a new model of leadership that makes work enjoyable for as many people as possible while keeping the company financially self-sufficient. This is commonly called a “freedom-based company.” He believes it’s possible to find a model that brings a lot of joy and happiness at work. He sees the role of leaders in the 21st century as seeking, setting up, and maintaining such a model. He strives to inspire and awaken company owners and their leaders to this approach.

Who is Jiří Halousek?

Jiří Halousek leads and co-owns the Brno-based software company IRESOFT. His business focuses on helping those who care for others (for example, developing software for senior homes, etc.). He also creates the ALVENO attendance systems. His major passion, which he has pursued for a long time, is company culture based on values and freedom principles, managing the company through circles, agile approaches, and more. Are you familiar with the company culture book IREBOOK? He aims to create an environment where most people can be happy most days. He is supported not only by Andrea Luck (Chief Happiness Officer) but also by the company’s entire circle leadership.