PwC Herald Talks: Simon Moutter on leading Spark through Agile

Spark managing director Simon Moutter says Agile changes the nature of leadership. Photo / Dean Purcell

Spark is moving to Agile, a new style of working Managing director Simon Moutter is leading the transition from the front.

Agile was born in the digital era. It began as a way of organising software developers to get tangible results faster.

It is a less hierarchical than traditional ways of running a business. There is a flat management structure. Employees are divided into self-organising multidisciplinary work groups. There's a greater emphasis on skills and outcomes, less focus on job titles and processes. All of this means Agile, and Spark, need a different, modern leadership style.

At Spark there are no longer any general managers or C-level executives. Moutter has what he calls the "lead squad". This is made up of "directors", the term here indicates they set directions. He says: "There is no-one between the lead squad and execution teams. The teams are self-managing and hold themselves to account."

Moutter, who is a panelist at the upcoming PwC Herald Talks, says Agile changes the nature of leadership: "You issue fewer orders and spend more time setting directions. You no longer stand over people telling them what to do. In a hierarchical organisation people are always coming to you for approval before they act. With Agile we allow teams to execute. The leadership role is about deciding where to go next.

"In a hierarchical organisation a CEO might have a five-year view, those in the C-suite might look two years ahead and general managers have one year. In Agile it's important the lead squad has a longer-term view."

Some critics have questions whether Agile, which was created for software developers might apply to Spark. Moutter says like many other modern companies Spark is all about software. He says half of Spark's capital is spent either configuring or creating software. "You might not think of Spark as a software business, but we're mainly doing digital things. Software turns a phone into a Pokémon hunter, a torch or a social media device", he says.

PwC Herald Talks: The Transformation of Leadership is at SkyCity Theatre on November 7.