Bliki: Host Leadership

If you've hung around agile circles for long, you've probably heard about
the concept of servant leadership, that managers should think of themselves as
supporting the team, removing blocks, protecting them from the vagaries of
corporate life. That's never sounded quite right to me, and a recent
conversation with Kent Beck nailed why - it's gaslighting. The manager claims
to be a servant, but everyone knows who really has the power.

My colleague Giles Edwards-Alexander told me about an alternative way of
thinking about leadership, one that he came across working with mental-health
professionals. This casts the leader as a host: preparing a suitable space,
inviting the team in, providing ideas and problems, and then stepping back to
let them work. The host looks after the team, rather as the ideal servant
leader does, but still has the power to intervene should things go awry.

Further Reading

Dr Mark McKergow and Helen Bailey wrote a book
in 2014.

The website hostleadership.com has ongoing
information including a blog.

McKergow and Bailey have a short article in HR Review that outlines the
six roles of engagement of a host leader.

Host Leadership

19 February 2026

Martin Fowler

agile

team organization

technical leadership

If you've hung around agile circles for long, you've probably heard about
the concept of servant leadership, that managers should think of themselves as
supporting the team, removing blocks, protecting them from the vagaries of
corporate life. That's never sounded quite right to me, and a recent
conversation with Kent Beck nailed why - it's gaslighting. The manager claims
to be a servant, but everyone knows who really has the power.

My colleague Giles Edwards-Alexander told me about an alternative way of
thinking about leadership, one that he came across working with mental-health
professionals. This casts the leader as a host: preparing a suitable space,
inviting the team in, providing ideas and problems, and then stepping back to
let them work. The host looks after the team, rather as the ideal servant
leader does, but still has the power to intervene should things go awry.

Further Reading

• Dr Mark McKergow and Helen Bailey wrote a book

in 2014.

• The website hostleadership.com has ongoing

information including a blog.

• McKergow and Bailey have a short article in HR Review that outlines the

six roles of engagement of a host leader.

Original source