How to Build a Successful Agile Culture: Lydia Hawthorn

Why do Agile transformations fail, and what can leaders do differently? In this episode of the Everyday Agile Podcast, Lydia Hawthorn shares practical insights on Agile transformation, product thinking, delivery leadership and building high-performing teams. Lydia is an award-winning product and delivery leader, business agility expert, Tech Women 100 winner and Delivery Director at CPrime. We explore why Agile isn't a shortcut to easy delivery, why so many transformations are run like traditional projects, and how leaders can create the conditions for teams to thrive. ▶︎What You'll Learn Why Agile transformations are harder than many organisations expect. Why the transformation journey matters more than the promised end state. What great Agile consultants do beyond presentations and PowerPoint decks. How curiosity, trust and genuine stakeholder relationships improve consulting. Why leadership behaviours and psychological safety matter when building an Agile culture. How to apply product discovery and experimentation to organisational change. What an epic hypothesis is and how to use it in a large-scale Agile transformation. How Scrum Masters and Delivery Managers can create better team experiences. How LEGO Serious Play can help teams communicate and collaborate. How Elevate supports women progressing into technology leadership. Where AI fits into Agile delivery and how organisations can use it to improve existing ways of working. ▶︎Connect with Lydia Find Lydia Hawthorne on LinkedIn and explore the Elevate community for mentoring, resources and opportunities for women in tech leadership. ▶︎Our newsletter https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups ▶︎Join us at The Not Another Agile Conference on 22 April 2027 at The Square, Chester Zoo. Check the event links for tickets and the latest speaker lineup. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/n... ▶︎Chapters 00:00 Introducing Lydia Hawthorn: Product & Delivery Leadership 01:16 From English Graduate to Tech Delivery Leader 03:07 Is Consultancy Harder Than Working In-House? 04:44 What Does a Delivery Director Actually Do? 06:23 What Makes a Great Consultant? 09:03 What Consultants Actually Do Beyond PowerPoint 11:16 Is Agile Dead in 2026? 11:50 Why Agile Transformations Are Harder Than You Think 13:43 Why the Transformation Journey Matters More Than the End Goal 16:32 Agile Transformation: Habits That Create Momentum 17:05 Building an Agile Culture Through Learning and Failure 20:40 Why Leaders Struggle With Clarity 22:16 Human-Centred Agile Transformation and Product Discovery 23:46 The Role of Scrum Masters and Delivery Managers 24:17 Using LEGO Serious Play to Improve Team Collaboration 25:01 How to Write an Epic Hypothesis for Agile Transformation 27:17 Elevate: Mentoring Women Into Tech Leadership 28:32 Why Women Need Support Moving Into Leadership 30:09 How the Elevate Mentoring Programme Works 33:29 AI, Agile and the Future of Consultancy 35:42 Why Agile Matters When Businesses Must Do More With Less 36:53 Connect With Lydia Hawthorn #Agile #AgileTransformation #ProductManagement