Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile Storytelling from the Trenches
Episode: What Scrum Masters Must Do More of in 2026—Think Like a Business Owner | Lai-Ling Su
Host: Vasco Duarte | Guest: Lai-Ling Su
Date: February 26, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode explores the evolving definition of success for Scrum Masters in 2026, focusing on the importance of developing strategic, commercial, and business-owner thinking. Lai-Ling Su, an experienced agile coach and LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator, discusses practical ways Scrum Masters can expand their impact, shift their mindset, and add greater value to their organizations by thinking holistically—far beyond team-level facilitation and agile ceremonies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Favorite Retrospective Format: LEGO® for Deeper Dialogue

[01:21–05:24]

• Lai-Ling Su shares her favorite retrospective format:
  Uses LEGO® to facilitate tender and courageous conversations, especially around complex or emotionally charged topics.
• Purpose:
  • Encourages participants to surface personal and emotional truths
  • Helps depersonalize difficult discussions by focusing on the physical model rather than individuals
• Benefits of LEGO® in retrospectives:
  • Makes reflection fun and tactile, engaging both body and mind
  • Helps participants articulate thoughts they may not have words for
  • Fosters deep, constructive conversation that leads to actionable outcomes
• Format flexibility:
  • While a certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator, Lai-Ling notes you don’t need to invest in expensive kits or certification to benefit ("...just go to your local shop, buy a box of Lego, buy just pure simple bricks...pose a question and let people build..." — C, [04:31])
  • She encourages freeform approaches depending on context and available resources

Notable Quotes

"One of my favorite ways to create a space for tender and courageous conversations is to set a question for reflection and then let participants build and share their thoughts using Lego."
— Lai-Ling Su, [02:21]

"It does so many things to diffuse the discomfort, like it's fun... and then it depersonalizes what is said because you're talking about a physical object."
— Lai-Ling Su, [03:12]

2. Success for Scrum Masters: Evolving to Strategic & Commercial Thinkers

[05:24–11:25]

• Success is Contextual:
  Lai-Ling emphasizes there’s no universal metric—Scrum Masters must define success for themselves and their unique situations.
• Current Blind Spot:
  Too many Scrum Masters focus narrowly on team facilitation and agile practices, neglecting broader business needs.
• Redefining Success:
  • Advocates for more "smart, strategic and commercial decision-making"
  • Scrum Masters should not just enable their teams but also help organizations make decisions that optimize value, flow, and cost efficiency
• Examples of Commercial Decisions:
  • Reducing the number of SKUs to speed delivery and reduce burnout
  • Proactively investing in leadership and change management during transformations
  • Auditing unused software licenses to free up resources, ensuring sustainability or funding game-changing product improvements

Notable Quotes

"Success is so contextual... the definitions and measurements of success also change over time. So only you can definitively say what success is at any given time..."
— Lai-Ling Su, [06:15]

"There's something that I've noticed that we're distinctly missing right now in the business landscape, and that's the lack of smart, strategic and commercial decision making."
— Lai-Ling Su, [06:40]

"You can review your expenses and cut out what's quietly going unused... That could be the difference between paying for those unused licenses or saving a colleague's job for the next 12 months."
— Lai-Ling Su, [07:50]

3. Cultivating a Business Owner Mindset in Scrum Masters

[08:47–10:58]

• Teaching Strategies:
  • Simulations: Put Scrum Masters in business owner roles to force commercial thinking
  • Shadowing: Arrange for Scrum Masters to work closely with business leaders, experiencing their challenges firsthand (e.g., reviewing P&L, visiting retail shop floors)
  • Partnering: Pair with Product Owners to learn the business side of the product beyond just the build
  • Immersion: Participation in business conversations for experiential learning
• Coaching:
  • After immersive experiences, use coaching conversations to help Scrum Masters process and apply new perspectives

Notable Quotes

"Something I'd love to do... is actually put them in the shoes of a business owner, whether it is manufacturing a simulation and getting them to think about what exactly they have to do as a business owner..."
— Lai-Ling Su, [09:14]

"You can allow these scrum masters to shadow business leaders and actually sit side by side with them from a mentoring capacity..."
— Lai-Ling Su, [09:38]

4. The Holistic View: Beyond the Team

[10:58–11:25]

• Host Reflection:
  Vasco acknowledges this ability to "think like a business owner" is often lacking, urging Scrum Masters to view the business system as a whole—not just their teams.

Notable Quote

"This ability to think like a business owner, as you put it. Or in other words, to think about the business as a holistic system rather than just my team and how my team interacts with the nearby teams and stakeholders."
— Vasco Duarte, [10:58]

Memorable Moments & Quotes with Timestamps

• The power of Lego in retrospectives:
  “There's so many rich ingredients in there to allow for deeply reflective and deeply constructive conversations to emerge...” — Lai-Ling Su, [03:30]
• ROI of unused licenses vs. saving jobs:
  “...that could be the difference between paying for those unused licenses or saving a colleague's job for the next 12 months.” — Lai-Ling Su, [07:53]
• Immersion as learning:
  “...get them to pair with their product owner... and ask them to walk you through what is the business side of the product... learn through immersion in that way as well.” — Lai-Ling Su, [10:10]

Episode Highlights & Takeaways

• Expand your toolbox: Scrum Masters, consider unconventional retrospective formats like LEGO® to foster deeper dialogue and insight.
• Redefine your impact: Success is dynamic—look for ways to influence smarter, business-focused decisions.
• Adopt a business-owner mindset: Seek experiences and learning that immerse you in commercial realities; don’t settle for “team-level” thinking.
• Encourage organizational learning: Share these insights and advocate for your fellow Scrum Masters to engage with the broader business strategy.

This episode is essential listening for Scrum Masters and Agile practitioners eager to shift from procedural facilitation to strategic partners who can influence organizational success at every level.