The Enterprise Agility Manifesto Initiative is a new initiative from Agile Alliance and Project Management Institute (PMI) that aims to define what agility means at the organizational level. Set to launch in February 2026 on the 25th anniversary of the original Agile Manifesto, this work shifts the focus from scaling team practices to building the capacity to adapt across entire enterprises. It recognizes that true agility requires distributed decision-making, strategic alignment, and the ability to respond to change at every level of the organization.
This special announcement from Agile2025 featured Jim Highsmith, Agile Manifesto co-author and enterprise agility thought leader, reflecting on the next evolution of Agile thinking: moving beyond team-level practices to systemic adaptability across entire organizations. Framing his talk through the lens of AI, leadership, and complexity, Highsmith argued that true enterprise agility depends on distributing the ability to adapt, not just scaling Agile rituals.
These were the closing remarks for the Enterprise Agility panel discussion at Agile2025. During this lively panel, Lenka Pincot, Chief of Staff to the CEO and PMI’s representative on the Agile Alliance Board of Directors, was joined by leading thought leaders, Jurgen Appelo, Heidi Musser, and Laura Powers, to reiterate the urgency of this important topic and discuss the role Agile professionals can play in driving enterprise agility. The panel concluded with closing words from Jon Kern and Jim Highsmith, two signatories of the Agile Manifesto. Song Toh, Chair of the Agile Alliance board, made the official announcement of the formation of the Enterprise Agility Manifesto Initiative.
The following is an AI-generated summary of the announcement.
Rethinking the AI Question
Highsmith opened with a provocative question: “When will AI take my job?” But he quickly reframed it, asking instead what kind of human leadership can’t be automated. He suggested the focus shouldn’t be on when machines become sentient, but on how humans apply judgment in uncertain, high-stakes situations.
He used the metaphor of a submarine: “A submarine isn’t a fish; it’s a tool.” Likewise, AI is not a replacement for human thought, but a mechanism that extends our reach into complexity.
The Irreplaceability of Judgment
The heart of the talk centered on judgment as the most critical human capability, more essential than speed or technical knowledge. In moments of rapid change, it’s not processes or dashboards that organizations rely on. It’s people with the ability to say, “We’ve got this.”
Highsmith positioned judgment as a strategic differentiator for enterprise agility: the ability to weigh incomplete data, make decisions, and take accountability.
Enterprise Agility Is Not Scaled Agile
One of Highsmith’s key points was that enterprise agility is not about copying Agile team practices and rolling them out across departments. That’s a misunderstanding of both scale and agility.
Instead, he emphasized that agility at the enterprise level means empowering people at all levels to sense change, act on it, and learn from it with or without top-down direction.
Agility as a Compass, Not a Method
Drawing on a mountaineering metaphor, Highsmith likened enterprise transformation to a journey with no fixed summit. You need a compass to guide you, not a rigid map. The Enterprise Agility Manifesto serves as that compass: a set of guiding principles for how large, complex organizations can build resilience through distributed decision-making and responsiveness.
Bridging Legacy and the Future
Highsmith acknowledged that this new manifesto is not a rewrite of the 2001 Agile Manifesto. Nor is it a step-by-step instruction set. It’s an evolution, a response to the scale, stakes, and complexity modern enterprises face.
He emphasized that while practices matter, mindset matters more, and systems-thinking must replace one-size-fits-all frameworks.
Final Takeaways
- Enterprise agility is not about more process; it’s about more people with the ability to act.
- Judgment can’t be automated, and it’s the foundation of effective leadership.
- Agility requires intentional structure, but that structure must adapt and respond in real time.
- The future of agility is whole-organization readiness, not just high-performing teams.
