How I Used (Shu-Ha-Ri) to Help My Teams Grow
(Follow the rule → Break the rule → Be the rule)
👋 Hey, Carlos here! Welcome to “The Holistic Leader”, your weekly source of simple and honest leadership, Agile, Management & team insights.
When I first started leading teams, I felt lost.
I thought if I followed the right steps, things would go smoothly. But they didn’t.
Leadership isn’t just about following steps.
It’s about understanding people
How they grow
How they work
How they collaborate
That’s when I found Shu Ha Ri, a simple way to think about learning and growing.
Shu Ha Ri comes from Japanese martial arts and explains three stages of growth:
Shu means follow the rule.
👉 You learn by doing things step-by-step.
Ha means break the rule.
👉 You try new ways and adjust what you’ve learned to fit your needs.
Ri means be the rule.
👉 You master what you do and lead your own way.
1. SHU – “Follow the Rule”: Building Structure for Confidence
At the Shu stage, teams need clear rules and routines.
They’re still learning, and too much change can overwhelm them.
As a leader you have to provide structure and consistency, so they could focus on learning and feel confident.
What I Did at Shu:
I kept it simple. We followed the same steps for stand-ups, retrospectives, and meetings, so the team always knew what to expect.
I repeated the process until it felt natural. Familiar routines helped build confidence and trust.
I made it okay to ask questions. I told my team that it’s fine not to know everything at the start → learning takes time.
✅ Quick tip: Introduced team agreements early on.
👉 This gave everyone a say in how we worked together and set clear expectations.
2. HA – “Break the Rule”: Giving Teams Space to Experiment
Once my teams got comfortable with the basics, it was time to let them experiment.
This wasn’t easy for me. I wanted to stay in control, but I learned that stepping back helped them grow faster.
What I Did at Ha:
I let the team try new ways of running retrospectives and meetings. Some ideas worked, some didn’t, but we always learned.
I encouraged peer coaching. When team members taught each other, it made everyone stronger.
Feedback became part of every sprint. We always asked, “What worked? What could we do differently next time?” Those small tweaks made a big difference.
✅ Quick Tip: After a few sprints, we tried Lean Coffee retrospectives, where the team decided what to talk about.
👉 It gave them control and increased engagement.
3. RI – “Be the Rule”: Empowering Teams to Lead
At the Ri stage, my teams had figured out what worked for them.
They didn’t need me to tell them what to do anymore.
My role shifted to mentoring, giving them the freedom to lead and grow on their own.
What I Did at Ri:
I gave the team freedom to create their own workflows. They had earned my trust, and it showed in their results. (Of course, being there for coaching when needed)
I encouraged continuous learning by offering opportunities for conferences and trainings. (It depends on the company, but usually big corporations already have access to PAID certifications and Internal or external trainings.
We stopped seeing failure as a setback. Instead, we treated every mistake as a chance to learn.
✅ Quick Tip: I asked the team to share their insights with others.
👉 This helped spread knowledge across the company and other teams, reinforcing their growth.
How I Use Shu Ha Ri in My Leadership Today
Over the years, I’ve realized that leadership isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about knowing where your team is in their journey and giving them what they need at each stage:
Shu: Start with clear rules and guidance to build confidence.
Ha: Encourage teams to experiment and find what works for them.
Ri: Give them space to lead and grow on their own.
💡 Final Thoughts
When I first started leading, I felt like I had no idea what I was doing.
But Shu Ha Ri taught me that leadership is a process.
It’s okay to start with structure, but you also need to step back and let people grow.
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- Carlos✌️
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