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Ganesha is the most popular deity among Hindus. You bump into him whenever you go to India. You can find him sitting on the dashboard of every car. He looks like a jolly passenger with a serious weight problem. You can also meet him in an Indian coffee shop or restaurant. His mouth always waters while he covets your delicious bowl of modak or laddu, typical Indian sweets. Ganesha loves to eat. His belly is large and rotund. After all, he is the Lord of Luck and Prosperity. That’s why most Hindu homes and companies place this small idol in their doorway or in the family shrines.

But Ganesha is also called Vighnavinayaka – the „Remover of Obstacles.” It comes from the word „vighna,” which means „hurdles” or „impediments.” Ganesha with the strength and power of an elephant removes all of obstacles, thus befuddling Man in His endeavors. Ganesha then, is the perfect idol for… every Scrum Master.

Scrum Master is the Lord of Obstacles in our daily sprints. He is the God of Overcoming. Like the elephant, he has the bulk and strength to push his way through the jungle of sprint impediments. He works the vighnas out of the system. He clears the way. We can safely follow his large footprints when the sprint forest is impenetrable and dark. He is our servant-leader. He helps us overcome our fear of not being indispensable. He provokes us to self-organize. Scrum Teams simply need that role. I believe in… THAT (God).

(Photo by daybeezho, Creative Commons)