Scrum Trainer Spotlight: Diane H. Leonard, GPC

by Scrum Inc. Team | October 28, 2020 | Blog

The Agile Education Program™ was created to leave a lasting, positive impact on the world. Scrum Trainers by Scrum Inc.™ sit at the core of the program; they are a distinguished group of Scrum educators with demonstrated experience improving the performance of teams and organizations. The international program hosts agilists from around the world, and, uniquely, from various industries, disciplines, and areas of focus. Though Dr. Jeff Sutherland developed Scrum as a formal process with Ken Schwaber in the software industry, Scrum’s impact outside of software development is growing exponentially. In fact, the framework’s capacity to help those in any industry master the art of doing twice the work in half the time is the reason this month’s Scrum Spotlight, Diane H. Leonard, GPC, joined the program in early 2020.

Diane is an experienced and highly respected grant professional, an active member of the Grant Professionals Association, and founder of DH Leonard Consulting & Grant Writing Services, LLC. Her positive, calm demeanor brings a sense of stability and encouragement to every Scrum Master by Scrum Inc.™ course she hosts and every speaking engagement she presents. A theme emerges once you learn more about her skills, expertise, and professional experience: Diane is passionate about helping others. Whether she is assisting nonprofit organizations to secure funding, hosting workshops for grant writing professionals, or participating in Scrum Trainer events, her commitment to enable others to achieve their best inevitably emerges.

Since 2006, Diane and her team at DH Leonard Consulting have secured more than $73 million dollars in competitive grant awards for clients. While Diane’s extended reputation precedes her in the grant and nonprofit space, her passion for Scrum is comparatively new. In 2018, the DH Leonard Consulting team launched the product, Agile in Nonprofits to bring the conversation of Scrum beyond the grant community and into all areas of nonprofit operations. As much of her team’s work is about educating nonprofits about what Scrum is and how it can work in their team setting, she published a blog titled, “Using an Agile Framework to Win More Grants” on the firm’s website. In the featured post, she explains that her team has been utilizing Scrum internally, as well as with its clients. Diane noted that since her team adopted Scrum, “efficiency of our work has MORE than doubled.” A win-win in any context.

Diane has been a vocal advocate for the Scrum framework in nonprofits. She encourages grant writers, programmatic staff, nonprofit leaders, and more, to learn about the framework and implement Scrum in order to maximize their impact regardless of which area they work in. When Diane hosts Scrum Master by Scrum Inc.™ and Product Owner by Scrum Inc.™ courses, she provides industry-specific examples and real-world learnings to help non-profit professionals make the most of their efforts.

To prepare for class, she also strongly encourages nonprofit professionals to pick up a copy of Sutherland’s book, “Scrum: Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time.” Why? It’s the book (or, audiobook) that Diane and her husband (who is also a member of the Scrum Inc. Trainer community) listened to during a road trip, about 6 years ago, that introduced her to the Scrum framework. It bridged the gap between her work helping nonprofits secure grants and her love for organizational efficiency. At the end of the 14 hour road trip, Diane thought, “Not only is this going to change the way my team does work as a consulting firm, but we’re also going to teach our clients about this.” Ever since, Diane has been on a mission to do both.

This month, we are highlighting Diane and all that she brings to the Scrum Inc. Trainer community. To Diane, we thank you for embodying the Scrum Values and working hard to leave a lasting, positive impact on the world of work and beyond. Thank you!

Connect with Diane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianehleonardgpc/
Learn more about DH Leonard Consulting & Grant Writing Services, LLC: https://www.dhleonardconsulting.com/ 
Learn more about Agile in Nonprofits: https://www.agileinnonprofits.com
Watch Diane’s Scrum in Nonprofits Webinar, “Why Use Scrum: How to Double the Outcomes of Your Nonprofit in Half the Time”: https://www.scruminc.com/double-the-outcomes-of-your-nonprofit-in-half-the-time/