Building the leadership understanding needed to work with SAFe
Leading SAFe is designed for people who need to understand how the Scaled Agile Framework works at organisational level, and what leaders, managers, and key stakeholders need to do to support value delivery in a Lean-Agile enterprise. It gives participants a practical grounding in the core constructs of SAFe, the role of leadership, and the conditions that help Agile Release Trains succeed.
The course reflects the latest SAFe guidance, including the new AI-enabled version of the certification. We position that pragmatically, focusing on how AI can support learning, decision-making, flow, and planning, while keeping strong Lean thinking, product thinking, and human judgement at the centre.
For organisations introducing SAFe, refreshing internal understanding, or building a stronger common language across leadership and delivery roles, this is a strong foundation course to take together.
Discuss this course for your organisation
We’re happy to talk through your context, team size, delivery options and timing, and help you shape a session that fits your objectives.
Or call 0117 3321 231 to speak with the team directly.
Leading SAFe or SAFe for Teams?
A question that comes up regularly. Leading SAFe is the broader of the two courses: it covers the complete Scaled Agile Framework, from portfolio strategy and Lean budgeting through to how Agile Release Trains are structured, how PI Planning works, and what leaders and stakeholders need to do to support delivery. There is genuine content at every layer of the framework.
SAFe for Teams is a more focused course designed specifically for Agile development team members who are joining a Release Train. It concentrates on team-level and ART-level practice and contains nothing on the portfolio layer. It is the right course if participants are already committed to a delivery team role on a specific ART. It is not a general introduction to SAFe.
For leaders, managers, consultants, and anyone coming to SAFe without an existing team assignment on a named ART, Leading SAFe is almost always the better starting point. SAFe for Teams is the natural follow-on for the development teams themselves once the ART is being formed.
What your people will learn
- How SAFe supports alignment between strategy and execution
- How Lean-Agile leadership shapes culture, mindsets, and behaviours
- The role of Agile Release Trains and how value flows through the enterprise
- How to build the conditions for sustainable change with SAFe
- How customer centricity, flow, and built-in quality support better business outcomes
- How to engage and support teams through change
- Key metrics and practices that enable transparency and continuous improvement
- Where current SAFe guidance introduces AI-enabled practices in a practical way
The course includes the Leading SAFe certification exam. Participants will receive access to SAFe Studio, practice exam, and other preparation resources.
Who this course is for
- Executives and senior leaders
- Managers, directors, CIOs, and VPs
- Programme and project leaders
- Product, product line, and portfolio management
- PMO, governance, and process leads
- Enterprise, system, and solution architects
- Transformation leads and change agents
- Anyone who needs a clear leadership-level understanding of SAFe
Certification and exam
This course prepares attendees for the SAFe® Agilist certification and is aligned to the current AI-Empowered Leading SAFe course definition.
- SAFe® Agilist (SA) certification
- 45 multiple choice questions
- 90 minutes
- Two exam attempts within 60 days included
- Unlimited practice test with feedback and coaching report
- Perpetual access to the course workbook and SAFe Studio for preparation
- Certification renewed yearly
- Digital badge on successful passing of the certification exam
Scaled Agile generally recommends taking the exam reasonably soon after the course, ideally within the first month, while the material is still fresh.
What attendees get after the course
- Course workbook and certificate of completion
- Eligibility to sit the SAFe® Agilist certification exam
- Access to SAFe Studio resources for additional preparation and continued learning
- Practice tools, learning resources, and wider SAFe community access
- Digital badge on successful passing of the certification exam
Prerequisites
Anyone is welcome to attend the course. For those intending to sit the certification exam, the following background is recommended rather than mandatory:
- More than five years of experience in software development, testing, business analysis, product, or project work
- Some familiarity with Scrum or Agile ways of working
- An interest in leadership, transformation, or enterprise-level delivery improvement
Why organisations choose this course
It helps leaders and stakeholders build a common language, understand how SAFe works in practice, and support delivery systems more effectively without defaulting to theory-heavy or purely procedural conversations.
It is particularly useful when introducing SAFe, refreshing leadership understanding, or aligning business and technology stakeholders before wider rollout.
How this course is delivered
This course is delivered by AgilityPro, a UK-based provider of practical SAFe training for enterprise teams.
Sessions are run in small groups and adapted to your context, with a focus on practical application rather than volume-based certification.
You’ll work directly with an experienced SAFe Practice Consultant who brings real-world experience from enterprise transformations.
Course focus
Delivery options
We provide this as a private course for organisations, either remotely or in person. That keeps the conversation grounded in your context, your current maturity, and the practical realities your leaders and teams are dealing with.
Remote delivery can be supported with collaborative tooling where appropriate, and in-person delivery can be arranged across the UK, Europe, the USA, and beyond.
Current SAFe curriculum
Scaled Agile Inc. now positions Leading SAFe as an AI-Empowered SAFe certification, with current learning domains focused on thriving in the digital age with business agility, becoming a Lean-Agile leader, establishing team and technical agility, building solutions with Agile Product Delivery, exploring Lean Portfolio Management, and leading change.
Lead trainer
Matt Hosking
SAFe Premier Trainer & A-SPC
Matt has been working with SAFe since 2012 and brings practical, real-world delivery experience into the classroom.