David McClelland’s Three-Needs Theory reminds us that regardless of our gender, culture, or age, we are all driven by three core motivators — the need for Achievement, the need for Affiliation, and the need for Power.

One of these typically becomes our dominant driver, shaping how we think, collaborate, and lead. Yet this motivator isn’t fixed — it can evolve over time as our career experiences, environment, and responsibilities change.

In Agile transformation, understanding these intrinsic motivators helps organizations place the right people in the right roles — where personal passion aligns with team purpose. The PMxAI™ Certification Roadmap – Agile Track builds on this principle, offering a structured journey from hands-on delivery to strategic leadership across three progressive levels: Foundation, Advanced, and Strategic.

Foundation Level – PMxAI™ Agile Practitioner

Dominant motivator: Need for Achievement (nAch)

Agile Practitioners are goal-oriented achievers who turn ideas into results. They master delivery practices such as Scrum, Kanban, XP (Extreme Programming), and Hybrid approaches — leveraging AI tools to enhance team performance and sprint efficiency.

They excel when:

• Working with clear goals and measurable outcomes
• Continuously improving delivery speed and quality
• Applying AI insights to boost productivity and predictability

The PMxAI™ Certification Roadmap: 🎯 PMxAI™ Agile Practitioner (Foundation) — Master Scrum, Kanban, XP, and Hybrid delivery with AI-enhanced productivity and outcome-driven iteration.

Advanced Level – PMxAI™ Agile Coach

Dominant motivator: Need for Affiliation (nAff)

Agile Coaches thrive on collaboration and connection. They lead teams through transformation, scale frameworks such as Scrum@Scale, SAFe, or DA, and apply AI-enabled practices to accelerate learning and alignment.

They excel when:

• Guiding teams through change and conflict
• Enabling cross-functional collaboration and mindset shifts
• Inspiring growth through coaching and servant leadership

The PMxAI™ Certification Roadmap: 💡 PMxAI™ Agile Coach (Advanced) — Lead Agile transformations and scale frameworks with AI-enabled practices that elevate performance and cohesion across squads and chapters.

Strategic Level – PMxAI™ Agile Leader

Dominant motivator: Need for Power (nPow)

Agile Leaders are visionary influencers who connect execution with strategy. They drive enterprise agility, enable innovation, and leverage AI for data-informed leadership. Their focus is to empower decision-making and create adaptive organizations.

They excel when:

• Leading through vision and empowerment
• Aligning OKRs and Agile portfolios with business strategy
• Using AI to enhance foresight, prioritization, and governance

The PMxAI™ Certification Roadmap: 🚀 PMxAI™ Agile Leader (Strategic) — Drive enterprise agility and innovation through strategic leadership, AI-augmented decision-making, and outcome-based transformation.

Where Motivation Meets Transformation

By aligning McClelland’s motivation theory with the PMxAI™ Agile Track, organizations can:

✅ Identify intrinsic motivators behind individual performance

✅ Match the right people to the right Agile roles

✅ Recognize that motivations evolve — and adapt development paths accordingly

✅ Accelerate transformation through human-AI synergy.

(PMxAI™ and the PMxAI™ Certification Roadmapthe PMxAI™ Certification Roadmap are trademarks of IMT Project Management Corp.)