On an agile project the sponsor tells the project lead that an executive wants an update on project progress. What should the project lead do?

The correct answer is to invite the executive to the project's meeting space to determine if the project information radiators meet their needs. Agile projects prioritize transparency and rapid feedback. Information radiators (e.g., Kanban boards, burn-down charts) are designed to provide real-time, visual updates on project progress. By inviting the executive to the meeting space, the project lead can directly understand their information needs and demonstrate how the team's existing transparency tools address them, fostering trust and efficient communication. Giving a link to a shared drive is less effective as it requires the executive to sift through documents, which is inefficient and doesn't leverage agile principles of visual management. Requesting status report templates from the PMO introduces a waterfall-style reporting overhead that is often contrary to agile practices. Asking the sponsor or product owner to provide the update avoids direct engagement and misses an opportunity for the project lead to build rapport and demonstrate project health.