Is Scrum Master the toughest role of Agile?

For past 2 weeks I am in Boston on a business trip. And on a lonely evening I was just thinking about the change of role that I am experiencing from what I was 5 years back and what I am today.

5 years back, most of me was a Project Manager - busy with managing project, assigning tasks, running behind teams, writing status reports, convincing customers, fighting with management, yada yada yada ... the list just goes on. I dont fully remember how satisfying the days were, but don't even think I had any peaceful days.

Today, most of me is a Scrum Master and let me say "I like it this way". No team to run behind, no customers to fight with, no management disagreement (well, most of the time) and most importanly, I don't have a responsibility ..... wait .. let me take that last one back. "No Responsibility" ... that does not sound right.

And this is the exact thought that struck my mind. Being Scrum Master has eased my day to day life, but has it made me less productive, is it any easy compared to being a Project Manager, has it taken the challenge out of my job ... and many such questions. There as no direct answer, so I had to rewind the 5 years and start from where I had left. A One-on-One comparison of what challenges I had then ... and what challenges I have today. And after a good hour on the thought, the picture was very much clear.

Being Project Manager was easier than being a Scrum Master.

• It was easier to ask a team to do something and push them forward. Believe me, it is very difficult to convince someone to do the right things.
• It was easier to prepare my project plan with my estimates and assign the resources. Believe me, it is very difficult to have every team member get their Sprint Backlogs ready before start of the Sprint.
• It was easier to demand I want it by today evening (max by tomorrow morning). Believe me, it is very difficult to say Alright, do it by tomorrow morning, but ensure it is done.
• It was easier to get the status from team members and present it in the Green Zone to customer. Believe me, it is very difficult see the team exposing the real status on daily basis.
• It was easier to take the project decisions and own them. Believe me, it is very difficult to coach a team to be empowered to take the decisions and respect it, fight with management for protecting the team decisions.
• It was easier to prepare a 6 months /1 year / or longer plans and blame everything on Change Requests. Believe me, it is very difficult to say, changes? so what?
• And many more things .... but the most difficult is to create this fun loving environment, a healthy and faith based work culture with customer and letting it go so that team can manage it. It is just difficult to see stuff not happening the way you like. And it is very difficult to say "team did a great job" knowing that you probably would have done the same way.

So seriously, it was easier to be a Project Manager than a Scrum Master. But not necessarily Satisfying. I realize, being a Scrum Master today I do have challenges of empowering the team and coaching a customer. But at the end of the day, I am satisifed to see customers gets what they really want, teams are happy and are committed to the work.

No big deal that I am not in control. All that matters is "Things are still going fine!!"