10 Must-have leadership skills for running a successful architecture firm

Now perhaps more than ever, architecture needs great leaders to address the changes and challenges facing the profession. Whether you aspire to lead your own firm, are on the path to senior management, or are already helming a company, here are 10 qualities and strategies that five proven practice leaders below have identified as instrumental to their success. 

Speak less to gain more.

During client or team meetings, you might be inclined to assert your expertise and confidence by regularly interjecting or laying on the design jargon. However, slowing down conversations and taking notes can invite others to contribute ideas and feel invested in the endeavor. 

"It took practice to [be able to] say, 'I'm sorry, that's an acronym not widely used—let me explain that," says Carole Wedge, FAIA, principal of Heaths Bridge, at-large director at AIA, and former CEO of Shepley Bulfinch. "Or, if it's a conversation with a user group, I would say, 'Let me repeat what I heard so I can be sure that I heard you correctly.'" This acknowledges the other party's input and allows them to correct you without feeling intimidated or embarrassed. 

Being curious and patient are critical for guiding team interactions, says HGA chief operating officer Scott Lindvall, AIA: "You must understand where your colleagues, construction partners, and your clients are coming from. It takes discipline to step back, [but] once I became more rigorous about doing that, it helped preserve relationships and avoid unnecessary turmoil.”

Kirsten Ring Murray, FAIA, principal and owner at Olson Kundig, knows architects want to solve problems quickly. "There's a temptation to assume you have the solution before fully understanding [clients'] needs," she says. But designing in response to their goals instead of your preconceptions are key to “fostering long-term relationships and creating designs that resonate.”

But do speak truth to power. 

With the agency that comes with title changes, Wedge believes, leaders must advocate for those who are not in a position to advocate for themselves and be willing to point out the elephant in the room during internal and external meetings. “It comes from building your own personal confidence and feeling valid for having a point of view,” she says. How you intercede matters: You can be direct, but also respectful and diplomatic. If a fellow principal is pitching a design approach that other staff members worry about criticizing, Wedge might say to the presenter, “I hear you’re passionate about this, but I don’t necessarily find that to be the top criterion for me.” 

Model the behavior you expect. 

Whereas architecture crits were once hotbeds for tearing ideas—and self-esteem—apart, good leaders build people up. Ian Zapata, director of design at Corgan, says leaders must "know when to use the window or the mirror," a concept written about by business management management researcher and author Jim Collins. “If something goes well, you look out the window at everybody who is responsible and you give credit to [them] before you,” Zapata says. “When something goes wrong, you look in the mirror and take responsibility. You’re not blaming it on the rest of the team.” 

Wedge says she used to wake up at night to type up thoughts that came to mind: “I would actually send emails at 4 in the morning until one of my colleagues said, ‘Please don’t do that. You’re modeling the behavior that we’re supposed to be on 24/7.’” Wedge switched to keeping a notepad beside her bed. 

Similarly, good leaders will set realistic client expectations while protecting the interests of their staff. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, architects used to meet with clients once a week or every two weeks, Wedge says. With the immediacy offered by technology and videoconferencing, client meetings began happening on demand. “That changed the rhythm of time for design exploration and reflection,” she says. Leaders must set sustainable boundaries lest they face worker burnout and attrition en masse. 

Shake it off. 

Because architecture often feels like a personal calling, any hiccups or negative feedback can hit deep. Ring Murray advises design leaders to remain even keeled through the swings of running a firm.

“Challenges across work projects, clients, and teams are inevitable,” she says. “A tense job site discussion can be draining, but carrying that frustration into a project interview or a team brainstorm risks undermining your effectiveness in those critical moments. Strong leaders can set aside emotions quickly and approach each task with an open mind and fresh perspective.” By developing emotional resilience, you will understand “when to stand firm and when to defer to others.”

Make friends, not acquaintances. 

Design projects easily span months, if not years. After your fourth or fifth meeting with the same stakeholders, the cordial “Hello, how are you" may naturally transition to, "How's your family?" and "How was the event last week?" If you express genuine interest and care in your clients as people, Wedge says, you can forge new friendships that also benefit you and your firm professionally and help assuage the “bad times” that projects experience, such as budget cuts or reprioritizations. Her clients-turned-friends “would feel comfortable reaching out and saying, ‘You're going to hear this later, but I want to explain it to you.’”

Pass the baton. 

Because architecture still relies on an apprenticeship model, design offices become de facto training grounds for recent graduates, says Latoya Kamdang, AIA, director of operations at Ennead Architects, adjunct professor at Pratt Institute, and at-large director at AIA. As an instructor of professional practice, she knows firsthand that schools can only fit so much in their curricula—and covering protocols like office standards and file management systems don’t typically make the cut. Out of impatience or frustration, managers might be tempted to clean up or perform their reports’ work themselves. “Because [architecture] is a deadline-driven profession, taking the time to sit with someone versus doing it yourself is always the calculus,” Kamdang says. Good leaders know how to weigh the short-term benefits against the long-term gains and choose appropriately. 

Architects can be micromanagers, Zapata says, but “I've always been pleasantly surprised by what happens when you give people room to spread their wings as a designer.” He might suggest directions for exploration to his team, but “more often than not, what I thought was the right solution ends up being not even in my radar.” 

Take the plunge, but jump out as needed. 

Being the person who makes the final call can be stressful and debilitating, but that’s why flexibility and self-awareness are important in leadership. “You have to be decisive, but you can’t also tie your ego to a decision if it doesn’t work,” Kamdang says. You might be tempted to dig into a path because you want to follow through, but a good leader knows when to pivot. Allowing yourself to change your mind in turn can alleviate the pressure of decision-making in the future. 

When Lindvall faces a tough decision, he asks himself, “Am I being fair and consistent?” Yet he doesn’t adhere to one answer because different circumstances call for different measures. For example, when evaluating return-to-office work policies, he recognized that some HGA locations would require significant parking and commuting expenses. He also considered that while many employees would benefit from in-person training, due to architecture’s apprenticeship model, some face extenuating circumstances that could be better accommodated with remote work. “As long as they’ve worked it out with their supervisor, [their schedule can be] what works best for everybody,” he concedes. 

Embrace the next generation. 

Any industry with a multigenerational workforce has stories of mutual resentment and disdain among baby boomers, Generation Z, and everyone in between. However, you should not write off anyone for having a working style that differs from your own. “Instead of saying, ‘This is the way things are going to be,’ leaders can be inspirational and [help give] people a sense of purpose, belonging, and support,” Zapata says. “It’s about having empathy and investing in other people. It’s easy to forget how impactful your behavior is to someone who is just starting in their career.” 

Learning the profession is difficult, Kamdang says, and leaders need to motivate emerging architects, build their confidence, and recognize that different people have different strengths. “You need to engage beyond the people who take up a lot of airtime in a room and provide a space for the equitable contribution of a team to give feedback,” she says. 

Kamdang’s preferred group meeting size is three to five people. “I can see people who are brilliant, but shy, and I want to create a safe space for them,” she says. Many excellent leaders are so because they have been preparing and training for their role and its associated skills—public speaking, management, and decision making—for years and often with coaches. Being a leader “is not something you’re either born with [or not],” Kamdang adds. “It’s something that absolutely can be developed.” 

Read, write, and read some more. 

Leaders must convey ideas clearly to garner buy-in and minimize misunderstandings. Though design education tends to prioritize visual and creative skills, Ring Murray notes, writing and reading are equally important. Writing helps you organize thoughts and presentations, she explains, while strong speed reading and comprehension abilities help you digest the dense and technical communications that come with the profession. “Mastering these skills is what distinguishes success and enables you to navigate complex projects with clarity and confidence,” she concludes.

People seem to read less these days for various reasons, such as the influx of information and quick hits online, Zapata says. “There’s a value in going deep, beyond the image, and reading and understanding the evolution of a creative group, person, or idea. We have really moved away from the idea of purpose and big ideas.” 

Don't settle for what's working. 

You’d be hard-pressed to find firms that still hand-draw renderings, much less construction documents. Even diehard CAD software users are moving to building information modeling after years of dragging their feet. The next big shift is toward artificial intelligence (AI), Kamdang says—and the grace period for adoption is not so forgiving. "If you didn't jump from AutoCAD to Revit immediately, it wasn’t going to make or break your business model,” she says. “This change is very different so you can’t be tepid.”

Though some decry the use of AI and machine learning as encroaching on design authenticity or creativity, the technology is here and already embedded in everyday workflows, such as writing emails, iterating design concepts, and running code compliance checks. Kamdang knows her students are using the technology, so she wants to help them use it better and for more complex investigations.

Successful firm leaders, like any successful industry, must continue adapting and trying new things. “The future belongs to those who are learning,” Zapata says. “If you already know everything, you belong in the past. In any profession, but especially in a creative profession, you can't allow yourself to stop learning.”

Wanda Lau is a freelance writer covering architecture and design. She lives outside Chicago.