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.
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 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.”
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.”
