Effective architects are leaders

Warren G. Bennis once said “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” To expand on the two key parts of the statement, the architect must:

• Have a vision: Doing so requires that you first have a strong understanding of the problem which needs to be solved. You can read more on that topic in the post titled “Solve problems, not symptoms.” Once you truly understand the problem to solve, you must define a vision of the desired outcome. Don’t define how to achieve the outcome, but rather, what the desired outcome is. There is a fine line between the two that you should be sure not to cross. Defining too much of the “how” to achieve an outcome will stifle creativity of project team members; defining too little will just cause confusion. Of course, you must also ensure that the team “buys in” to the vision. A good vision inspires people to want to achieve it, and if they don’t buy into it, they won’t want to achieve it.
• Realize the vision: Visions are useless unless they can be translated into reality. Never forget that “The difference between a vision and a hallucination is how many people can see it (Unknown).” To help others "see" your vision you must have strong communication skills, tailoring messages to different audiences as appropriate. You must be able to communicate your vision via written documentation, diagrams, and/or stories. Meaningful stories will help people better connect to your vision more than if you simply describe it. You might also develop prototypes, and/or assist project teams with actual implementation. All of these techniques will better help others see your vision and inspire them to achieve it.

Effective architects are able to translate vision into reality…effective architects are leaders.

Be sure to reference the following articles on leadership:

• Nine Ways to Identify Natural Leaders from the Wall Street Journal
• How to Tell if You’re a Natural Leader from the Wall Street Journal
• Ten Fatal Flaws that Derail Leaders from the Harvard Business Review
• 10 Easy Ways to Know You’re Not a Leader from The Practice of Leadership