Unravelling the most famous definition of success through the eyes of a leader.

I want to interrogate the Success Ladder by Napolean Hill and focus on what it means for leaders because, for some of us, this is how we measure ourselves. It has been referred to as the magic key to success. The 16...

Why this is the key to being a successful leader.

Just to be clear, I don’t advocate for this in order to take on more workload.

When you step outside of architectural studies, you want to save the world and you feel as though design is the way to do this. 

It can be.

But it’s...

Inspired by Daniel Kahneman’s book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, and the feeling of being swept up in some sort of whirlwind . . . Do you ever wonder whether your instincts will tell you to speed up or slow down at the right moment, in time to make the best decisions? 

There are two...

Have you ever missed an opportunity that is right in front of you, and only realised after the fact? 

I distinctly remember one of the first times I was let out on my own to present to a small community where we were developing a new scheme. 

It didn’t go well. 

It was a...

Today’s thought-provoking message is inspired by a conversation I had recently with a leader who urgently wants to make change happen but is currently standing at the base of a very steep mountain, with the peak not even in clear sight.  

To be honest with you, I feel as though I...

Changes in how projects are conceived, developed and delivered could not only rival innovation seen in the tech industry, but lead the way for a more integrated transition to a net zero future. It must be geared towards smarter ways to reuse, reinvent, and reimagine buildings and infrastructure,...

It takes real courage to admit that you don’t know the answer to something. I’ll admit I struggle with this, especially as a leader. Aren’t you supposed to be one of the key people on a project with answers to whatever challenge is thrown up on any given day? Yes, experience...

It’s funny that when I talk about leadership people think I’m just referring to the way in which you bring people with you, and the systems and processes that sit behind a great design. But the truth is effective leadership and curating a worthy design outcome are inextricably...

The three biggest obstacles to project success at this time of year hold your team back from finishing the year strong and often lead to serious compromises that you’ll spend the next six months trying to undo.  

The obstacles that I’m referring to are:

- Lack of time &...

Leaders need to pay close attention to managing the great divide between what needs to be done and what is being done. A divide that can become enormous at this time of year. 

Effective leadership is the recognition of gaps in knowledge and expectations and being prepared to step in to...

As we head into the pointy end of the year, I’m hearing a lot of talk about overwhelm, exhaustion leading to poor decision-making, and teams that are overworked and stretched in the run-up to December deadlines . . . this happens, year after year.

You can’t blame teams who are...

What if large projects could adopt the advantages of smaller projects in terms of agile team size and structure, clear communication channels, a fearlessness to innovate and clear visibility of the issues? And what if small projects could bring in the discipline typically found in large-scale...