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What’s the Common Denominator in Design Projects?

Every design practice, its clients, project inputs, teams, and performance requirements, are unique. Yet our core processes, which produce unique outcomes, are remarkably consistent. That, precisely, is what defines our work as a profession. I first saw this with absolute clarity on a tour of...

What, exactly, is Leadership in A|E|C Design?

Written by Charles Nelson - January 29, 2025

Ask any number of leadership experts to list the essential components of leadership, and you’ll get an equal number of lists, with 4 to 20 items, all different except that most of them will include Communication. There is no consensus.

PSMJ has seen that certain aspects of leadership are more important in the A|E|C world, so we’ve created our own list for your review. Here are the top 7 components:

 

1. COMMUNICATION

Communication, in all its forms, has to be front & centre on any meaningful Leadership list.

 

2. ACTIVE LISTENING

Your immediate reaction probably is: “Hold on! Isn’t Listening part of Communication?” YES, but PSMJ’s research with consultants and clients revealed a problem: In a survey of 600 responses of A|E Firm PMs, Principals & CEOs, “Good communicator” was at the top of the list of good PM traits. However, a survey of 40 clients on the same question put “Good communicator” as 6th in the top 10, with “Good listener” as 2nd.

Go figure! Clients value Good Listening as much more important than any other aspect of Communication, so much so as to give it separate status.

Active listening (which includes asking questions} is very different from passive listening, where the designer patiently waits for the client to stop talking so they can resume explaining how they are going to solve all the client’s problems by design.

 

3. DELEGATE AUTHORITY WITH RESPONSIBILITY

One of the biggest mistakes design professionals make is to delegate responsibility for actions without the corresponding authority to make the decisions those actions require. It’s high on the list of ways to lose your best people.

 

4. CREATE A TWO-TIER CLIENT/PROJECT FOCUS

Delegation makes this strategy possible. The primary relationship is between Design-side PMs and Client-side PMs, with a secondary (but equally important) relationship between Design-side senior management and Client-side senior management. In this structure, senior management supports and backs the PM’s authority for project success. It’s high on the list of ways to retain your best people.

 

5. BE DECISIVE

Together with assessing risk, employ and apply all the steps in DECISION MAKING, as expeditiously as possible. If you make a mistake, take responsibility for it. If it was the best decision, give credit to the PM for implementing the decision.

 

6. OPENNESS & HONESTY

Trust is everything. Ensure that the people you lead know everything they need to know to make their own best decisions.

 

7. GROW YOUR REPLACEMENTS

Your most important job, as a leader, is to provide every opportunity for your followers to become leaders themselves. If you fail in that, your best people will leave to find opportunities where they can learn those skills. They will be your next competitors. When it comes time to transfer ownership of your firm, there won’t be anybody there who can take over.

 

WHAT ABOUT THE DUCKS?

The ducks didn’t make the first 7 cut. They are 8th on our list. Mother duck, however, gets the 7th leadership component.

 

 

29 January 2025 | Charles Nelson LFRAIA AIA AECPM