When did you first see personal evolution outpace formal training in architecture?

I first really noticed it when I shifted from solving design problems myself to being responsible for how other people solved them. That’s a very different kind of challenge. Some targeted management training can really help with that, too, especially when it comes to understanding how to work with different personalities and communication styles. For example, tools like DiSC can be useful for understanding how people tend to operate, whether they lean more toward Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, or Compliance, and that can make a big difference in communication and teamwork. 

As a designer, you also need to be exposed to different kinds of problem-solving that go beyond design itself. A lot of it is about communication, collaboration, and learning how to adjust the team’s workflow depending on the people and the project. That kind of skill mostly comes through experience working across different project types, larger teams, and broader delivery scopes. 

In many ways, architecture teaches you how to design buildings, but the profession itself teaches you how to lead, negotiate, adapt, and influence.

What daily ritual first accelerated your transition from designer to director-level leadership?