Using Enterprise Architecture to Develop Organizational Leaders

“Successful enterprise architects need to develop more than just key technology priorities”

Stephen Covey once wrote, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” Providing direction is about defining the “main things”, setting the course and engaging others in it. It provides a frame of reference for projects and day-to-day work while linking these efforts in a clear line of site to the success of the company. Successful enterprise architects need to develop more than just key technology priorities. Providing direction is about putting those priorities in business context so people know why they are important and how they will be achieved. When effectively executing against this leadership responsibility, enterprise architects will develop the communication skills to effectively rally support for the direction. Once the current situation is understood and your direction has been set, allocating resources becomes easier. When your leaders have a hard time determining how to allocate resources, it may be because the direction is not clearly defined. enterprise architects need to understand what is working, what isn’t working and ask themselves what they need to do different. Allocating resources is all about making sure your resources are aligned with your “main things” and not against other less important activities. Enterprise architects may focus on technology tools and resources but a well-executed Enterprise Architecture will also need to take into account the finances and the human resources needed to deliver against key priorities. What does this cost to run today? What should my future costs be? Do I have the right people in the right roles to execute successfully? To answer these questions, enterprise architects will need to think creatively about how to use their people, finances and technologies. Developing the skills to make important choices about how to use your resources is a critical to effective leadership.

The final leadership responsibility is about the development of both individuals and the organization as a whole. At the individual level, an enterprise architect will seek to develop their own technical skills and capabilities as well as the skills of other architects. At an organizational level, the enterprise architect will look to close any technical capability gaps in the organization that limit the ability to execute against the strategic direction. To carry out this leadership responsibility, your enterprise architect will develop both technology and people assessment skills. Their ability to provide meaningful feedback will mature over time and the enterprise architect will develop the ability to provide ongoing coaching. Another skill that will be developed through the execution of this leadership principle is big picture thinking. It may start as big picture with regard to Information Technology but as it matures, this will develop into an ability to apply that thinking to the larger organization.

Leadership is a necessary ingredient for the long term success of our organizations. From an Information Technology perspective, the enterprise architect is often called upon to provide technology leadership. However, merely creating an Enterprise Architecture role in your organization is not sufficient. That would be like putting a greeter at the front door of a Kmart and calling it Walmart. Rather than focus on the artifacts and frameworks, perhaps we should look to leverage Enterprise Architecture as a method for nurturing leaders and key leadership skills. In doing so, the true value of Enterprise Architecture can be realized through the effective development of leaders you can deploy throughout your organization.