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Hi! I'm Michael.
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Welcome to this week's useletter.
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The newsletter that's useful. Focussed on your future not my past.
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Hey legends, it’s been too long!
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I’ve missed you and this fortnightly space we have together.
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I’ve been holed up in front of a computer and/or in front of a classroom, just managing to keep my head above water. Academic life can overwhelm. Nothing bad, just a little overcommitted teaching a leadership course and starting an MPhil!
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But over the last couple of months I’ve learnt so much and found helpful connections across all my work. The stress has been worthwhile and now I’ve a little more time I’m keen to come back here to share the useful things I’m learning. Sometimes it's just everyday lessons I shouldn’t need reminding of.
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Recognise when you’re drowning.
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And failing that, make sure you’ve people around you that can point it out.
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If you’re drowning, stick your hand up and ask for help. No point in going under alone and unaided. I’ve got amazing people around me who are supportive and understanding. Thanks to them all.
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For now, allow me to get you up to speed on the research I’m doing.
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PS: As always feel free to get in touch should you have any insights you'd like to share, questions or need support in any way shape or form.
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A new model of leadership
This fortnight I'm not going deep into insights and learning. I'm going to introduce you to some of my current thinking, which may be helpful to you to. I'm covering some previous ground of mine you might have heard me mention... Leadership!
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And based upon my current MPhil topic:
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A leadership model for enhanced knowledge flow and digital innovation in the architecture industry.
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Where my focus currently is on Distributed Leadership and Digital Leadership, as well as Reverse Mentoring (which I’ll come to in detail in another useletter). They're leadership for practice development, knowledge sharing and innovation.
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Distributed Leadership “is a paradigm that shifts focus from individual leaders to collective practices, emphasising collaboration shared responsibilities, and the dynamic interplay between leaders, followers, and context” [1] Team members, at all levels, are afforded the opportunity to adopt a position of leadership when their skills and knowledge are most relevant to the task at hand. [2]
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Digital Leadership requires leaders skilled in a combination of both technological communications and traditional human skills. Leaders capable of supporting change in attitudes, thinking, behaviour and performance across individuals, teams, and organisations. Digital Leadership requires leaders to be engaged with the latest technology, be digitally literate and accomplished at making informed decisions around the use of technology. It has a central role in facilitating digital transition and transformation. (Summarised from López-Figueroa et al.) [3]
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Distributed Digital Leadership
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I’m evaluating this as a leadership model for practices establishing future readiness. Distributed and Digital Leadership have both been shown (outside of the architectural sector) to support digital innovation and knowledge sharing. It’s one of my research aims to understand if they might be used in concert to deliver similar outcomes in architectural practice. I'll be undertaking a Reverse Mentoring Case Study, evaluating it as a version of Distributed Digital Leadership.
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Reverse Mentoring should not be narrowly defined around tech-skills, but instead encompass a more diverse range of generational, cultural and organisational influences [4]. Reverse Mentoring involves a junior member of the organisational team mentoring a more senior team member, with an exchange of knowledge and insight, from junior to senior. With the potential for an exchange between mentee to mentor too.
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I’ll go into all this in more detail next useletter, and turn towards useful insights, methodologies or concepts.
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In the meantime my challenge for you is to think about how you might lead and improve knowledge sharing and innovation in your practice.
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[2] Bennett, N., Wise, C., Woods, P., Harvey, J., 2003. Distributed leadership: A review of literature, National College for School Leadership (NCSL).
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[3] López-Figueroa, J.C., Ochoa-Jiménez, S., Palafox-Soto, M.O., Sujey Hernandez Munoz, D., 2025. Digital Leadership: A Systematic Literature Review. Adm. Sci. 15, 129. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15040129
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The culture of practice workshops
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Workshops ending with better practice
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Master practice skills, leadership and elevate your team’s culture.
Build a more efficient and adaptable practice, with a plan for the future.
Level up team skills to amplify practice capabilities, wellbeing and passion.ion.
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Free 45 minute Practice Clarity Consultation
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recent useful blog posts...
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It might be time for the architecture profession’s leaders to starting learning form the ground up.
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There’s two main ways to stand out. Be different. or Be better. Copying is the route to unexceptional.
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Or…
do architects do too many of the wrong things?
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“As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” - Bill Gates
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