The Architect Elevator
The role of Software Architect is typically not well defined in most organizations and I've found Gregor Hohpe's description of The Architect Elevator to be the most enlightening.
I discovered Gregor Hohpe's book 37 Things One Architect Knows About IT Transformation: A Chief Architect's Journey on a long business trip a few years ago when I was trying to understand what it means to be a Software Architect. I've always had a sense that it was more than just a really really senior developer. Gregor's model of an Architect is someone who rides the organization elevator and leads change has provided me considerable perspective at how a Software Architect can bring value to an organization.
This video provides a good introduction to what Gregor's description of an Architect. I especially like his diagram at the end.
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