Real-World Enterprise Architecture

Enterprise architecture does not sit downstream from strategy. It either shapes it—or becomes irrelevant.In this episode, I challenge one of the most damaging myths in enterprise architecture: the idea that strategy belongs exclusively to executives, and architects are merely there to “align.” That belief quietly turns architects into translators, not leaders—and ensures they’re treated as overhead rather than strategic drivers.I explore what happens when architects wait for clarity instead of shaping it, when they accept incoherent direction instead of challenging it, and when they confuse alignment with contribution. Through real-world patterns and uncomfortable truths, this episode makes one thing clear: if you don’t help design the strategy, you will be forced to implement decisions you didn’t influence—and often don’t believe in.This episode is about reclaiming the architect’s strategic role, developing cross-functional thinking, and stepping into the conversations where real choices are made. Architecture becomes strategic not by proximity to power, but by the courage to engage with it.If you want to be seen as a business leader—not just a technical authority—this episode will challenge how you think about your role, your voice, and your responsibility.If you wait for strategy to come from above, you’re not an architect—you’re a technician.⸻📚 Books referenced in this episode: • Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works — A.G. Lafley & Roger L. Martin

Using TOGAF doesn’t fail because the framework is weak. It fails because people apply it without awareness.In this episode, I explore why TOGAF is so often misused in real organizations—and why the problem is rarely technical. Most architects don’t misuse the ADM because they lack training. They misuse it because they operate on autopilot, confuse structure with judgment, and hide behind process instead of thinking.This is not an episode about memorizing phases or following steps. It’s about understanding how ego, fear, and the need to appear competent distort how frameworks are applied in practice.If you’ve ever “used TOGAF” and still struggled to create clarity, alignment, or meaningful decisions, this episode will challenge you.This is Part 1 of a series on using TOGAF with maturity—where structure supports thinking, not replaces it.Performing the method is not the same as practicing architecture.⸻📚 Books referenced in this episode: • Ego Free Leadership — Brandon Black & Shane Hughes • The (Delicate) Art of Bureaucracy — Mark Schwartz • The Art of Business Value — Mark Schwartz • The Infinite Game — Simon Sinek

Enterprise Architecture doesn’t start with frameworks. It starts with you. In this first episode of Real-World Enterprise Architecture, I challenge one of the most comfortable illusions in our profession: the idea that mastering frameworks is enough. It isn’t. This episode isn’t about TOGAF steps, capability maps, or methodology compliance. It’s about the person applying them. About how ego, fear, and unexamined assumptions quietly shape architectural decisions—often more than any standard ever will. If you’ve ever followed a framework correctly and still failed to create real impact, this episode is for you. Every diagram you create carries your bias, even when you call it a standard. ⸻ 📚 Books referenced in this episode • Ego Free Leadership — Brandon Black & Shayne Hughes • Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 — John C. Maxwell • Out of the Maze — Spencer Johnson