Power, Authority and Influence and the future of EA - Part 1

*“The Powerless Architect Problem — Why EAs Need Authority”*

In this episode of **Enterprise Architecture Radio**, we dive into one of the most uncomfortable truths in our profession:

👉 Enterprise Architects often know the right long‑term decision… but lack the power to enforce it.

I open this episode with a story — a strategic decision that went wrong because leadership chose speed over architecture. The EA saw the risks clearly. The EA raised the red flags. But without authority, the EA’s voice was ignored… and the organization paid the price in technical debt, rework, and millions lost in avoidable complexity.

This is not an isolated incident.
This is the **Powerless Architect Problem**.

In Part 1 of this 3‑part series, we explore:

*🔥 What happens when EA is advisory but not authoritative*
Why organizations treat EA as a “suggestion box”
How short‑term decisions destroy long‑term value
Why strategic failures often trace back to ignored architectural guidance

*🔥 The Consulting vs. Authority Dilemma*
When EA advises but cannot decide
Why governance without power is theatre
How authoritative EA protects the enterprise from itself

*🔥 Why Enterprise Architects MUST have power and influence*
Power = the ability to make decisions that stick
Influence = the ability to shape decisions even without formal authority
Why EA is a strategic function, not a documentation function

This episode sets the stage for Part 2, where we break down *Jeffrey Pfeffer’s 7 Rules of Power* — and how EAs can use them ethically to gain influence, drive outcomes, and protect the long‑term interests of the organization.

If you’re an EA, solution architect, technology leader, or someone who has ever watched a bad decision unfold in slow motion… this episode is for you.

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*🎧 Listen. Reflect. And reclaim your power as an architect.*

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Timecodes:
0:00 - Introduction



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