LEADERSHIP CORNER
Architects Hawaii CEO focuses on tomorrow

Interviewed by Susan Hooper
Advertiser Staff Writer

Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Self portrait: I tend to always try to be out front a bit, and what I mean by that is I will be thinking about the ramifications of something almost immediately. If somebody describes something today, I'll tend to think about what that means for tomorrow. So I'm not a person that conceptually focuses on a lot of small details. I have done that a lot in my life, but I do enjoy and tend to gravitate toward big-picture things.

Favorite book: I really don't have a favorite book. I do have a favorite writer. I really enjoy John LeCarre. He's got such phenomenal insights into people. He intertwines that with espionage plots that are very credible. They always come down to things that I can imagine actually happening, and I think about how people might react in those situations or how I might react in those situations. That's always fascinated me. Particularly in his earlier books, a lot of it is what motivates people to act in complex situations. He understands people very well.

Favorite business book: If I had to pick one, it would be "Who Moved My Cheese?" because it's very simple and it focuses on people's ability to deal with change, and I think that is one of the keys to success in the design world as well as in the business world — to be open to and enthusiastic about change, even though it can push you into what may be an uncomfortable zone for yourself, because you're having to do things you hadn't done before.

Favorite Web site or search engine: I usually go to Google. I try to be very focused about my use of the computer. I use it a lot, but I don't use it out of fascination; I try to be very focused.

Best part of your job: What I really enjoy is seeing built those buildings that I've designed. I enjoy knowing that they're in our community; I enjoy driving by them and I enjoy thinking back about all the experiences that go into carrying out an architectural project. During the years that I practiced in Asia, we did projects in many different locations — in China and the Philippines and other places. We were based in Hong Kong and very often we would see the completed building at the opening ceremonies and hardly ever see it again. And I think what I really enjoy about being back here now for the past 12 years is that continuity that we have here in Hawai'i. It isn't just the pleasure of seeing your project built, it's the continuity that it represents between the people relationships and all the experiences that you've had that go into completing that project.

Worst part of your job: The worst part of the job is seeing people fail.

Trademark expression: The one thing that always comes into my mind is, "It's all about people." I think the key to people reaching their potential is the way they work together. People need to see a vision, and they need to see how they can contribute to achieving that vision. Clarity is also a key factor in success — establishing clear goals, communicating them, and saying it straight. Few visions are achievable by any one person. One must ask for ideas and support, and express thanks when receiving it. Encouraging people to take initiative and responsibility and letting go when they do can, I believe, move mountains.

Worst decision as a leader: Many years ago, before I moved to Hawai'i, I was working on a school in New Hampshire. I was a young architect designing the exterior of the building, and I wanted the pattern of the windows on the facade of the building to have a certain design. And for reasons that the principal architect whom I was working for — my boss — thought were practical, he said, "No, we're not going to do it that way; we're going to do it this other way." This is a small thing, but that small thing has stuck with me for over 30 years. And I often asked myself, "Why did that stick with me?" And I reached the conclusion that it stuck with me because I didn't fight for what I believed in. And I was not a leader. Everybody who works on a project in Architects Hawaii should be a leader. I want our staff to fight with me for what they believe in.

Most difficult challenge: My most difficult challenge was responding to Tiananmen Square's economic aftershock. In 1989, we had close to 30 people in our Hong Kong office. Our China work included a Center for American Studies and an addition to the Shanghai First People's Hospital, plus hotels and residential developments. Tiananmen Square shut down many of our projects in China and also in Hong Kong and the Philippines, painfully causing us to terminate many staff. Tiananmen Square prompted us to question the assumption of political stability as a basis of our strategic planning in Asia. In spite of our confidence that stability would eventually return, we ultimately decided to close our Hong Kong office in 1990. Tiananmen Square taught us that political stability should never be taken for granted, even though we in America have been fortunate to have enjoyed it since the Civil War.

Taking on...

Positive effects of reaching out

• A couple of years ago I was elected president of the American Institute of Architects, Honolulu, and at that time we probably had about 800 members. But participation was quite low, and so I personally invited the heads of architectural firms to come in groups of 10 at a time and have lunch in the AIA Honolulu office for the purpose of telling us what they think about AIA Honolulu, what benefits they think it provides and what they think it is not doing right and can do better.

I mixed those lunches with the heads of large firms and very small practices. And we simply had very open and frank discussions, and we (the AIA officers) tried to be very good listeners. I think we learned a great deal. And also, by having reached out to those individuals, some who had not felt that the organization cared about their needs became far more involved in the organization following those lunches. It had a very positive effect on the participation.