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Chipman Design Architecture participated in Stan’s Donut 5k in Chicago last year.
STRONGER TOGETHER, from page 7
or architectural expertise, leadership and mentorship excellence, and the innate ability to problem solve. I believe that time develops these skills, but that development happens at different rates for everyone, so there is not a minimum age for being named a principal. As a CEO/ principal in her 30s, I know that I still have that ability to continue to grow, but I am buoyed by my strong leadership team. TZL: In one word or phrase, what do you describe as your number one job responsibility as CEO? LC: Accountability. I am accountable to my team members to ensure that they are well-trained and set-up for success, I am accountable to our clients to ensure that we are making them successful in their growth, and I am accountable to our leadership to continue to inspire them to lead to greater heights. TZL: What happens to the firm if you leave tomorrow? LC: My voice carries and I love to walk around the office and catch-up with my team members, so the office would probably be a lot quieter. TZL: Diversity and inclusion is lacking. What steps are you taking to address the issue? LC: I am proud to say we are a diverse team across the spectrum of gender, sexual orientation, religion, and race – it’s something that we truly celebrate. I believe that empathy can be informed by diversity. By engaging with someone different from you on a daily basis, we are able to become better listeners, better mentors, and better designers.
in which leadership presents pertinent information from recent projects), as well as my monthly series, Lunch with Lauren (sharing project information from around the office, discussing current design trends, or even just bringing in a meditation instructor to impart stress- relieving methods). We believe that together we are stronger, and structure our talent training to cumulatively leverage the shared knowledge across the country. “With flex hours, summer hours, and investment in a mobile workflow, we invest heavily in our company culture to create an atmosphere of appreciation and transparency ... We believe that an environment where our team members feel valued is an environment in which they will thrive.” TZL: How many years of experience – or large enough book of business – is enough to become a principal in your firm? Are you naming principals in their 20s or 30s? LC: A principal is the one position in our firm for which there is no job description, because no two principals are alike. All of our leadership members have a unique skill set that makes them indispensable to the firm, however a number of things set them apart: design and/
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THE ZWEIG LETTER September 23, 2019, ISSUE 1313
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