Mark Steppan hosts Making a Mark and interviews Ben Kasdan, FAIA, a KTGY studio leader in Washington, DC, about leadership and soft skills in architectural practice. Kasdan defines leadership as inspiring others and helping people become the best versions of themselves, emphasizing relationship-based mentoring tailored to individuals, continuous learning, and creating a safe space for questions. He discusses KTGY’s multi-generation leadership structure, how AIA service helped him develop leadership skills, and the influence of mentors at KTGY and within AIA. Steppan shares his own AIA leadership experience and how crisis leadership built confidence and community support. They highlight empathy, vision, integrity, humility, and vulnerability as key traits, and briefly consider AI as a tool likely to impact repetitive tasks and data analysis more than core architectural synthesis.
