Laney LA Team Photo. Image courtesy of Laney LA

What happens when a team outgrows its leader? It is a predicament that takes maturity and skill to overcome. On the one hand, one can become insecure, unsure, and unwilling to grow, thinking only of their personal image and status within the group. The fear of being surpassed or outshined naturally may begin to set in. It is indeed a trying circumstance, a difficult one that many successful teams face. But, on the other hand, there are those leaders who embrace their growth, they put their teams before themselves. There are those leaders who can confidently acknowledge what they bring to the table, what they do well, and what others do better than them. They lift others up and celebrate when they see them succeed. It was Nelson Mandela who said that it is better to lead from behind and to put others in front. A true leader knows that the success of the group is far more important than their own. 

Anthony Laney of Laney LA is one of those leaders. The studio, founded by his wife, Krista Laney, and himself almost five years ago, has been growing at a rapid pace and they are quickly establishing themselves as a household name within the Los Angeles architecture scene. What began as two people in a garage has now grown into a booming practice staffed by a dynamic and enthusiastic team of 14 architects and designers. Laney LA has recently relocated to a beautiful studio space right in the heart of Hermosa Beach, moving closer to their clients and projects. “It represents everything that we love about Los Angeles: a lifestyle that moves seamlessly from outdoor to indoor, the pure sunlight of the beach, and a city that works on a human scale,” Anthony writes about the move. With this transition also comes the opportunity for more growth within the studio, and Laney LA's new opening for a Studio Director who will help propel the firm into an exciting new season. I had the pleasure of sitting down and speaking with Anthony about this new position and the exciting things in store for Laney LA in the coming years.

Rapid Growth

When I first sat down with Anthony, I was interested in learning more about his journey. Having a firm that was founded only five years ago in a garage with zero clients grow to its current level must have been a bumpy ride. I started off the conversation asking him about that experience.

“I love the constant change and growth, and the learning curve has been very steep,” he said. “Every year, the challenges that we face, the projects that we tackle, and the caliber of clients that we serve continues to grow. And that's exciting for me. We come across these new challenges, and it provides a cool moment for us to say, ‘all right, it's a new obstacle. How do we overcome it?’”

Culture is Key

As I thought back to our conversation, I kept remembering something I read in Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs biography, specifically concerning Jobs’ reality distortion field. This intoxicating ability to inspire people, to convince them that the impossible is possible. Anthony talks with a passion and a conviction that draws you in. It’s a quality that becomes apparent when you see the enthusiasm and zeal the rest of his team has about architecture. I wanted to learn more about the culture within the studio and asked him to elaborate a bit more on the day to day atmosphere within the firm.

“I'm always intrigued when people talk about culture. It's somehow immediately connected to things that might make work more fun or things that you do after work with your peers,” he shared, expanding on some of his ideas about work-life balance. “While I love those things, and we turn up the volume on all of those aspects, what I mean when I say ‘culture’ is a little deeper and a little harder to put your finger on; it’s the things that truly make us who we are,” he continued.

At Laney LA, each person has a unique voice that is cultivated and appreciated

If you take a glance at the firm’s Instagram page or even their website, you start to get a sense of the internal dynamic. Everyone seems invested in some way. It’s not this typical set up where you have the “master” at the helm and an army of underlings ready to follow orders. At Laney LA, each person has a unique voice that is cultivated and appreciated in some way. Take their Team Talks, for example, something that has become a staple within the office. Every Monday morning, a team member prepares a 20-minute talk on a topic about architecture or related to architecture. It might be something about the creative process or even someone’s recent trip to Peru. Team members present their research to the group in an effort to inspire, investigate, and inform the work the office is currently doing. It’s these kinds of interactive and engaging collaborations that help develop the leaders Anthony is so passionate to mold.

When a Team Outgrows its Leader

It’s evident that the culture coupled with the team’s relentless work ethic is what has propelled them to their current status, one where growth is imminent, and improvement is necessary. And as the leadership prepares to move into their next season of maturity, the opportunity for a new team member has become apparent. The hunt for a Studio Director has been underway for a while now, and Anthony is committed to finding the perfect candidate. It’s intriguing to hear him talk about this; he nobly fights that tendency many of us have, to avoid admitting we need help. 

I think that's why this position is so special. I'm looking for an expert in design leadership

“I think I have to be comfortable with the fact that I can recognize that my team and my projects have outgrown me,” he said carefully, you can sense the effort it takes to get into this part of the conversation. “They are in need of someone to partner with me to take them farther than they could go with just me,” he expressed, returning to his normal comfort level. “I think that's why this position is so special. I'm looking for an expert in design leadership, not in a way that I'm threatened by how good they are, but in a way where they can help elevate my project managers and I can partner with them in taking the firm to the next level.” 

Diving back into our question from the beginning, what happens when a team outgrows its leader? Here we find a leader who has taken the difficult step in realizing that his team needs more than just him. There’s an old proverb that says “you can always judge a tree by the fruit it produces,” in that no matter what someone says, we can always see their true colors by what they produce in their lives. With Laney LA, the past five years have seen tremendous growth, and the trajectory is continuing strong, all under Anthony’s leadership. It’s tough moments like these that seem to make or break a team’s success: what is a leader willing to do to ensure the success of the group?

The Studio Director Day-to-Day

The new Studio Director will be on the leadership team along with Anthony and his business manager, Mebra Kisaka, working on all strategic aspects within the practice. They will act as a new layer of leadership between Anthony and all of his project managers, who interact with the clients and design the projects. I wanted to dive a little deeper into the Studio Director role, and so I asked Anthony to explain in a bit more detail. I was specifically interested in the structure of the rest of the studio:

“On day one, five project managers, each with their own team of one to two aspiring architects, will report to the Studio Director,” he explained. “So, in total, the Studio Director will be leading a team of about 14 people. Right now, I'm giving about 30 percent of my time to a Studio Director role. We want to tear the lid off of that and allow someone to give it 100 percent of their time.”

The new addition will help expand the firm’s commercial division, which is waiting to launch, but sitting idle as the search for a suitable director continues. Laney LA has made its name primarily in high-end custom homes, but it’s at a point where commercial work is beginning to flood in. The Studio Director will have a massive impact on the team as a mentor, a teacher, and kind of a resident expert, but also in the crucial process of growing the organization, which Anthony believes will go from 14 to about 20 in the coming years.

Video courtesy of Laney LA

The Ideal Team Member

During the conversation, the one thing I kept thinking was that someone of the caliber Anthony is searching for is probably not hurting for a job. Why should they leave their comfortable position and join a young firm like Laney LA? I pressed Anthony to address this question. “Look, I recognize that a rock star, someone who is world-class is not going to be unemployed right now,” he admitted. “They’re going to be extremely effective and probably very well compensated. This is someone who wants to not only make an impact through the designs that they produce, but they're also in love with creating and building a team,” he continued.

Why should they leave their comfortable position and join a young firm like Laney LA?

The reality distortion field began to take effect, and I had to focus and stay objective. “If they're sensing that they love teaching, mentoring, and architecture, but their current position doesn't allow them to fire on all of those cylinders, then I think we might have an interesting conversation,” he said. “Maybe it’s somebody who's been killing it as an associate at an awesome firm, but they know that partnership is never going to happen for them. Maybe they've hit the ceiling in their practice. Now, they have an opportunity to take a quantum leap in their career.”

The Long-term Vision

I’m sold at this point, but I’m not sure if its Anthony’s persuasiveness or the excitement I have for someone joining this team and being a part of their next chapter. In any case, we discussed the Studio Director role a bit longer. Anthony shared the different types of people he’s been interviewing, everywhere from those who have run their own firms to project managers who are ready to make a big career jump. He shared his appreciation for the writer, Patrick Lencioni, and how one of his sayings captures the type of leader he is looking for: Hungry, humble, smart. Anthony wants someone who is hungry for personal growth, who is humble and puts the team before themselves, and someone who is people smart, who can adapt to the mood and work well with others.

In the years ahead, the firm is going to finally see one of their first project cycles completed. In the last five years, they’ve only completed about two or three projects, but in the next 12 months, they’re going to see 15 to 20 projects photographed. Instead of merely a digital practice, Laney LA is slowly emerging as the real deal.

Studio Director Revisited

Before we part ways, I asked Anthony if there was anything else he wanted to say to a prospective Studio Director. "I feel like we need to recognize that they will be taking a risk on us," he said. "They're joining a firm that is only five years old, and that is a risk, and we will be taking a risk on them as well—putting them in a leadership position with incredible authority." He makes sure to explain the intricate on-boarding plan he has prepared for the new team member. 

For "month one, month two, all the way to year one," Anthony has created a detailed transition plan where the Studio Director will get to know every project, every team member, and every job site on a deep level. It's a sincere gesture of empathy and understanding for the prospective leader, acknowledging that they will be coming into a completely new environment. Anthony has prepared for the long haul and already sees the unknown addition as an intimate member of his team.

Going to the Next Level

We started this article with a question of how a leader addresses a growing team, how someone takes the bold step to acknowledge what their company needs. As Laney LA continues to grow and build itself into a formidable Los Angeles practice, they have recognized their need for a new team member, someone who can partner with their current leadership and help facilitate a genuinely ambitious vision. Maybe that person is you; perhaps you’re looking for a change, a new challenge, or even to embrace your calling as a mentor, a teacher, and a leader. Or maybe even you know someone. Perhaps a mentor who you’ve always looked up to, or even an old boss that you used to have. Be sure to check out their Archinect job listing, their Instagram, and their website, and see if this might be a possible fit for you.

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This article is sponsored by Laney LA.