jas like you I felt i didn't have a large enough portfolio of built work and questioned if i were ready. The question was answered for me when they said they were looking more at a diversity of portfolio and a willingness to seperate myself from the herd. It apparently worked as i was name to the senior architect post at 27.5

if you have any background in leadship even at a non-professional level it can guide what you are about to undertake.

Good Luck

btw age will be a factor but if you continue to be professional and engage it as such you should be alright

No one will "give" you leadership. Leadership you take.

Your problem solving and people skills are worth more than your design portfolio, which you were most likely assembling as part of a team.

You are old enough when you have had a long conversation with Death about your future or lack thereof.

It depends on what you are capable of and maturity levels. I started 6 months after a guy, I was promoted 9 months later to project manager (I had a year previous experience outside of this company) at age 24, and 5 years later he's still under me. I made the effort and took chances and did more than I was told to do-he sat back and let people hand him work, and look at the difference.

hold me closer tiny dancer
blah blah blah on the highwaaaaay!
(sweet).

Maestro is right.

I managed a design department at age 21 (sort of like a project manager in the arch. profession). I had employees with degrees in the field I worked in (industrial design). A lot of it comes down to being more mature than age. I found that a lot of customers liked the fact that I was young and taking charge. It's not for everyone though.

Just move in and start doing things the way that you feel is right and best. Make improvements where possible. It will be noticed. The possibilities are there, you just need to take them.

In addition to this position of leadership at the existing firm I also have an opportunity to go to a different firm that i normally wouldn't have considered but I am being offered to what amounts to a 25% increase plus bonuses...and the current opportunity would only net a raise in the 5-10% area...

what's more important more of the same but with much more money or the leadership position????

Age shouldn't have anything to do with leadership and management skills. Architecture is the only profession, and perhaps medicine, that you cannot graduate and be at the top.

This profession really needs to re evaluate it's positions and how the 'pay-your-dues' system works. Basically ,it doen't. It stagnates ambition and deters many of the best and most talented from the 'pyd' plan. To be profitable and do quality design requires new thinking, because there is a market, just that most architects are too stubborn to relinquish control, of either the business or design (far too often a young, talented designer gets hired to 'design', but really they just interpret the their principal's designs).
Architecture needs to alot the appropriate skills to the appropriate peolpe - designers, managers, cad, cds, etc. Large firms know this and take advantage of strengthen someone's skills over the do-it-all-er, that cannot possibly find the time to do everything well. Jack-of-all trades, master-of-none as the saying goes.

Just my 2 cents, but that's how it looks to me. Good firms stay good by knowing that they ahve to hire good designers, mediocre firms stay mediocre firms because they can't see that change is good or that they do indeed, suck. A good leader will always strive to make thigns better for the company and for the employees. A good leader will recognize when change is good and figure out how to implement it. Egos in this profession, at least from my casual observation, limit the amount of change that can occur.

So leadership can come at a young age - haven't you watched the Apprentice?? ;-)