One of the most nuanced shifts in engineering management is learning how to influence architecture without being the one to design it directly.

As a new EM (or a tech-savvy one), it can be tempting to jump in and lead every system decision — especially if you’ve built systems at scale before. But doing so often creates more problems than it solves.

So how do you steer architectural direction without becoming the architect yourself?

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Step Back Without Stepping Away

First, recognize that owning the architecture is not your job anymore — enabling good architecture is.

Your team’s growth depends on giving engineers ownership. If you make all the architectural decisions, you rob them of the opportunity to develop this critical skill.

Instead:

• Set clear boundaries and goals.
• Provide high-level context and constraints.
• Ask guiding questions instead of giving answers.
• Encourage exploration and critical thinking.

You’re not solving the problem — you’re raising the bar on how the problem is solved.

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Focus on the Environment, Not the Diagram

Great architecture doesn’t start with a whiteboard session. It starts with a culture that:

• Encourages questioning assumptions
• Values simplicity over cleverness
• Prioritizes alignment over speed
• Holds a shared understanding of tradeoffs

As a manager, your job is to create and protect this environment:

• Facilitate design reviews that are collaborative, not combative.
• Reward clean, maintainable solutions — not just fast ones.
• Coach engineers on how to make decisions, not just what decisions to make.

You’re designing the system around the system — the team process that shapes architecture over time.

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Stay Technical, Stay Curious

Just because you're not designing every piece doesn’t mean you're hands-off.

You should:

• Stay familiar with your team’s technical stack and constraints.
• Dive into RFCs or designs — not to rewrite them, but to understand and unblock.
• Model good architectural thinking: tradeoffs, scale, reliability, and long-term thinking.

You’re a thought partner, not a bottleneck.

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Know When to Step In

There are times when EMs should take a more active role:

• When the team lacks senior ICs with architectural experience
• When designs are misaligned with long-term strategy
• When there’s risk of creating tech debt the org can’t afford

In those cases, step in — but with transparency. Explain why you're involved, what success looks like, and how you’ll eventually step back.

The goal is never to own the design. It’s to get the team back to a place where they can own it confidently.

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Final Thoughts

Guiding architecture as an EM is like steering a ship from the helm — not from the engine room. You're not turning the bolts; you're setting the course and keeping an eye on the horizon.

Empower your engineers to become the architects. Coach them through tough decisions. Foster a culture that cares about good design.

Because the best architecture doesn’t come from one brilliant brain — it comes from a well-supported, well-led team.

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Have thoughts on how managers can stay technical without overreaching? Let’s connect.