Just an aside - I can see Kevin's response to my post, but I can't see my own post? The page itself says there's only 1 comment..

Excellent point about not doing the coding any more. I think this is healthy, despite popular opinion otherwise. I believe that one of the most important 'customers' that a software architect has are the developers - their requirements must be addressed just like any other. This is where the stereotypical 'ivory tower' architectures hit problems, and why a solid background in development is so important.

This doesn't mean you have to be in the thick of it coding new features and bug fixes yourself. You can get just as much, if not more, feedback by watching someone else. You don't do usability testing by using something yourself - why should a software architecture be any different?

Ultimately, you have to learn to let go and this can be a deceptively hard thing to do; especially if you've spiked the initial implementation, the detail-obsessive side of any good developer can kick in!

That attention to detail is a valuable trait, as it keeps you honest, but staying focused at that level is unhealthy, and it'll make other people think you don't trust them.

Yes, there's a mentoring aspect, but that's no different to a lead deveoper, so it's not relevant to a discussion of 'distinguishing features'.

Phrases like 'audacity', 'confidence', 'go ahead anyway' etc - I think these are all different ways of describing leadership. You certainly need experience, depth and breadth of knowledge, etc to provide effective leadership - but plenty of developers out there have that depth of experience; that does not automatically make them good architects.