Don't settle for good when you can be great

I think that so much of the time design professionals have trouble taking charge of their work and therefore their projects.  This results in an atrophying of our own professional vision, and can make the design goals of our projects so muddied that we cannot recognize them halfway through the process.   If you work for a firm, you may find your ability to lead blunted by the agenda of its owners- that may accomplish other tangential company goals, but cause an individual project to suffer.  I just read a great article by James P. Cramer published in DesignIntelligence update http://www.di.net/articles/archive/the_seven_characteristics_leaders/  that I think really deals well with how to motivate yourself and your project team, including owners and consultants to be visionary and accomplish great things.