What advice would you give your younger self?

We asked a panel of global design leaders what advice they would give their younger selves.

Last month I asked our panel and the wider industry if they would recommend a career in architecture and design to their children. It was a sombre picture. Seventy two percent of professionals said they would not.

For this round I want something more energising. Something you can carry with you. We have a brilliant panel and a wealth of scar tissue, near misses and wins. It feels right to turn that into lessons others can use.

Architecture and design ask a lot of us. The best bits are still the same as ever. Turning ideas into spaces people love, working with incredible, creative people. The hard bits are familiar too. Patience, resilience, knowing when to say yes and when to walk away.

When I look back, I can point to moments where a single nudge would have saved months of doubt or sent me down a bolder path. That is the spirit of this month’s question.

If you could give one piece of earned wisdom back to your 25 year old self, what would it be?

Trust your pace. You don’t need to sprint to prove you belong. The work that will shape your career: the projects, the relationships, the ideas, will come from curiosity and consistency, not comparison. Believe in your ideas and commit to your own path. Don’t waste energy worrying about who did it first or what others might think. Your version will be always unique.

In the end, it isn’t about fitting a mould, it’s about shaping your own.

Trust your instincts, always. Work with the best, learn from it. Never stop learning, hard work pays back. Spread your circle wider, sooner, and create your own allies, together you are stronger. Be an architect as a maximiser, enabler for societal change not as fountainhead with the final answer.

Bring with you your values, always, and use your power to leave a long-lasting legacy, in the way your treat people, fight for the right inclusivity changes, make places for everybody. You are lucky, you do something you love so aim to the sky and bring others with you.

Be more curious, unafraid to ask questions, and committed to learning. Equip yourself with knowledge and welcome collaboration, for working with others unlocks greater results. Trust your abilities, embrace challenges early, and remember that growth comes from openness, humility, and the courage to explore beyond your comfort zone each day.

At 25, in my case 1996, the world looked very different to how it does now. That only strengthens the piece of advice I would have given myself. Take more risks when you are younger and find a way to step outside your tiny Bristol bubble. Start a practice, work abroad, build bigger dreams.

Follow your instincts and do not for a second doubt yourself, your value, your worth and your input.

Be passionate, but remain patient. Listen first before you speak. Use words sparingly and stick to the point.

Do not fear the mistakes. Learn from them, but remember they become the blueprint for the kind of designer, leader and chief executive you will grow into.

As a designer, mistakes train your eye. As a leader, they build empathy. As a chief executive, they shape your ability to see both risk and opportunity clearly.

Rex, Roger and I set up our practice whilst still at college. In 1971 we graduated. My advice now would have been, act successful. Do not be so amused or self deprecating. Enter every competition until some jury recognises your future genius. Those were the days.

“Run towards the fire” – your biggest career and personal growth will come when you face down your fears and put yourself forward for the complex projects and intractable problems. Courage and action will take you much further than comfort and avoidance – if you really want to bring about positive change.

I would tell my 25 year old self that design is as much about people as it is about buildings. Invest as much in understanding human experience as you do in mastering your craft, because that is where real impact lives.

Care less about what other people think of you, and more about the positive outcomes of your actions. Throughout my career I have been able to bring in changes that have had profound outcomes. Others have at first struggled with the concepts and ideas, but having that belief in yourself has ultimately led to the best solutions and results.

Make every effort to be inquisitive and connect with as many fellow professionals as you can. You would be surprised how many of those connections reappear and help in some way later in your career.

Do not shy away from the big decisions. Good things often sit on the other side of discomfort. Have a clear plan but stay flexible as you grow. Find a mentor who has been where you want to go. Look after yourself and your health. Know when to quit, including quitting people. Never forget that money matters.