The Great Master Lea had spent a week educating acolytes on one way of doing EA. Now, at the end of the week he had taken to his favorite corner of the world and had hoped to be at full rest when a question had come his way. This was the question: “Oh Great Master Lea, what is the difference between good and bad architecture?” The great master Lea had pondered the question and then turned his head towards the sky and said: “Good architecture exist outside the control of the template that created it but still within the same context as both the template and the creator.“

No one could blame The Great Master Lea for his use of the fat fingers technique, nor could any one consider his art to be of the most delicate sort. However his work still instilled some kind of peace in the mind of many. Earlier today his was a splendid morning at the foot of his mountain top. Much to his surprise more than one person attended the lecture on the whole of everything and nothing where one of the students in a moment of terror forgotten found the courage to address the Great Master with a question. This is what he had asked: “Oh great master Lea, How do we know when the architecture building blocks are of the right size?” The great master Lea looked at the student then turned his head towards the sky and said: “When each part in itself provide no value”

The Great Master Lea had spent most of the day on his mountain top educating acolytes on the importance of being human. Now, late in the evening he had moved into his tree hut and he reminisced over what one of the older and wiser acolytes had said. This is what he had said: “Oh great master Lea, I suggest that we implement Enterprise Architecture as a practice in our house!” The great master Lea had looked at the acolyte and then turned his head towards the sky and said: “Like trained monkeys you attempt to implement what should be a transformation guided by reward, attitude, behavior and culture.“

The Great Master Lea had an awesome day on his sunny but slightly cold mountain top. He prepared himself to navigate the winding trails of hard labour and the master knew he would enjoy the hours to come. Crawling up the mountain side came what appeared to be a team of hockey players, but alas it was not so. Once again the Great Master had been approached by business people, this time though they had all been attending match when they realised that they had a need, an urge, a craving to ask the Great Master a question. This is what they asked: “Oh great master Lea, why is our expertly architected game strategy not actionable?” The great master Lea looked at the team then turned his head towards the sky and just as he was about to utter his words of wisdom a would be hockey manager appeared as an apparition before him. Trembling with anxiety the manager roared out an answer to the question: “THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE IT IS YOU GUYS WHO DOES NOT EXECUTE THE PLAY ACCORDINGLY TO STRATEGY!!!”.  The Great Master who was great in many ways beyond the field of Enterprise Architecture waved his hands and thus the apparition dispersed like a cloud on the computing heaven. Then he turned towards the business people looking like hockey players and said: “You have to move all of your architecture from fixed to dynamic behaviour.“

The Great Master Lea had a great day on his mountain top. His offspring had taken up stick fighting with small hollow spheres and the master liked it. Like the deaf old goat he is he did not hear when a senior consultant manager approached him from below. Trembling with anxiety the manager had come before him to ask a question. This is what he asked: “Oh great master Lea, How do I sell Enterprise Architecture?” The great master Lea looked at the manager then turned his head towards the sky and said: “Don’t focus on selling the method, framework, process or tool of EA, focus on selling a solution to the customers problem with the help of EA.”

The Great Master Lea was standing on his mountain top pondering the early years of Enterprise Architecture.  Then a CEO parachuted in and asked a question. This is what he asked: “Oh great master Lea, the COO, CIO, CTO and CEA all have been at this Enterprise Architecture for at least five years now and all I can see that we get out of it is better IT. What about all the rest of the enterprise?” The great master Lea gazed at the CEO then turned his head towards the sky and said: “Enterprise Architecture in its essence is a holistic approach to understand and configure systems dynamics. You must make sure they understand that strategic, structural, cultural, and operational changes are typically made together, and they influence one another“

The Great Master Lea was walking on his mountain top basking in the sun. Early morning a group of people had come before him to ask a question. This is what they asked: “Oh great master Lea, What is Architecture?” The great master Lea looked at the group of people then turned his head towards the sky and said: “One of many”

The Great Master Lea was in a position in which the upper body is upright and the legs are supported, also known as sitting. Early morning an acolyte Enterprise Architect had come before him to ask a question. This is what the acolyte asked: “Oh great master Lea, What is the epiphany of enterprise architects?” The great master Lea looked at the stones at his feet and then turned his head towards the sky and said: “To abstain control!”

The Great Master Lea who by now had been on vacation for 4 days,  was sitting on the beach basking in the sun. Earlier this morning a vision of eight years past had come before him to ask a question. This is what it asked: “Oh great master Lea, what is the foundation of Enterprise Architecture?”The great master Lea gazed at the vision then turned his head towards the sky and whispered to himself: “Any architecture is the embodiment of communication.”

The Great Master Lea was standing on his mountain top pondering the earlier years of his great grandfathers wanderings.  He remembered especially one story about three men and a task. As Master Lea focused all his brain power on this story a rather odd looking CEO led by a savvy CIO appeared from out of nowhere. The CIO with some kind of fire in his eyes asked a question. This is what he asked: “Oh great master Lea, we have been doing Enterprise Architecture for x years now and no good has come out of it. What should we do?” The great master Lea looked at the CIO and then at the CEO then turned his head towards the sky and said: “You should stop Enterprising your Architects and start Architecting your Enterprise”