A Talk with David Hart Leading by Design, Relationships, and Opportunity
David Hart, CEO and President of Steinberg Hart.
As President and CEO of Steinberg Hart, David Hart leads with intention, thoughtfully prioritizing his time and reinforcing the idea that every decision truly matters. When asked about his daily responsibilities, he distinguishes between what he does and what he should do. His main focus is staying connected to the true meaning of leadership, mainly, making “sure that we’re always looking ahead, as fundamentally, our job is to invent the future.”
He organizes his work into three buckets: continuing to practice as an architect, acquiring new business, and ensuring that projects, systems, and people are functioning well. Remaining active in design is non‐negotiable. Even leaders "still need to do the craft." If you’re running a business but no longer do the business, you can become detached.
Hart’s approach closely aligns with Steinberg Hart’s mission of design, relationships, and change alongside innovation. His leadership style is founded on bringing others up while keeping design excellence, shaping how he thinks about architecture itself. For Hart, the work is not only about designing buildings, but about developing architects. Much of his design role now is focused on helping teams “elevate the quality of the design or find the right harmony in that design with the client goals [and] the community goals.” In practice, that means mentoring, setting direction, and modeling the thoughtful, future‐oriented mindset he asks younger professionals to adopt. Creativity, he suggests, is not limited to form-making; it also applies to HR, legal issues, and problem-solving across the practice.
Relationships are equally important. Considering the scale and complexity of the firm’s projects, Hart emphasizes that “being a trusted partner…of value” fosters long-term partnership. Further, he notes that when this “trust reaches a really strong level, you have this loyalty to one another, meaning you would not abandon the other person in the relationship.”
When it comes to making first impressions and early-career growth, Hart’s guidance is both sensible and encouraging. He accentuates clear, succinct communication, especially in interviews or professional settings. Answers should be “succinct, clear, and then don’t over-answer,” allowing the conversation to move forward. Just as important is learning to manage nerves: if you ask a question, give the other person space to respond rather than fill the silence.
Looking ahead, Hart sees major growth opportunities in student housing, senior housing, and mixed-use educational projects that blend arts and sciences. Shifting focus to the future, he frames these as ways to positively impact students, seniors, communities, and the next generation of architects. For David Hart, leadership at Steinberg Hart is ultimately about designing futures: shaping projects, nurturing relationships, and developing architects who are prepared to carry that vision forward.