The latest MSDN Architecture Journal has been released with a focus on "The Role of an Architect".  I feel very strongly that being an architect is more than being a great technologist or understanding patterns.  People skills separate the ordinary from the very effective.  Because of that, I submitted a topic and wrote an article that appears this month about architect soft skills.  

While you are there, check out the excellent article by a peer of mine in Denver, Joseph Hofstader (it is great that we have two people in Denver contributing this month).  I enjoy any article that contains a Homer Simpson reference.