Don't forget PowerPoint. As Michael Cote likes to say "I used to be good at my job, now I'm good at PowerPoint".

But in all honesty, being able to convey your ideas and vision to a variety of people and levels is key to being an architect, whether that is PPT, documents, charts, whiteboards, or just plain old conversations.

The best architects I have worked with were able to reach and convince senior business and IT leadership as well as the IT staff. Understand the why things are done the way they are done before proposing some new change, take time to listen. Status quo isn't always ideal, but it's important to understand the motivations and reasons before proposing your company or organization embarks on a new path. I've found frequently understanding the details end up being the key to a successful shift in strategy since that's the stuff that tends to bite you at the last minute and scuttle projects.