Leadership is often opaque and manipulative. The owner cares more about his own image than providing honest value to clients, many of whom are non-profits. He often tries to control the narrative to protect his image, rather than acknowledging and resolving issues. Principals and project managers are expected to follow his lead and are often made to feel insecure or wrong if they question things too deeply. Unfortunately, the principals reinforce this toxic culture, and it is apparent that you will not progress in the firm unless you do the same.
Because of this, there is high turnover without a good transition strategy, so incoming project managers and project architects are often forced to juggle multiple projects without appropriate background information or support.