The generalist, the bird
Act of Flying, Sanna Kannisto
The physicist and mathematician Freeman Dyson stated in his Einstein lecture that:
Some mathematicians are birds, others are frogs. Birds fly high in the air and survey broad vistas of mathematics out to the far horizon. They delight in concepts that unify our thinking and bring together diverse problems from different parts of the landscape. Frogs live in the mud below and see only the flowers that grow nearby. They delight in the details of particular objects, and they solve problems one at a time. (…) Mathematics needs both birds and frogs. Mathematics is rich and beautiful because birds give it broad visions and frogs give it intricate details.
Although the metaphor is infinitely more beautiful to the superficial and generalist side (the bird), I still confess to wrestling with my generalist personality. Lack of focus, indecision, and superficiality are some downsides of people who can't pick one topic to get good at. Nevertheless, that's what I do.
I graduated in Advertising and have a post-degree in small and mid-sized business administration; I'm going to start an MBA and have certifications as a project manager for waterfall and agile projects (PMI-PMP and PMI-ACP) and as a product owner (PSPO I). I have worked as a copywriter, art director, creative director, scriptwriter, social media manager, marketing manager, project manager, and salesman. Last year, I studied how to present software demos, sales negotiation, sales compensation, user experience, customer success, digital transformation, DevOps, design systems, SEO, and programming in Python… it seems it will never stop.
Almost everybody starts as frogs in their careers. We need to specialize in something to get known and develop some value, either to be hired or to create and sell something (a company, a piece of software etc.). But as we evolve, we eventually will be invited to have a broader vision. It can be to lead a team or an organization. There will be a call to action on our bird side. Not everyone wants to answer this call. They may be forever frogs, helping with valuable and irreplaceable specific knowledge. But a leading position demands wings. Leadership is also not a role but a skill nowadays.
Specific knowledge has a lot of value, and a company typically demands specialization. Each job post has a series of tasks. Otherwise, it would be hard even to organize simple activities. Nevertheless, thinking outside of our knowledge domains is one definition of creativity.
The thing I love most about generalists — and ultimately why I love hiring them — is that they've learned, repeatedly, how to adapt. - Nicole Smartt Serres
The fast-paced market environment is changing the landscape for generalists. And may even be creating more of them.
"… 39% of survey respondents said they had been required to take on a hybrid role at work. And that's not just from happenstance: It's by design." - 2021 Product Design Trends, by Invision
So, in the end, maybe I'm doing something right? David Epstein is an enthusiast of the generalists and believes preparing for an ever-changing world is the right approach.
“The more varied your training is, the better able you’ll be to apply your skills flexibly to situations you haven’t seen.” - David Epstein
One thing that I can say is that I feel good to be able to connect different topics and connect with other people. It seems my generalist personality makes me able to connect. Although there are downsides, as I mentioned before, being a “jack of all trades, master of none” apparently can pay off.
“… the more domain expertise and experience someone gains, the less likely they are to adapt, solve problems and come up with new ideas.” - Dave Lu
Lightly, with wings, it's easier to get from one point to another. And who knows, even frogs can develop their little wings in this modern world.