Success Through Adaptability and Range
This morning, while the house was still quiet, I finished reading "Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World", a book I picked up after hearing David Epstein on The Diary Of A CEO podcast.
In it, Epstein argues that in today’s complex, fast-changing world, generalists—those who develop a range of skills across various fields—often outperform specialists in the long run. He highlights how flexibility, adaptability, and the ability to integrate knowledge from different domains lead to creative problem-solving, particularly in unpredictable environments.
Epstein encourages us to approach our careers and projects like Michelangelo did his sculptures, open to learning and changing direction as needed, reminding us that no experience is wasted.
This idea is reassuring for those of us, myself and many of my clients included, who have followed non-linear career paths. However, it also made me reflect on how people are often discouraged from pursuing these interdisciplinary experiences due to social and economic pressures that deter deviation from the norm. As Epstein points out, we live in systems that increasingly demand hyper-specialization, pressuring us to decide what we should be before we’ve had the chance to discover who we truly are.
As I reflected on Epstein's work, it made me think of a newsletter I received last week from Em Roblin, someone I have had the privilege of knowing and studying beside since we were teens, who referenced an article titled “How Have Careers Changed? An Investigation of Changing Career Patterns Across Four Generations.”
The article highlights how younger generations are showing greater job and organizational mobility than previous ones. Through her coaching and workshops, Em has seen firsthand how people navigate career changes—whether due to redundancy, outdated roles, or shifts in personal values.
Both Epstein’s book and Em's work show that while career transitions today are shaped by social and economic forces, they are also an opportunity to find roles that align with personal meaning and impact. It’s an encouraging reminder that, even in times of uncertainty, embracing a broad range of experiences can lead to deeper fulfillment and success.
𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲? 𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁:
Reach out and say hello - if you're interested in creating a strategy that turns insight into meaningful results, I’ll be onboarding two new clients next month and would love to chat.
Em Roblin - stay tuned for the launch of a community for professional women navigating career transitions in October - https://www.emroblin.com/
David Epstein - Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
https://lnkd.in/gqNf5M3G
The Diary Of A CEO interview with David Epstein: https://lnkd.in/gmzYHWwM