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How To Be a Generalist
Easy. Be yourself
This post first appeared on my Substack.
There are many misconceptions about generalists. The biggest? If you’re a generalist, it means that you are not “good” at any one thing. The whole “master of none” rhetoric. That’s just nonsense.
As I mentioned in my opening post, I am of the firm belief that we are all, in some form, generalists; it is human nature to be naturally curious. This leads to exploration of areas that we are unfamiliar with, resulting in knowledge — whether that was your intent or not.
Don’t force the knowledge. Your natural interest and curiosity will take care of it. Just go along for the ride.
As part of my career progression, I have needed to learn to construct a budget and manage a PnL (Profit & Loss). I did not possess any of this knowledge before starting in this role. Today, I manage a multi-million dollar service business with a team of 25. I couldn’t do this if I didn’t have the varied experiences along the way.
You don’t set out to be a generalist. You develop into one through your general curiosity and lived experiences.
Can you actively become a generalist? I would say you can…but you really don’t have to try too hard. Let nature…
