Why Experts Don’t Make the Best Leaders

I have always been a person who dives deeply into learning.

I put in about 3-5 years of concentrated effort and then my momentum seems to slow. Usually because I feel I’ve taken the learning as far as I can at that time. I often circle back later, but that can take years.

This habit of mine has always made me feel a little guilty.

Academics often study a single topic for an entire career.

Every instructor I’ve ever had – golf, yoga, music - told me I should be practicing intensively. Every day. For hours.

Truthfully, I never had the stamina. I often wondered if this was a flaw in my personality.

Then I read a book that changed my mind.

David Epstein, the author of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World (2019), argues that successful adapters and problem solvers – skills we need as leaders – must have range.

One would think that leaders need expertise, but expertise is valuable when the same procedure is repeated. Like in golf, surgery, accounting and poker. When asked to go outside that strict and procedure-based world, as leaders often need to, things get more complicated. Nothing is predictable anymore and the rate of error increases.

People with range - those that have numerous outside experiences, who can draw on the knowledge of one area and apply it creatively to another – can think outside the box. Not try to stay within it. 

Hyper specialization is a well-meaning drive for efficiency. But that laser-focus needed to learn a new instrument or develop a new sports skill, doesn’t often transfer in world that is unstructured and at times chaotic.

Life is unknown. Problems are unknown. Relying on repetitive action doesn’t allow people to creativity solve complicated, every-changing problems.

Having a wide scope of knowledge, on many topics, does.

Reading, learning, and playing in a variety of domains, especially those far different than another builds a variety of skills that makes us a more well-rounded, innovative individual and leader.

For me, implementing programs in the field of education allows me to offer a unique perspective when implementing programs in the non-profit world.

My years of writing grants married with lesson planning for teens and adults transfers into creating hands-on, practical workshops for grant writers.

Expertise is important. But a narrow focus may not be the answer I once thought it was. Breadth of training allows for breadth of transfer.

As a result, I now see how my variety of interests and experiences have provided more perspective. It has made me more compassionate, more thoughtful, and I am able to solve problems and help my clients in ways I wouldn’t have been able to before.

Epstein says that when you have range, your world becomes a bigger world.

I think he might be on to something.

Best wishes, Lauren

P.s. If you would like help with your program implementation, consider booking a free 30-minute consultation to see if we can help.