Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

Range, by David Epstein, challenges the commonly held belief that specialization is paramount to success. He suggests that generalists and multi-disciplinary people are more capable of tackling complex issues in a given area, specifically because they are not highly specialized in that area. As one can change viewpoint or perspective, they are able to change the resulting narrative better than one with a static frame of reference.

Are there areas where deep expertise can create almost super-human ability? Yes, and the first example Epstein cites is Tiger Woods. There is little in Tiger’s early life into adulthood that didn’t involve him having a golf club in his hand or the game in his mind. His level of hyper focus led to one of the most successful professional careers in the game and international notoriety of epic proportions. Epstein compares that focus to the range of Roger Federer, the prolific tennis champion. While Tiger and his father, Earl, built a focused regimen of training for golf, Federer played numerous sports and had other activities occupy his time and mind. He didn’t zero in on tennis until his teens. While not as dominant as Tiger, his tennis career was extremely successful.

“The challenge we all face is how to maintain the benefits of breadth, diverse experience, interdisciplinary thinking, and delayed concentration in a world that increasingly incentivizes, even demands, hyperspecialization.” Prescient thoughts, as we see people being put into more specialized education, sports and extracurricular activities earlier and earlier. I’ve personally had experiences where a youth coach demanded total commitment and focus from kids as young as eight, and not just from those that show the potential of being exceptional, from the kids that sit on the bench or clearly aren’t the most talented or put in the most effort.

We are creating a level that stifles creativity, exploration, and discovery. Look at how many questions a 2-year-old asks versus a 12-year-old. We suck the joy out of the process of learning and focus on figuring out what you want to be when you grow up. “Shortly after Range came out, Ruth Brennan Morrey—a former college soccer co-captain and pro triathlete, Olympic Trials marathon qualifier, and psychology PhD—tagged me in an apt tweet: “Listening to @DavidEpstein ‘Range’ in the car with 12-year-old daughter. ‘Mom, why do we make “What I want to be when I grow up” signs on the first day of school? We should make “Top 5 things I want to learn about this year” signs.’ Smart cookie. :-)” I think I’ll borrow the twelve-year-old’s idea.” Instead of focusing on what to do, focus on the skills, hard and soft, that open possibilities. Focus on acquiring the tools of how to learn, not what to learn, how to ask questions, how to be empathetic.

The world is becoming increasingly connected and more complex. The definitions of success are changing, creating more options and more uncertainty. The 40-year 9-5 at one company may not be extinct, but it’s not the norm. People are changing not only companies, but career paths. Many who go to college never work a day in their field of study, myself included. Navigating the complexity requires a different mindset, broader capabilities, and more questioning of the narrative. We have access to more data and information than at any point in history, yet we often don’t do enough to challenge the status quo.