The Rise of the Generalist

I believed the world was built and run by specialists for most of my life.

Experts who mastered a narrow field. The ones who pushed the boundaries of science, launched groundbreaking startups, or became indispensable experts in the corporate world.

I was far from alone in this belief. This has been societal discourse for decades. We've been told that early specialization is the surest path to career security and success. Choose a lane, build deep expertise, and stick with it.

It makes intuitive sense, and I’ve seen it working well for many.

Think of the skilled programmer, the brilliant scientist, the specialized financial analyst, and the experienced radiologist. You know them, too, some of the many successful domain experts.

Generalists (the non-specialists), by contrast, are often seen as competent but replaceable - good managers and administrators, maybe, but not the kind of people who change the world. Not the ones who earn high salaries in low-pressure jobs. Or the ones who’re always in high demand because of the deep expertise they possess.

I've seen it play out for years and reached the only logical conclusion: If you want a secure, exciting, lucrative, and high-impact career, become a specialist.

And for years, I regretted taking a generalist route in my own career.

But I’ve changed my mind.

Looking at where the world is headed, I now believe almost the opposite is true. The future belongs not to single-lane specialists but to those who combine “sufficient” depth with adaptability, versatility, and perspective.

First, let me explain why the specialized path to excellence may no longer be the wisest strategy. I’ll start with a crucial underpinning point: The issue is not depth; it is a lack of breadth.

Keep this in mind, as you’re otherwise likely to misinterpret what follows.

The reason many specialists will struggle in the future

Technology is rapidly eroding the value of narrow specialization - and this shift matters profoundly for midlife professionals.

Here’s why:

1. Unpredictability rules.

Specialists thrive in linear, stable environments where rules are clear, domain knowledge is gold, and progress follows a known playbook. But today’s world is becoming messier, faster-changing, and unpredictable. We increasingly face “wicked problems” with no known patterns and replicable solutions. In this kind of landscape, preexisting knowledge and experience often fail us.

2. Knowledge is aging faster.

Expertise now has a shorter shelf life. As information and knowledge accumulate ever faster and become widely accessible, what once set you apart can become obsolete almost overnight. Specialists must work harder to stay current and relevant in their field, which, in turn, narrows the scope of specialization and knowledge an individual can master at an expert level. It’s a perpetuating cycle toward hyper-specialization.

3. Innovation is getting harder with hyperspecialization.

When domains of knowledge and expertise narrow, they also silo the world – disciplines, jobs, research, education, etc. As a result, disruptive innovation is declining. Studies show science and research are increasingly incremental - driven by pressure to publish, tight funding cycles, commercial demands, and institutional risk aversion. Big leaps come from connecting ideas across disciplines, not from going deeper into single silos.

4. AI is starting to replace specialized roles.

Tasks once reserved for experts, such as coding, financial analysis, legal research, radiology, and medical development, are increasingly being automated or reconfigured. And we’re only at the very beginning. AI agents, for example, already excel at rule-based, repetitive work that leverages vast datasets, deep knowledge, and repeatable patterns. Ironically, the same qualities that make a job "specialized" also often make it automatable.

At the same time, AI enables and amplifies generalists’ knowledge, analytical skills, and productivity.

This hits especially hard in midlife. Many have built careers around the old linear playbook. That model is gradually breaking down. And it puts pressure on midlife professionals to future-proof themselves.

We still have decades of work ahead of us!

What the world needs instead

I’m not saying that deep expertise won’t have a place - it will - but the ability to blend depth with breadth will become a highly valuable asset.

As the world grows more complex and unpredictable, the people who will thrive are those with range - a broad mix of experiences, perspectives, knowledge, and skills.

Why? Because, on average, they:

Solve problems more creatively.

People with breadth connect dots across domains. Studies show that combining knowledge from multiple areas boosts cognitive flexibility, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and creative insight. This cross-pollination leads to more original ideas and better solutions to complex problems.

Make better decisions.

Narrow experts can easily fall into the trap of overconfidence (believing they know more than they do) and confirmation bias (seeing the world through a narrow lens). People with breadth, by contrast, are often better at seeing nuance, questioning assumptions, and avoiding the blind spots that come with deep specialization in one field.

Are more versatile and resilient.

Their broader skill set and mindset enable them to be effective across diverse roles, industries, and situations. This flexibility is a key asset in a world where the rules and assumptions keep shifting.

It's not about being shallow or scattered. It's about going beyond depth in one narrow area and intentionally cultivating a broader perspective and transferable strengths.

Whether you blend adjacent specialties or layer new learning onto your existing spike, expanding your breadth raises your value. It opens more doors, creates a better career fit, and gives you a competitive edge most peers lack - especially in midlife.

Ultimately, “breadth” helps us align what we do with who we are and live fulfilling, productive lives.

How to gain breadth

So, what can midlife professionals do about this shift? Let's explore how to develop the breadth that the future demands.

There's no formula for gaining breadth, but based on what I’ve studied and experienced, I believe these four “meta-skills” will be essential.

The ability to learn

People with breadth learn effectively. That’s what got them there. Deep learning isn’t fast or easy. It involves struggle, exploration, abstraction, spaced repetition, active recall, and mixing topics to deepen understanding. It requires that you know both what you are learning (the content) and how you are learning it (the process).

The ability to adapt

Strategic change is beneficial. Studies show that people who make significant life changes, including career shifts, are happier and have fewer regrets than those who stick with the familiar. Adaptability is part mindset, part skill: a willingness to pivot, experiment, and take calculated risks in the face of uncertainty or opportunity.

The ability to think creatively and strategically

Breadth requires abstract thinking - recognizing patterns, integrating diverse perspectives, extracting relevant insights from various disciplines, and applying existing ideas in new contexts. Skills like analogical reasoning, lateral thinking, and “integrative complexity” (holding competing ideas at once) are what allow generalists to thrive in novel, high-stakes situations.

The ability to understand the world

People with breadth develop a broad mental model of how the world works. This includes understanding cognitive biases, systems thinking, black swans, game theory, exponential change, and more. It’s about combining timeless human insights with cutting-edge awareness (such as developing a good sense of what’s happening at the technological frontier) to make sense of the world and its challenges and complexities better than most.

These capacities create something rare but increasingly needed: a generalist with depth – or a specialist with breadth – both are what I call a modern polymath.

A journey without end

Looking ahead 5 to 10 years, the smartest move for midlifers is to intentionally develop breadth. It’s the best way to stay relevant and resilient, and to broaden your field of opportunity.

It’s an undertaking that never ends. You'll constantly be refining, expanding, and broadening your expertise and understanding of the world.

It will enrich your life and career, but it won't work unless it's driven by genuine interest and curiosity.

What that looks like will differ for each of us.

One way I'm building my own breadth is through writing this piece. It pushes me to research, think critically, and distill ideas into something useful for others. I delve into topics I wouldn't otherwise explore while building new skills, such as storytelling, content creation, and audience building.

It’s a creative practice that keeps me growing beyond my day job.