Here’s why you should read (and develop) “Range”
I’ve recently finished reading “Range: How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World” by David Epstein.
This book completely gave a spin to my perspective on professional growth, released me from worries and anxiety about “not going anywhere in my career” and gave me the little push that I needed to realize that it’s ok to pursue what seems interesting even if there isn’t a long term plan for it!
I have to admit, the book took me a little while to finish. The point that the author is trying to make is pretty clear since the start of the book, but there’s a really comprehensive selection of examples to back it up, chapter by chapter. Tales of people who followed “unusual paths” and achieved incredible success because they were (and not despite being!) unspecialized.
Here are my top 5 takeaways, which speak for themselves in regards to why you should totally read this book!
1
There is a large number of people out there thinking that they are following an unusual path in their career, a path they’re almost ashamed of and find hard to justify.
They all think they are the anomaly, and that they are falling behind because of their lack of specialization. So, if you’re one of them (just like I was before reading this book)… Well, first off — you’re obviously not alone! Secondly, you might want to start looking at things differently, and understand that your lack of specializaton is not something that will hinder your growth, development or success, but rather something that will fuel it.
2
There are countless fields where it is possible to identify examples of people who did not specialize early on but still came to achieve great things.
It was the fact of having being exposed to a variety of fields/topics, and not just one, that ultimately allowed them to develop that lateral thinking which their specialized counterparts didn’t have. It was the lateral thinking, the ability to take a step back and look at things from a different angle, that often allowed them to succeed. I won’t spoil your read, but David Epstein includes examples from a lot of different areas, from sports, to music, to medicine, chemistry and business.
3
You can stop asking yourself (or worrying about, if you’re an anxious person like me) where you will be in five years, but rather you might want to start identifying the top five things you want to learn over the coming year.
The idea of shifting one’s interests / allocating one’s time based on the best available learning opportunities in the specific moment in time is defined in the book as “match quality”, or “short-term planning”. Moving from one thing to another isn’t a bad habit, but rather something to pursue as it will broaden your horizons. In any case, however things go, you should cherish any lesson learnt in each of the pivots for your future ones!
4
You can stop being jealous of people who have known what they wanted to do in life since primary school!!
First off, it is perfectly normal to understand what’s a good fit for you by living and trying — hence a bit later than in primary school. Secondly, there’s a good chance people who picked their path early on (and seemed so convinced of their choice), changed their minds after a few years because they realized it wasn’t the perfect fit they thought it was. Obviously there are exceptions to this, and lucky people who have always known what they wanted to do and lived happily ever after doing it. Good for them :)
5
Things are changing. Companies are starting to realize that not all great employees fit in perfectly defined (and of course, hyper specialized) slots.
My biggest concern over the last couple of years was that the way I was shaping my career would make my CV absolutely incapable of passing future hiring screenings. Why? Because it doesn’t hint at one specific field, business function or role… and it probably never will! This book made me realize that if the company I’m hoping to work for doesn’t recognize that my generalist experience is still rich, but in a different, more “lateral” way… well, then that company is probably not a good match for me anyway.
If you particularly liked this last takeaway, just like me, Epstein on this topic is referencing the book “Serial Innovators: How Individuals Create and Deliver Breakthrough Innovations in Mature Firms” by Abbie Griffin, Raymond L. Price and Bruce A. Vojak, which is going straight into my reading list!
