Do you really need to become an expert, or are you already one?

At my previous firm, I was told that in order for me to climb the corporate ladder I needed to “specialize” by focusing on one single area of expertise, industry and market. I was essentially told that to progress, I needed to become an “expert.” 

At the time, I thought to myself, "This won't work for me.” The notion of having just one boss, one team, or always finding myself working on the same types of projects felt suffocating. I have always craved change. How, then, could I possibly focus on just one area of work? What if I wasn’t even sure which field I wanted to specialize in?

Eventually, I did find myself working on projects that were very similar in nature. And while I previously enjoyed those projects alongside a variety of others, once I began to specialize in just one area, guess what happened? I was bored to death. After a while, I could predict how the projects would unfold from start to finish. It was just the same thing over and over again. 

This experience forced me to later rethink the conventional definition of what constitutes an “expert” or the need to “specialize.” While undoubtedly it's important to deepen knowledge in certain areas to grow, did I really need to limit myself to just one?

There are, in fact, many studies which show that “generalists” tend to do better than “specialists,” however contradictory it may sound at first. (I highly recommend the book “Range” by David Epstein that introduces this concept.) Generalists are able to focus on the broader picture rather than taking an artificially narrow view on matters.

Returning to myself, when I began my coaching career, many did indeed advise me to find a niche and focus on a specific industry, demographic and set of challenges. But that never felt right, because I never wanted to be limited to one field. My expertise, as far as I’m concerned, comes from skills that allow me to quickly grasp new information; learn and adapt rapidly; and connect with people from a variety of fields, diverse cultures, values and genders worldwide. In other words, my “expertise” lies in being a “generalist.”

This broader approach not only resonated with me but also with my clients. One of my first clients was a sales professional seeking new opportunities in her field. She was passing up great job offers because she believed she needed to be an expert in a specific industry in order to excel. I challenged her perspective by asking, “What really makes you an ‘expert’?” She had worked in numerous countries across various industries and possessed outstanding selling skills, including negotiating, communicating and consistently exceeding sales targets in every company she worked for. Therefore, she didn't need to limit herself to being an "expert" in one field—she was already an expert, with broad knowledge, exposure and skills in a variety of areas.

Today, I work with clients facing a variety of challenges, from those seeking a new career direction to those who need support navigating workplace challenges, becoming aspiring leaders, or teams needing to align their communications and visions.

My clients range from those just starting out their careers to those that only have a few years left to retirement, and include lawyers, sales professionals, business owners and artists.

I don’t “specialize,” and I hope I never will, because embracing a broad spectrum of challenges is what keeps me engaged and alive.

So if you're like me, create your own definition of what an “expert” is, one that aligns with your true values and desires and not determined by others' expectations.

Be the expert you genuinely aspire to be, not the one you're told to be.