Is This Your Time To Shine?
Have you ever been referred to as a “Jack of All Trades, Master of None”? Whenever I hear this phrase, I think it usually comes with a negative connotation. Like it’s worse to be good at a lot of things than an expert at one thing. To judge whether this is good or bad, we must look at the context. Certainly there are situations where an expert is needed and a specialized skill set that is superior to others puts someone in a favorable position. But there are also situations where it is more advantageous to have a diverse set of skills that allow a person to add value in a variety of ways. As organizations reduce headcount, try to rightsize their business for the future, and continue to respond to the constantly changing landscape, the luxury of having specialists in departments becomes harder to sustain. Those with the ability to contribute in a number of ways will see their value to the organization increase exponentially. I believe that our current environment is one that favors versatility for those in leadership positions, and it goes beyond hard skills.
In an article on Harvard Business Review titled, “The Best Leaders are Versatile Ones”, Robert B. Kaiser talks about the importance of versatility in problem solving and dealing with disruptive change. He says;
“In short, versatility is the capacity to read and respond to change with a wide repertoire of complementary skills and behaviors.”
I love this, and I believe as leaders we can’t expect that we can continue to use the same tools that we’ve used before to solve new problems. To do so we have to harness the ability to see challenges from different angles. We must expand our tool box and broaden our understanding and assumptions of what we are capable of. In the article, Kaiser shares:
The goal for most leaders, then, is to develop the ability to consider opposing needs and avoid maximizing one at the expense of the other simply because their current skill set makes them more attuned to it. While diving deep into the details of execution on a project, for example, can the leader also keep one eye on the big picture? Or while involving the team in a decision, can the leader also synthesize their input and make the call? It’s a tall order. As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.”
If you don’t consider yourself versatile, don’t despair! This is your opportunity to do something about it. Study up on a topic or theory that you wouldn’t normally be interested in. Read an article on an opposing view point to yours. Challenge yourself to learn more about a part of your business you don’t usually work in, or request an hour to ask questions of a mentor or college that has a complimentary skill set to yours and listen to their advice. And for all of you “Swiss Army Knives” and “Jack of All Trades”, own those titles - this is your time to shine!
*Each week I share a leadership message with our team and we are honored to share it with you via MIBE Tribe. MIBE (the acronym for Make It Better Everyday) Tribe delivers education on heart leadership and intentional culture building for the hospitality industry.