By Derek Rydall

This is an excerpt taken with permission from the book “ A Whole New Human: Ten Ways We Must Evolve to Survive and Thrive in the AI Age” By Derek Rydall

While focusing on one skill can help, being too focused can make it harder to adapt. Especially in a fast-changing world. Learning across different fields helps you stay flexible, think in new ways, and stay creative. Many of history’s greatest minds were generalists. They pulled ideas from all kinds of places to solve problems others couldn’t even see.

In his book Range, David Epstein shows that generalists tend to do better in unpredictable situations because they bring together ideas from many different areas.18 A 2019 Harvard Business Review study found the same thing: leaders who had experience in different roles and industries made better decisions and adapted faster to change.19 In today’s world, being flexible and always learning isn’t just helpful. It’s how you survive.

More importantly, being a generalist can help you cross-pollinate ideas and create something truly unique. It gives you an edge. The kind that makes you invaluable.

Leonardo da Vinci is a great example. He was a painter, scientist, and inventor. But more than that, he blended ideas from anatomy, engineering, nature, and optics to create art that felt alive.20 His famous painting Mona Lisa shows this. Her smile feels so real because he studied how muscles move and how light and shadow work. He wasn’t just guessing—he used science and observation to capture a new level of depth and realism. And his flying machine sketches weren’t just smart ideas; they were also beautiful—fusing math with imagination in a way few people do.

Steve Jobs had a similar gift. He mixed tech, design, and art to make products that didn’t just work—they felt beautiful to use. That’s what made Apple stand out.21 Like da Vinci, he saw beyond one field. He understood that real innovation often happens when different worlds collide. When art meets science, and function meets feeling. The result was groundbreaking products that his peers couldn’t even dream of.

Being a generalist also makes it easier to shift gears when life changes. Benjamin Franklin wore many hats—printer, inventor, diplomat, writer—and played a huge role in shaping America’s future.22 Marie Curie mixed her knowledge of physics and chemistry to explore radioactivity and create entirely new paths for science.23 Buckminster Fuller took ideas from architecture, engineering, and the environment to build the geodesic dome—a structure that could help solve housing and sustainability challenges.24 And Walt Disney combined storytelling and technology to turn entertainment into a way to educate, inspire, and connect people around the world.25

Being a generalist can help you cross-pollinate ideas and create something truly unique

In today’s hyper-connected, AI-driven world, being a generalist is more important than ever. As James Clear points out, those who can combine insights from many fields often succeed the most.26 When others see pieces, generalists see the whole picture. That’s what makes them powerful creators, flexible thinkers, and future-ready humans. As AI takes over more of the routine and even some expert-level tasks, our value will come from what only we can do—seeing what others miss and bringing it all together in ways that feel uniquely human and alive.

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Derek Rydall is the bestselling author of Emergence and his new book, A Whole New Human: Ten Ways We Must Evolve to Survive & Thrive in the AI Age. As a human evolution and purpose coach, he works with entrepreneurs, creatives, and leaders to discover their Life Code and become irreplaceable in the age of AI. Learn more at www.DerekRydall.com.