045: Is being a generalist the new black? With Jo Thomas

The Benefits of Being a Generalists in the

Current Business Environment

Generalists are people who choose to focus their time and resources on learning about a wide range of topics. Most leaders in today’s world are generalists. They perform multiple tasks, sometimes across departments, and understand all the moving parts of an organization. Unfortunately, the current business environment places more emphasis on specialising that we’ve forgotten the value of being a generalist.

Of course, the world needs specialists, and there’s nothing wrong with having an area of focus. However, people should be mindful of the demerits of specialization. For example, people tend to specialise without knowing why. They pursue lucrative college degrees, spend years perfecting the craft, only to find out later that this is not where their heart is at.

Nevertheless, the one misconception we need to push out the door is that specializing is the only way to get ahead and take up a leadership position. In fact, the opposite holds true. Most aspiring leaders should be able to wear many hats within an organization. Businesses need specialists to solve problems. But they also crave generalists to connect the dots. Today’s guest, Jo Thomas, is one such generalist. She is the CEO of the Australian Institute of Business, the largest online MBA provider in Australia.

Topics we Discussed Include:

· Getting to Know Jo Thomas (03:25)

· Why Jo Considers Herself an Accidental CEO (08:40)

· Jo’s First Taste of Being a Generalist (12:02)

· Data Science and Building Predictive Algorithms (13:50)

· Why Data Science is the Career of the Future (15:30)

· How to Give Your Career a Definitive Direction (15:50)

· Why Jo Decided to Pursue an MBA (19:40)

· How to Pandemic has Made it Easier to Build Communities Online (23:55)

· Jo’s Leadership Experience at LED Lighting (26:29)

· Top 5 Tips for Leaders and Aspiring Leaders (31:50)

· The Best Leaders Know Their Numbers (35:20)