Our culture today is all about getting a head start. Start early, focus intensely and rack up as many hours of deliberate practice as you can. But what if that’s actually not the best path to success? In his new book Range, author David Epstein argues going broad—not narrow—is the best route to success. On this episode, we talk about the dangers of early specialization, the value of breadth of experience, and how this all applies to the way you think about your career, your hobbies, and even the way you parent.
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Show Notes
- Early specialization vs. generalist: what’s the most common pathway to success? (1:32)
- The Tiger vs. Roger effect (3:38)
- How David’s own generalist background led to a career as a sports science and investigative writer at Sports Illustrated (7:16)
- The importance of match quality in navigating your career choices (9:26)
- LinkedIn research: the best predictor of who will become an executive (12:20)
- What we’re getting wrong about grit (14:42)
- The dangers of early specialization (21:26)
- The importance of breadth of experience (25:20)
- Why generalists thrive in changing and uncertain environments (29:05)
- Why leaders should drive accountability towards both outcome and process (34:23)
Resources / People Mentioned
- Range by David Epstein
- The Sports Gene by David Epstein
- Malcolm Gladwell, author
- The 10,000 hours rule
- Deliberate practice
- MIT Sports Sloan Analytics Conference
- A Conversation with David Epstein and Malcolm Gladwell
- David Epstein, Sports Illustrated
- Daniel Pink, author
- Angela Duckworth, author
- Tiger Woods, golfer
- Roger Federer, tennis player
- Mozart, composer
- Rex Geveden, CEO of BWX Technologies
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
- Expert Political Judgment by Philip Tetlock
- Loonshots by Safi Bahcall
- Alex Rodriguez, baseball player
- Selena Roberts, author and sportswriter
- This American Life
- The DIY Scientist, the Olympian, and the Mutated Gene
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Daniel Pink on The Science of Perfect Timing
- Angela Duckworth on Why Gritty People Are More Successful
- Adam Grant on Finding Motivation and Meaning at Work
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