Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/164802
Manliness The Art of By Brett & Kate McKay, courtesy of www.artofmanliess.com To Succeed in Work & Life, Be Mr. T almost boy who grew up Likethe 80s, everythereMr.Tlike about in I thought was the man. What wasn't to him? He was big, strong, and had a cool mohawk. On top of that, he starred in one of the greatest shows to come out of the 80s (The A-Team), fought Rocky, and was Hulk Hogan's tag team partner back when the WWE was the WWF. I'm a grown man now, but I recently discovered a new reason to want to be like Mr.T. Well, a "T-shaped" man at least. Gold chains optional. What Is a T-Shaped Man? JOBS for TEAMS A T-shaped man has depth of knowledge in one specific area (represented by the vertical stroke of the T), and a broad knowledge across multiple disciplines (represented by the horizontal stroke of the T). As a man, you've probably desired a Vshaped physical body. Well there's an ideal shape for your mental "physique" too.The T-shape. A T-shaped man has two characteristics. First, he has a depth of knowledge and a focused expertise in one skill or discipline.This characteristic is represented by the vertical stroke of the T. Second, he has an interest in and a willingness to use a broad range of skills and disciplines outside his area of expertise.This characteristic is represented by the horizontal stroke of the T. A T-shaped man is, in short, a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of one. (See what I did there?) The idea of the T-shaped person was first described by David Guest in a 1991 editorial about the future of computer jobs. But it was made famous by Tim Brown, CEO of the world-renowned design firm IDEO. When Tim Brown hires for his much-coveted positions, he specifically looks for T-shaped people — folks with depth of knowledge in one area like engineering, software development, and even history, but who also have demonstrated the ability to grasp other subjects and work easily across multiple disciplines. Many of history's most eminent men were, not coincidentally,T-shaped men. Think of Leonardo da Vinci.This quintessential Renaissance man was a master artist, but he didn't confine himself to just art. He also studied and dabbled in anatomy, mechanics, architecture, and botany. Instead of diluting his artistic ability, his broad interests actually made him a better artist. His intense study of human anatomy allowed him to paint and sculpt some of the most life-like depictions of the human form that had ever been created up until that point in his- | 14 JobsForTeams0813_manliness.indd 1 www.jobsforteams.com 8/6/13 2:31 PM