Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/164802
The Art of Manliness Continued tory. His interest in mechanics led him to sketch out concepts that were hundreds of years ahead of their time like tanks, helicopters, and airplanes. For a modern example, take a look at a guy like Steve Jobs. What really stuck out to me as I read his biography last year was that despite founding one of the world's most influential computer companies, Jobs himself didn't have much expertise in computers or programming. Sure, he had enough technical knowledge to modify designs, but his real expertise was business. But Jobs made a conscious effort to create that horizontal stroke of broad-based knowledge by exploring different disciplines and bringing them together to solve problems. "Technology alone is not enough," Jobs said."It's technology married with the liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our hearts sing." JOBS for TEAMS The Benefits of Being a T-shaped Man You'll be ready for the jobs of the future. Our economy is shifting at a rapid rate. Jobs that were once done by humans are being outsourced to machines and computers. And I'm not just talking manufacturing jobs. Lawyers and even doctors are seeing some of their work being shifted over to computers or outsourced to other countries. If you want to thrive in the economy of the future, you'll need to develop a skill set that will endure in changing times. According to the Institute for the Future, one of those future-proof skills is the ability to work across multiple disciplines, or in other words, being a Mr.T. Making sense of complex problems by looking at them from different disciplinary/cultural perspectives isn't something that a computer will be able to do anytime soon, so if you want to future-proof your job, start strengthening your T-shape. You'll gain new insights about your area of expertise. Many great thinkers have reported reaching a key insight into their area of expertise while engaging in an activity outside of their focused interests. Einstein is said to have uncovered some his most groundbreaking insights while playing the violin. In 1870, a French doctor named Stephane Tarnier saw incubators for chicken hatchlings while visiting the Paris Zoo and was struck with some inspiration; why not use the same kind of thing on human babies to reduce the infant mortality rate of premature newborns? So he hired the zoo's poultry-raiser to build incubator boxes large enough for human babies. His hunch was right, and we still see his basic idea at work in today's NICUs. Life becomes more interesting. Focusing all your time and energy on just one discipline or skill is like playing a single note over and over again on a piano.To make the music of life sound rich and beautiful, you need to bring in some variety. As we discussed in our article on lifelong learning, broadening your knowledge and skills lets you get more out of life by allowing you to interact with a wide variety of other people, | 16 JobsForTeams0813_manliness.indd 2 www.jobsforteams.com 8/6/13 2:31 PM