In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the traditional model of the specialized executive is becoming increasingly obsolete. As companies navigate complex global markets and disruptive technologies, a new type of leader is emerging: the generalist. These executives possess a broad range of skills and experiences, enabling them to connect disparate ideas, adapt to change and drive innovation across the organization.
According to a study by Deloitte, organizations are systematically adding more roles to the C-suite while simultaneously expanding the scope of responsibility for many of their established executive positions. Their analysis showed the number of skills executives are asked to bring to the table for C-suite leadership roles increased more than 20% over the same five-year period—oftentimes in areas outside of the position’s historical mandate.
When leaders successfully develop generalist skills, the benefits are profound. They become more adaptable, innovative, and effective at navigating complex challenges. They are better equipped to understand the interconnectedness of different business functions, identify emerging trends, and make informed decisions that benefit the entire organization. All C-suite jobs can benefit from developing their generalist superpowers since at that level they need to the ability to shape the direction of the organization, not just their function. But CEO positions require this capability more than all the positions combined since the strategic direction and success of the organization sits squarely in their laps.
Gareth Mandel, a senior executive who has worked in C-suite leadership roles for organizations such as eHarmony and ParshipMeet Group, highlights that, “Employees used to be rewarded for having deep knowledge of a particular subject. This can create a mindset that equates expertise with success, making it difficult for leaders to embrace new areas and challenge their existing assumptions.” His career track has taught him the opposite.
Mandel’s experience has shown him that being industry, company and function agnostic prepares you to be far more flexible, empathetic and prepared for the multidimensional demands and multicultural needs of a senior executive. He goes on to note the historic lack of support for generalist development for senior leaders within many organizations. “Traditional leadership career tracks and training programs often focus on simply pairing technical skills or industry-specific knowledge with rote management techniques, neglecting the broader capabilities that enable leaders to connect the dots and drive strategic alignment.”
Mandel goes on to caution that, “Developing generalist skills is no longer a luxury but a necessity for those in the C-suite,” emphasizing that executives must transcend departmental silos and embrace a holistic view of the business. In fact, Korn Ferry’s Top 5 Leadership Trends of 2025 Report highlighted that siloed decision-making makes an organization’s ability to execute swiftly almost impossible. To overcome this, companies are prioritizing cross-functional collaboration and alignment at the executive level. Despite the clear need and benefits for cross-functional skills and exposure, many leaders struggle to cultivate generalist skills. One major obstacle is the prevailing emphasis on specialization early in one’s career.
What to Focus on When Developing for Generalist Leadership Skills
Mandel recommends aspiring and current senior executives deep dive into developing the following skills and mindsets to prepare them for the nuanced and multidimensional needs of senior executive responsibilities:
Curiosity: “You have to have curiosity to be an effective generalist leader.” Mandel clarifies that generalist-capable executives are driven by a thirst for knowledge and a desire to understand how things work. They ask questions, explore new ideas and challenge conventional wisdom.
Pattern Recognition: Mandel shares, “When you develop as a generalist leader you end up having a wide array of experiences to pull from that enables you to more quickly spot patterns.” Generalists excel at identifying underlying patterns and connections across different domains. This enables them to anticipate future trends, effectively solve complex problems and quickly develop innovative solutions.
Insight Generation: By combining diverse knowledge and perspectives, generalist leaders can generate novel insights that would be impossible for specialists to uncover. They challenge assumptions, connect disparate ideas, and identify opportunities for growth and innovation.
Flexibility/Agility: Accenture reports that the rate of change in businesses has accelerated 183% since 2019, with a 33% rise in the past year alone. This evolution is faster than ever before and shows no signs of slowing down. In today’s rapidly changing business environment, agility is essential. Generalist leaders are better able to quickly adapt to new situations, embrace change and pivot their strategies as needed.
Empathy: Generalist leaders understand that building strong relationships is essential for success regardless of the task at hand. They take the time to listen to different perspectives, understand the needs of others and build consensus around shared goals. They are able to imagine and relate to emotional experiences that may vary from their own, without needing to judge others’ needs as worthy or not.
Vulnerability: “Having the self-confidence to say, ‘I don’t know,’ is not an indictment. Instead, people often respect and trust you more for it,” emphasizes Mandel. Generalist leaders are comfortable admitting what they don’t know and seeking input from others. After all, they are not trapped into having to prove their expertise on any given topic. Instead, they focus on continuously building and deepening their understanding of a shifting landscape. This fosters a culture of collaboration and continuous learning.
Comfort with Uncertainty: Generalist leaders thrive in ambiguous situations and are able to make decisions even when information is incomplete. They embrace risk, experiment with new approaches and learn from their mistakes. Because generalist executives are consistently moving between a micro and macro perspective, they understand that even in uncertainty there are anchors and patterns that can create the stability to move forward and create the future needed for the business.
Perspective Taking: By understanding the perspectives of different stakeholders, generalist leaders can build consensus, resolve conflicts and create solutions that better meet the needs of everyone involved. Generalist leaders tend to focus on fostering a community vs. relying on a hierarchy. This engages input from all positions, backgrounds and experience levels.
Globalism: Mandel explains that globalism is another area many senior executives have to be skilled at navigating in today’s interconnected business world. It’s a special capability when a leader can take into account the nuances of different cultures, a country’s unique commercial dynamics and region-specific norms. Those with a purely specialist mindset may sometimes struggle navigating that ambiguity and shifting needs of a multicultural global workforce. He emphasizes that, “This doesn’t only apply to those organizations that have global employees. The world is so interconnected these days right now that it’s almost certain that if you work in enough different positions you’re in the knowledge economy you’ll be working with people from different countries and backgrounds.”
How to Package Your Generalist Leadership Skills for Senior Leadership Roles
Because there is still a legacy bias towards specialization in the job market, navigating the job market as a generalist senior leader requires a strategic approach to packaging your skills and experiences. Instead of focusing solely on specific industry expertise, emphasize the breadth and depth of your exposure to cross-functional aspects of the business. Craft a narrative that highlights your ability to connect disparate ideas, understand complex systems and drive strategic alignment across different departments.
Use your resume and cover letter to showcase projects where you successfully integrated marketing insights with financial planning or leveraged operational efficiencies to improve customer experience. Quantify your impact whenever possible, demonstrating how your generalist perspective led to tangible results such as increased revenue, improved profitability, strategic expansion or enhanced employee engagement and performance capabilities.
In interviews, be prepared to articulate your unique value proposition as a generalist leader. Frame your experiences as evidence of your adaptability, curiosity and ability to learn quickly. Share stories that illustrate your capacity to synthesize information from diverse sources, identify underlying patterns and generate innovative solutions. Highlight your communication and collaboration skills, emphasizing your ability to build consensus and foster a shared understanding across different teams.
By showcasing your generalist skills in a compelling and authentic way, you can differentiate yourself from other candidates and demonstrate your potential to drive transformative change in any organization. Mandel encourages generalist executives to, “Not be shy about embracing thise mentality and accept that it’s not for everyone. That’s okay. You want to find the organization that needs and values the mindsetskills you bring to the tablelisted above.”
Understand that Onboarding into Your Role Is an Opportunity for your Generalist Skills to Shine
Being a generalist senior executive offers a unique advantage when transitioning into a C-suite role, as it promotes a broad understanding of various organizational functions and challenges. Unlike specialists, who typically have deep expertise in a specific area, generalists possess a versatile skill set that allows them to connect the dots across different departments.
Their curiosity to understand other viewpoints, different areas of the business and trends beyond the immediate industry translates to others as genuine interest in their challenges and needs. Often, they garner assumptions of good intent and trust levels from the workforce vs. the heavy skepticism that leaders presented as a specific functional expert may exhibit.
This holistic perspective enables them to identify synergies and navigate complex issues that may arise within the organization. As they step into leadership positions, they can facilitate cross-functional collaboration, fostering an environment where teams work together effectively towards shared goals. As they onboard into higher leadership, their ability to empathize with different team members and understand the intricacies of various processes can lead to more informed decision-making and a stronger, more cohesive organizational culture.
How Do Generalist Leaders Continue to Evolve?
Generalist leaders, by nature of their roles, face a unique set of demands that can easily lead to burnout if not properly managed. They are expected to have a broad understanding of various organizational functions, connect disparate dots, and provide strategic direction across multiple domains.
As Mandel recommends, “This constant need to learn, adapt and synthesize information from diverse sources places a significant cognitive load on generalist leaders. This also makes it incredibly important to think efficiently, knowing what strikes at the core of a need and what is tangential. Furthermore, a tradeoff is that you likely never can be comfortable enough to settle into consistency. Intentional breaks and opportunities for recharging become crucially important to counteract mental fatigue so that you can continue to operate at your best.”
Stepping outside of the daily business world is crucial for generalist leaders to maintain a fresh perspective and avoid becoming too narrowly focused. Immersion in the immediate business environment can create a “lasered-in” mentality, where leaders lose sight of broader trends, innovative ideas and alternative approaches.
Mandel emphasizes the importance of re-education and finding time for it more frequently, stating, “As a generalist leader, you need to be self-aware enough to identify and work through your my blind spots.” By engaging in activities outside of their professional realm, such as pursuing personal interests, traveling or connecting with people from different backgrounds, generalist leaders can broaden their horizons, stimulate new thinking and gain valuable insights that can be applied to their leadership roles. Mandel suggests, this might involve “taking short-term sabbaticals during key transitions in your career or finding other ways to intentionally step back and re-evaluate shifting priorities, ensuring you’re not only an effective leader but also a fulfilled individual.”
As AI continues to master the tactical job responsibilities of the workforce, the need for a generalist-capable senior leader will only continue to grow. The shift of the human-side of work will require a leader that is an expert at navigating ambiguity, multi-cultural workplaces and carving a future path for the organization’s success.