James Drogan

From the Creative Generalist comes:

If breakthrough insights are at the intersection of ideas, concepts and cultures, it will be generalists—those so-called dabblers and experts of nothing—who find them, who connect them with the specialists that need them, and who shepherd into existence the ideas that will change our world. Nothing can substitute for depth of analysis, and there's proven value in specialization—it's what education, career paths, scientific research, and technological innovation are built on—but generalism is the hidden talent. With so much complex information that is fragmented in so many ways and developing faster and faster, it is increasingly important to have generalists around to make sense of it all. People who appreciate diversity, who are in the know about the wider world and who understand how things interact are invaluable observers, matchmakers, and pioneers of the intersectional ideas so vital for success in today’s global knowledge economy and conceptual age.

I am biased towards the generalist.  I inclined to think that many of the issues that confront us result from the lack of comprehensive systems thinking, the failure to see the larger patterns, the myopia of special interest groups, the focus on self and not selflessness.