06/02/2026
Yes, I’m a generalist. And yes, I’m good at multiple things.
I’m no longer shy or awkward about admitting it.
In a world that pushes everyone to be a “thought leader” or master one narrow thing, I choose to be the exception...at least for now.
Being a specialist is great.
But being a generalist? It’s uncommon and mostly misunderstood. Often times you don't know you need them until they show up!
Having worked across finance, supply chain, business operations, and HR, I’ve had my fair share of identity crises and moments of misalignment. But I think I finally get it, and I hope this speaks to someone who’s trying too hard to fit into a box.
It’s okay to have multiple interests.
It’s okay to be multidimensional.
And it’s okay to see the skill inside the skill. (Read that again.)
Here’s what I’ve realised:
Hard skills are loud. They’re easy to spot, which is why specialists are quickly recognised.
Soft skills, however, are quieter and often irreplaceable.
In every role I’ve taken, I ask myself one question:
“How do I bring Taiwo into this role?”
I realised it’s not really about what I do.
It’s about who I am, consistently, across different roles.
That’s when the transferable skills became clear.
The kind that allows you to work anywhere, with anyone.
From experience, these are patterns I’ve noticed among generalists…
- We’re highly adaptable
- We naturally have a helicopter view of things
- We often make strong leaders because we understand multiple processes and people
- We thrive in managerial and execution-focused roles
Here’s what I always tell people:
Own who you are, but first, know who you are. Someone is looking for someone, just exactly like you.
