Posted on Mar 27, 2013

The Value of Specialization in Leadership

The value of specialization means highly skilled in a specific field; making something suitable for a special purpose.

Leadership Questions:

As a leader, do you see yourself as a generalist or a specialist? How do others see you?
Just because you posses a specific skill, does that mean you know how to lead in your field?
With your specific set of skills, what questions can you ask that others without your skills could never ask?
If a leader is known to be highly skilled in a specific area, what’s the best way for them to positively influence others with that same skill?

Using Your Specialization to Serve Others

If you are highly skilled in a specific field, it means YOU are special. There are times your expertise is greatly valued:

If you are a cardiologist, you know what to do if someone is diagnosed with heart disease.
If you are an international tax accountant, you know how to help someone who derives income from multiple countries, especially at tax time.
If you are a structural engineer, you know how to build the bridge needed to cross a river, so the highway can go through.

How specialized can one get? I once read about a global consulting firm that employed a man whose specialty was the retractable roof for large stadiums. Imagine, just one guy was the ‘retractable roof’ expert supporting stadiums around the world. That was HIS specialty.

But… does your specialization help you lead better? Not necessarily. The best leaders know that leading is not about them. It’s about serving others.

Thus, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many specialists are not good leaders. Unless they can learn to focus on OTHERS instead of themselves, they will not become effective leaders.

However, a specialist-turned-leader can become extremely effective if they can apply their problem-solving skills to serve others. When the desire is to truly help someone for that person’s benefit, without being motivated for personal gain, then trust is formed. Along with trust comes integrity, respect, and a willingness to work together. It’s the basis for teamwork.

If leadership is influence, a specialist can best influence others when they prove they can serve others in a way that has nothing to do with their specialization. As Theodore Roosevelt stated: “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”