Very seldom do these abilities reside within a single person. For the most part, we all have limited capacity. We can only know so much about so much. Certainly, though, we have preferences.
Wide is about the breadth of scope. It defines the playing field. It’s much larger than we think – and it’s growing. The world is increasingly more interconnected. Complexity is on the rise. Cause and effect relationships are much harder to predict, and sometimes even understand.
Width of knowledge and understanding helps us navigate this phenomenon more accurately.
Deep is about the thoroughness of understanding. How well versed are we with the subject matter at hand? This is tricky due to the expansion of knowledge in almost every field. It’s getting deeper at a blistering pace. Keeping up with the latest discoveries and research is intimidating and challenging.
The deeper we go, the clearer our understanding becomes. This enables us to cut through the haze of ambiguity. The world is shrouded in shades of truth and degrees of fact. Depth allows us to carry weight and clarity into this perceptive reality.
Impactful teams do both.