There was a time when leaders followed a linear path. Pick a lane, specialize, climb the ladder, and stay the course for decades. But that norm is unraveling. Global complexity demands leaders who are adaptive, integrative, and, above all, multifaceted. These individuals don’t fit neatly into one category; they may be artists and scientists, coaches and corporate strategists, or data analysts and storytellers. And far from being a liability, these dualities are now an asset.
To be successful in today’s world, leaders need to connect across ideas, industries, and cultures. To be able to do that skillfully, you must play in more than one arena. It’s no longer just about what you do during your nine-to-five. It’s the sum of your experiences and the unique value you bring to the world.
This requires you to embrace your full complexity, not just for personal growth, but also as a competitive edge. The future of leadership belongs to those who can hold nuance, navigate change, and bring their whole selves to the table.
Less specializing, more integrating
The old story was: Pick a lane and stay in it. Specialization was in favor. But now, as AI handles narrow expertise, what’s left for us? The answer lies in focusing on integration and expression. The leaders who thrive now are those who connect dots across disciplines, sectors, and identities. They see what others miss because they live in more than one world.
Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi didn’t follow a linear path. She studied physics, chemistry, and math. She also played in a band and excelled at cricket. Then she eventually went on to pursue design thinking and innovation at Yale. Her leadership wasn’t just data-driven; it was holistic. She could speak to Wall Street and public health advocates with equal ease. And under her leadership, PepsiCo’s revenue nearly doubled, rising from $35 billion to over $63 billion.
The best leaders integrate diverse skills and experiences to drive innovation and connect more authentically with their teams. This integration not only broadens perspective but also deepens trust, fosters creativity, and empowers teams to operate with greater empathy and cohesion.
Navigating change with agility
Today’s leaders are not only leading through change; they are the change. They embody fluidity, resilience, and the ability to evolve across multiple life chapters. In his book Range, journalist David Epstein writes: “Approach your own personal voyage and projects like Michelangelo approached a block of marble, willing to learn and adjust as you go, and even to abandon a previous goal and change directions entirely should the need arise.”
After a few years of working in finance, Shuo Zhai followed his passion for architecture and pursued his master’s degree at Yale. He worked with Frank Gehry at Gehry Partners—and in parallel, he sings with the Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles Master Chorale, and works as a world-class chamber music pianist. He believes that his multidisciplinary approach enables better problem-solving, and deeper empathy and understanding, ultimately leading to more effective architecture and music. The ability to pivot and grow isn’t built in one role: It’s built across roles. Leaders who draw from multiple domains are more resilient and curious during transitions.
In his own journey, Tony Martignetti transitioned from a finance and strategy executive in the life sciences industry to a leadership development facilitator and experience designer. Along the way, he reconnected with his identity as an artist—bringing creativity, storytelling, and visual thinking into his work with leaders. That blend of analytical precision and artistic intuition has allowed him to help others navigate ambiguity, reimagine their narratives, and unlock new dimensions of their leadership. Where have you built resilience in one part of your life that could serve you in another?
Why multifaceted leadership matters
Jessica Wan, spent nearly two decades as a marketing and strategy executive at organizations such as Apple, San Francisco Opera, Smule, and Magoosh. Eventually, she transitioned into a leadership coach and venture partner. But she’s continually applied learnings from her lifelong artistic identity as a musician and singer to leadership challenges. This rare blend of analytical acumen and creative sensibility enables her to help leaders navigate change and transform chaos into clarity.
Jessica launched her podcast to spotlight individuals who embody this multidimensional path: a neuroscientist and an Indian classical dancer, an entomologist and a journalist, and a business professor and a Broadway investor. Their message? You don’t have to shrink to fit in. When a young person says, “I want to be an astronaut and a ballerina,” we want to be able to say: “Yes, you can.”
How to embrace being a multifaceted leader
Leaders aren’t just executives. They are also musicians, poets, caregivers, podcast hosts, and community volunteers. And denying those dimensions leads to fragmentation and fatigue. Instead of hiding those parts, successful leaders integrate them—and invite them into the room.
We need to recognize the value of integrating these roles into our leadership approach. But before we can do so, we must first explore them. Here’s a quick exercise to get you started:
- What is a role outside your professional life that matters deeply to you?
- What leadership traits have you developed from that role?
- How could you apply those traits to a current work challenge?
This isn’t just about driving career success; it is about living a more fulfilling life. It’s about giving yourself and others permission to fully live into your potential.
We believe this is the future of leadership: bold, complex, curious, and fully alive. For us, bringing our artistic backgrounds into the leadership space has profoundly shaped our work in the business world. The arts invite presence, reflection, and imagination—three qualities that help leaders break free from rigid thinking and connect with the deeper purpose behind their work.
Our invitation: Audit the dimensions of your identity, find the intersections, and show up fully—not just for your team, but for yourself. You don’t have to choose between your roles. The world needs all of you.
