We need to rediscover the spirit of the Renaissance
During a recent lunch with several military generals, conversation turned to the future of defense in an era of unprecedented change. Two common threads emerged.
First, new contexts require problem reframing. In defense that means thinking not just about attack prevention, but about building systems resilience. Attacks are inevitable; from cyber threats to natural disasters, it is impossible to predict and prevent every single threat, so we need systems that can quickly recover when disruption hits.
Second, this resilience requires a leadership mindset shift: from individual platforms to interdependent systems and ecosystems. What interdependencies exist between different parts of the system? How do non-adjacent parts impact each other? How do you create systems that scale good impact to maximize positive outcomes – and distribute bad impacts to minimize harm?
What struck me was how widely these threads apply. Every industry faces similar challenges. And a critical part of the puzzle is the role of people. How can we upskill people to face these evolving challenges? Ekta Chopra, chief AI officer at e.l.f. Beauty, argues that as AI becomes ever more competent in specialized work, humans’ comparative advantage is shifting. Knowledge is abundant; context and discernment are scarce. As AI goes deep, humans need to go wide, both in knowledge and in connectivity with each other.
This is a dramatic shift. Since the Industrial Revolution, society has rewarded specialization. Organizations became effective at dividing work into small areas of expertise. That worked in a relatively stable world, but todays challenges render it vulnerable. Siloed work leads to siloed thinking, to blind spots and increased risk. It is not enough for leaders to be experts in one narrow area alone. Instead, leaders need to translate between disciplines, providing context and wisdom to bridge different functions. Knowing what to do with knowledge is more valuable than the knowledge itself. Digital teams might be building powerful agentic AI tools – but achieving widespread adoption requires leaders who understand how people think, decide and embrace change. The leaders we need are not the ones who know the most about one subject, but those who understand how the many subjects interact. We need a modern Renaissance.
The Renaissance ideal celebrated wide-ranging intellectual interest. Leonardo Da Vinci was an artist, scientist, inventor and architect. Centuries later, Benjamin Franklin was at once an inventor, diplomat, writer and philosopher. They shared an extraordinary ability to recognize patterns across disciplines – precisely the talent we need today. Solutions to modern problems will not be found in a single discipline, but by asking: “Where have I seen this before? How can this be applied in new contexts? Who else should I include in the conversation?” This is an invitation to be endlessly curious about the world beyond your current role, and to serve as connective tissue within your organization. I urge leaders to spend time with people with varied expertise; to study history, nature, sociology and technology.
Inherent to this is a deep sense of love and optimism stemming from awe and wonder at humanity. The resilient organization will be built through stronger connections among teams of broad expertise, with leaders who embrace the spirit of the Renaissance: connecting ideas, recognizing patterns, and weaving innovative solutions out of seemingly unrelated disciplines. We need the return of the Renaissance leader.
Sanyin Siang is a Pratt School of Engineering professor and leads the Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics at Duke University
