In today's innovation-driven world, non-linear thinking and learning form the cornerstone of successful transformation for individuals and companies. Acquiring agile knowledge and skills continuously for anyone, from fresh school leavers to mature workers, will afford them new opportunities to pivot and pursue new growths of the future. 

In this two-part episode ‘Power Learn to the Future', Dr Jimmy Wong, Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the SUSS School of Business, shares about a new polymathic mindset to embrace the future of work. 

“A polymath is basically a person who’s extremely curious and passionate about learning,” Jimmy explains. The beauty of being a polymath is the ability to connect the dots, through a broad-based set of knowledge and skills to add value and stay relevant for evolving jobs and roles in the future.

However, the road to become a polymath is often fraught with the fear of learning and need to overcome the inertia to learn after graduation. This stems from a largely traditional education model that most are familiar with and continues to stay deeply entrenched in our young and older generations – that learning is largely restricted to school and the mastery of one core skill as a specialist will ensure lasting success.

Jimmy, however, advocates for workers to continuously acquire new complementary abilities and stay poised to innovate and create new business solutions for employers. This, in turn, will also create stronger employee empowerment, productivity and retention for the companies. 

Becoming a polymath is more than just adopting a posture of adaptability; it is about having a curious mind about things towards discovering new solutions to issues, Jimmy thinks. “The minute you start cultivating this habit of learning, you will find that learning is actually fun… it feeds your motivation for learning."