Most CEOs I know are obsessed with efficiency. They want their teams laser-focused on their core competencies, streamlining processes, optimizing workflows. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this — until it becomes dogma.
What these leaders often miss is the immense value of “useless” knowledge.
By useless, I mean knowledge that has no obvious application to the day-to-day operations of the business. It’s the engineer who spends weekends studying Renaissance art. The marketing exec who’s passionate about quantum physics. The sales leader who’s learning to speak Mandarin “just because.”
At first glance, this might seem like a waste of time and mental energy. After all, how does understanding chiaroscuro help write better code? What does the uncertainty principle have to do with brand strategy?
But here’s the thing: innovation rarely comes from within a single domain of knowledge. It emerges at the intersections, in the spaces between established fields of knowledge. It’s born when someone looks at an old problem through an entirely new lens.
Consider the history of major breakthroughs. Johannes Gutenberg combined the wine press and the coin punch to create the printing press. Steve Jobs credited a calligraphy class he took in college with inspiring the typography in the first Macintosh computer, which made the Mac into the tool of choice for the creative economy. These innovations didn’t come from narrowly focused experts, but from people with broad, eclectic knowledge bases.
So why don’t more companies encourage this kind of intellectual exploration? There are a few reasons:
But these are short-sighted views. In an age of rapid change and disruption, the most valuable asset any company can have is a workforce of adaptable, creative thinkers. And you don’t cultivate that kind of thinking by keeping people in narrow lanes of expertise.
First, lead by example. As a leader, your behavior sets the tone. Share your own eclectic interests. Talk about the weird, wonderful things you’re learning outside of work.
Second, create space for exploration. This could be as simple as a monthly “show and tell” where team members share something interesting they’ve learned recently, regardless of its relevance to work.
Third, rethink your hiring. Look for candidates with diverse interests and unconventional backgrounds. The English major who taught themselves to code might bring more to your tech team than yet another computer science graduate.
Fourth, reframe how you think about professional development. Instead of only funding courses directly related to someone’s job, offer a learning stipend that can be used for any kind of knowledge pursuit.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, be patient. The fruits of this approach might not be immediately apparent. But over time, you’ll find your team becoming more creative, more adaptable, and better equipped to tackle the complex, multifaceted challenges of the future.
In a world where AI can increasingly handle routine tasks and narrow expertise, our uniquely human ability to make unexpected connections and leap creative chasms becomes ever more valuable. By encouraging your team to pursue “useless” knowledge, you’re not just enriching their lives — you’re future-proofing your organization.
So the next time you see an employee engrossed in a book that has nothing to do with their job, don’t see it as a distraction. See it as an investment in your company’s future. Because in the long run, there’s nothing more useful than useless knowledge.