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Great question! Many of us feel that in order to be successful, we just need to have a good idea, work hard, and have a bit of luck.But the world just doesn't work that way. All of these traits are necessary, but not enough to be truly world-class.For example, as of today in 2015, according to Forbes, there are 1,826 billionaires in the entire world. Right now, there are 7.3 billion people in the world. That means that the probability of someone being randomly born anywhere in the world and becoming a billionaire is .000025%.Seeing those numbers, it’s easy to wonder, “Are there some big secrets to becoming extremely successful and impactful that we can copy?”Well, I recently came across one such “secret” from billionaire Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett’s longtime business partner, and he has an approach to business that I haven’t seen talked about anywhere else, but that has been followed by many world-class entrepreneurs we all admire.Countless books and articles have been written about Warren Buffett. He shares most of how he operates his businesses openly. Surprisingly though, very few have been written about his business partner of over the 40 years, Charlie Munger.Munger has stayed out of the public eye, giving only a small number of public talks, and he’s rarely been covered in the media. At Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder’s meetings, he lets Buffett answer the questions, often times commenting, “I have nothing to add.”For two months, I read everything I could get my hands on about, said by, and written by Munger over his 70-year career, and what I found blew me away. His model for success, backed by research, is simple and game-changing. It flies in the face of conventional wisdom on career success.How This One Life Hack From A Self-Made Billionaire Leads To Exceptional SuccessA great deal has been written about how deliberate practice over 10,000 hours within a specific area of expertise is the key to success.While Munger has certainly worked long and hard to become one of the world’s top investors, the signature of his success is different. According to his own account, rather than focusing on investment theory like a laser, he has studied widely and deeply in many fields, including microeconomics, psychology, law, mathematics, biology, and engineering, and applied insights from them to investing.Bill Gates has said of Munger, “He is truly the broadest thinker I have ever encountered. From business principles to economic principles to the design of student dormitories to the design of a catamaran he has no equal… Our longest correspondence was a detailed discussion on the mating habits of naked mole rats and what the human species might learn from them.” Munger has, in short, been the ultimate expert-generalist.The Rise Of The Expert-GeneralistThe rival argument to the 10,000 hour rule is the expert-generalist approach. Orit Gadiesh, chairman of Bain & Co, who coined the term, describes the expert-generalist as:“Someone who has the ability and curiosity to master and collect expertise in many different disciplines, industries, skills, capabilities, countries, and topics., etc. He or she can then, without necessarily even realizing it, but often by design:Draw on that palette of diverse knowledge to recognize patterns and connect the dots across multiple areas.Drill deep to focus and perfect the thinking.”The concept is commonly represented by this model of the “T-shaped individual”:While the 10,000 hour rule works well in areas with defined rules that don’t change such as sports, music, and games, the rules of business constantly and fundamentally change. Being an expert-generalist allows individuals to quickly adapt to change. Research shows that they:See the world more accurately and make better predictions of the future, because they are not as susceptible to the biases and assumptions prevailing in any given field or community.Have more breakthrough ideas, because they pull insights that already work in one area into ones where they haven’t been tried yet.Build deeper connections with people who are different than them because of understanding of their perspectives.Build more open networks, which allows them to serve as a connector between people in different groups. According to network science research, having an open network is the #1 Predicator of SuccessCharlie Munger’s Approach To Being An Expert-GeneralistIn connecting the dots across the disciplines, Munger has developed a set of what he calls models, which he uses to assess investment opportunities. In fact, he’s identified over 100 of these models that he uses frequently as of the publication of Poor Charlie’s Almanack. No doubt he continues to develop and perfect them.What are these models exactly?The best way to explain is to take the case of one he uses constantly, which he calls Two-Track analysis. It combines insights from psychology, neuroscience and economics about the nature of human behavior. This model instructs that when analyzing any situation in which decision-making by people is involved, which of course covers every business situation, he must consider two tracks:How they would act if they behaved rationally, according to their true best interests.How they would succumb to the pull of a number of irrational psychological biases that seem to be “programmed” into the human brain. Researchers have identified a host of them, and Munger has incorporated twenty-five of them into his Two-Track analysis model.Another example is classical conditioning developed by Ivan Pavlov in the early 20th century. Pavlov discovered that with the right conditioning, dogs would salivate not just when eating food, but also in anticipation of it when he walked into the laboratory. Munger applies the same logic to business. In his book, he gives the example of how Coca-Cola (one of Berkshire Hathaway’s largest holdings) conditions its customers with the right frequency and type of advertising while using their logo as the trigger.The following is a summary of his rules on being an expert-generalist in his own words, excerpted and condensed from the various talks he’s given:Rule #1: Learn Multiple Models“The first rule is that you’ve got to have multiple models—because if you just have one or two that you’re using, the nature of human psychology is such that you’ll torture reality so that it fits your models.”“It’s like the old saying, ‘To the man with only a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.’ But that’s a perfectly disastrous way to think and a perfectly disastrous way to operate in the world.”Rule #2: Learn Multiple Models From Multiple Disciplines“And the models have to come from multiple disciplines—because all the wisdom of the world is not to be found in one little academic department.”Rule #3: Focus On Big Ideas From The Big Disciplines (20% Of Models Create 80% Of The Results)“You may say, ‘My God, this is already getting way too tough.’ But, fortunately, it isn’t that tough—because 80 or 90 important models will carry about 90% of the freight in making you a worldly-wise person. And, of those, only a mere handful really carry very heavy freight.”Rule #4: Use A Checklist To Ensure You’re Factoring in the Right Models“Use a checklist to be sure you get all of the main models.”“How can smart people be wrong? Well, the answer is that they don’t…take all the main models from psychology and use them as a checklist in reviewing outcomes in complex systems.”Rule #5: Create Multiple Checklists And Use The Right One For The Situation“You need a different checklist and different mental models for different companies. I can never make it easy by saying, ‘Here are three things.’ You have to drive it yourself to ingrain it in your head for the rest of your life.”The Expert-Generalist Approach In Different FieldsWhether or not you decide to follow Munger’s particular approach, one clear takeaway is the value of gaining a wide breadth of knowledge while also drilling deeply into your area of specialty.Many of the top scientists, business leaders, inventors and artists throughout time have also achieved their breakthrough successes by being an expert-generalist. Albert Einstein was trained in physics, but to formulate his law of general relativity, he taught himself an area of mathematics far removed from his expertise, Riemannian geometry. James Watson and Francis Crick combined discoveries in X-ray diffraction technology, chemistry, evolutionary theory and computation to solve the puzzle of the double helix. Steve Jobs, of course, drew on insights from his study of calligraphy and a rich understanding of design to create a new breed of computing devices.Here is an infographic I created with 25 of the top expert-generalists throughout history:Copyright Michael Simmons 2015. All Rights Reserved.Bain & Company chairman, Orit Gadiesh, attests to the value of being a voracious reader across many domains in her own career, saying:“Being an expert-generalist has helped Bain see things for our clients that others miss, as we provide unique insights from one industry into another. The approach has differentiated Bain from its competitors.”“I bring into my work everything I do; all of my past consulting projects, all of my readings [100+ books a year]. I read novels. I read about physics, mathematics, history, biographies, art. One reason I work well in Germany is that I’ve read a lot of German literature, German philosophers, German history, etc., even though I’m Israeli. They’re great writers. Likewise, I can work in France because I’ve read their literature. I’ve read Japanese literature, Korean literature, English literature, American literature, Israeli literature, and on and on. I bring all of that somehow into my work. And I think that makes me better at what I do. It also makes life more interesting.”What’s more, those who can bridge the gaps between silos are becoming more valuable than ever as the amount of knowledge in the world and its fragmentation continue to accelerate.Being An Expert-Generalist Will Become More And More ValuedThe discipline known as scientometrics is the science of science; it studies the evolution of scientific knowledge. Two of the key findings of this field are:The amount of academic research is doubling every 9 years (left image)The number disciplines is growing exponentially (right image).As disciplines emerge and mature, they develop their own cultures and languages. Each has its own terminology along with its own journals and annual conferences. This specialization has already become so extreme that those who are specialists in one subfield of a discipline often know little to nothing about the work going on in other subfields.Consider the increasing specialization that has led to one important new area of science, epigenetics. Epigenetics is essentially the study of how environmental factors affect how our genes are expressed. When biology emerged as a field of its own out of medicine and natural history in the 19th century, it would have been possible for any biologist to gain a good grasp of the whole field. Today, many geneticists would tell you they don’t have any real understanding of the findings in epigenetics.Given this state of affairs, many professionals have determined the best approach is to go into sub, sub, sub specialties, where they can hope to become one of the best if they follow the 10,000 rule. That can indeed be fruitful. But opportunities also abound for those who instead develop an aptitude for building connections across disciplines.Expert-generalists face far less competition. The more fields you can pull from, the fewer people you’ll find taking the same approach. When it comes to drilling into one domain,the competition is generally fierce. Narrowly specializing also leaves you vulnerable to the ever-more daunting forces of change. Orit Gadiesh offers insight in this regard:“As technology, globalization, geopolitical challenges, and competition accelerate the disruption of business, people are confronted with challenges, customs, and issues they have never experienced before. I find that experts – someone with deep knowledge limited to just one area – often lack the flexibility needed to adapt to change and can be easily flustered or, worse, be completely derailed.”Curiouser and CuriouserThe business world has placed great emphasis on focus, and rightly so. It is a vital ingredient of success. But more emphasis must now be placed on curiosity. Too often, we are so pressed by the day-to-day demands of work that we aren’t making time for exploration, diving into areas entirely outside our range of experience, letting our minds run, and finding inspiration from encountering new ideas with uncertain payoffs.So, when you find yourself pushing back, the inner voice of work overload screaming that you don’t have time to be reading that book you just picked up about the physics of time travel or the novel someone recommended by the Nigerian Nobel Prize winner, remember this: Bill Gates recalls that the longest correspondence he’s had with Charlie Munger wasn’t about an investment, it was about the mating habits.-Charlie Munger’s deepest secret to success wasn’t his investment strategy, his relationship with Warren Buffett, or even how he held meetings. It was in how he gained unique insights as a result of being a generalist.Have you worked on becoming an expert generalist? Or are you considering taking that step forward? I’d love to hear your experiences on the topic!Comment below!P.S., as a resource for this answer, I put together a 27-page report you can download at no cost. It summarizes the psychological biases that Munger has identified throughout his 70-year career. I put it together because I didn’t see another summary anywhere else that was easy to comprehend or apply.--This Quora answer is a modified version of an article I originally wrote for Forbes.

Let me share my experience with Immigration Consultancy in order to give you some idea about what these Consultancies actually do.I went to a repute Immigration Consultancy to know if I can immigrate into Australia or CanadaThey made me complete a test (Eligibility Test, which you can google and find)They told me I was eligible for immigration for both countries. I was not sure which one would be better in terms of job opportunities and living. I didn't get any solid answer from them, In a way, that was good.However, they provided a few brochures on each country. Mostly, print-outs taken from various websites.I researched and decided to immigrate into Canada. Solely my decision.I went back and expressed my intention of applying for Canada. They asked me about my profession and checked under what NoC it falls under (This info is available on Canadian Immigration website)They congratulated and told me that my profession was listed in that list. They gave me an Immigration Application (You can download it from Canada Immigration Website). They asked me to fill the application and bring in all my certificates, notarised.I got all my certificates notarised. They advised me to get my Degree and PG certificates and marks list in sealed cover from my university.I filled in the application. The process for filling in the application is very clearly explained in the application itself. So, I didn't have much trouble to fill in.I took the completed application and certificates to the Consultancy.I was asked to bring in bank statements and all the other necessary documents to support my financial status, certified by a Chartered AccountantI met the Charted Account and got the Certification. I submitted all the documentsAfter a couple of weeks, they drafted a cover letter and asked me to review it. Since my English is a little better, I re-drafted and shot back. Again after a few days, they called me to their office and gave me all the documents in a cover. They arranged all the documents as per the checklist (This check list is a part of the application itself)They told me to send it to Canada Embassy in New Delhi in Speed PostAfter posting, I did not hear from them for a very long time. I called up my consultancy and asked them. They told me to wait as it sometimes gets delayedI waited for a long time and couldn't wait more. Since my agent was not responding to my emails, I straightaway met the Director and almost fired her for this inordinate delay. The Director assured me that she would look into this matter and let me know. Nothing happened for a long timeMy patience was running ou. tI got into Canada Desi Forum and posted a query about the delay and the suggested action. I was suggested to write to Canada Embassy directly and post it by mail as well as emailWithin a few days, I received a call from the Embassy. They told me that my application was through!Regarding employment opportunities, the Consultancy told me that they would help me find jobs before I reach Canada! A very tall promise in deed! I fondly thought they would at least do this for me. But I was wrong. They simply posted my resume on a few Canadian job portals! Before I left for Canada, I got rejection letters from all of those job portals!!! No Canadian firm prefers to conduct interviews for people who apply from outside Canada and without a SIN (Social Insurance Number)Now, I leave it to your interpretation what you can and cannot expect from these Consultancies. I paid a handsome fee for them!In Canada, when I was eligible for Canadian Citizenship, many of my fellow Canadian advised me to go to a Consultancy in Canada for applying. Some of them even scared me that my application would get rejected if it does not go through a qualified Immigration Consultant! Having not-so good experience with Consultancy, I decided to go on my own. You won’t believe, my Canadian Citizenship application was approved within 3 months and I got my invitation to Citizenship Test within a week thereafter! Some of my friends who applied through Consultancies in Canada, got their citizenship much much later!In my opinion, you need a Consultant if:you cannot understand the instructionsif you cannot exercise care and caution while filling the applicationif you do not have time to research for informationif you do not have good (not great) English language skillsif you are lazy and have lots of moneyif you have a tendency to get easily confusedif your case is not straight forwardGood luck :-)

Here is my take on this;He was vehemently fighting for special status during Pre elections era. As he became Chief minister, he explicitly stated that he has expressed his concern over special status to BJP chief Amit shah and we continue to fight until we get special status.There was no progress at all in this case. Had the same thing did by CBN then Jagan would have projected him as he does not have guts to fight for special status and he would have started another protest in the name of special status. Infact, People and media forgot about special status. Now it is done and dusted. End of chapter.Demolition Praja Vedika- It was demolished in the first few weeks of his office and they mentioned that it is illegal construction so Govt. abiding by rules. Then what about other illegal constructions in the state? why none of them are demolished (unless I’m ignorant). Just asking!!It has been 6 months at office, general public don’t have any idea on his plans on capital city development. Was there any progress? If at all, any constructions started in CBN tenure, are they still active or asked to hold off ?Per Sakshi Article, Besides Polavaram, the construction of the state capital Amaravati too has come to a halt. The World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIM) have pulled out of the $300 million state capital project. So what is the plan B? Now we don’t have funds to construct our own capital. What about Prestige scheme Navaratnalu and how can he get funds to fulfil his promise? is it out of sight now?English Medium introduction with mandatory telugu subject. It is very good decision taken by him and Let’s hope that it will fetch positive results. My Detailed Response HereAmma Vadi is a scheme Govt Pays to every mother 15,000 Rupees annually to send their kids to schools. Who is ensuring that they receive money and also they are sending their kids to schools without fail?His team is conducting press meets to criticize or respond to allegations/comments made by other party leaders. I haven’t seen one press meet where they discuss about their future plans and what notable changes are they going to make in 5 years. Some of them are using abusive and unparliamentary language on media. They are people representatives and they should stand by an example.They should Keep a checklist of items they wanted to complete in 5 years and assign due dates and let public know their progress. They should be accountable for every day at office.Overall, Blame game is still going on and there are no notable changs happened and i guess we should give him more time to witness any progress. Let’s hope for the best!!Adios-R-