I have always been transfixed by those who lead multiple careers. They are the ones who refuse to be typecast but instead break convention by embracing a variety of roles, sometimes simultaneously, more often consecutively. To me they are among the most impressive businesspeople, switching vocations and accumulating new skills as they go, achieving great feats across different disciplines. Undoubtedly one of the true joys of being an entrepreneur is that you are not trapped in one stifling occupation but are free to roam.
There was much less prejudice against such wholesale reinventions in previous eras. Characters such as Benjamin Franklin were not seen as dilettantes, despite the fact that he was an author, inventor, printer and politician – among myriad other activities. Above all, he was a man who believed one should make one’s mark in the world and not waste time. I have a poster on my wall from the RSA, where he was a fellow, with a marvellous quote from him: “If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.” These sorts of legendary polymaths must be human whirlwinds, forever in motion, leading three lives while the rest of us struggle to make progress in just one. But there is no good reason why anyone should be obliged to stick neurotically to a single work trajectory for half a century. We shall probably all have to earn a living until the age of 70, so why not plan to convert to a different field of endeavour in midlife? It is the way to avoid the boredom of sticking to just one discipline. A more recent renaissance figure is John Freeman. Face to Face, his pioneering series of television interviews from 1958 to 1962, has just been re-released on DVD by the BBC. He pursued an astonishing variety of trades. After university he served as an officer in the second world war, became a Labour MP for 10 years, then worked as a broadcaster, edited the New Statesman magazine, served as British ambassador in Washington, then as chairman of television company LWT, finally becoming a university professor in California. It is his 96th birthday this week. Could someone in the 21st century shift professions so seamlessly? I fear they would be dismissed as amateurish or lightweight. Yet surely the experience accumulated across a range of crafts can be immensely valuable. If you focus for decades on one narrow speciality, then you risk becoming blinkered and stale. I accept that “domain knowledge” is essential to excel in any calling. But 20 years must be sufficient to become truly expert. What then? Clearly, casting aside all that training, those qualifications, networks and reference points, is a scary step. Yet where is the excitement in an existence of routine and predictability? We should all attempt to pursue life-long learning in pastures new as a fundamental goal. Ronald Reagan is another great example of defiance towards those who would pigeonhole you. Initially he enjoyed reasonable success as a Hollywood actor, served in the US Army, and then became a union boss, as president of the Screen Actors Guild. Subsequently, he worked as a spokesman for General Electric and was later elected governor of California. In the 1980s, he was twice elected US president and is considered by many of his countrymen to be the most successful holder of that office in modern times. Reagan skilfully used his early jobs to gain public recognition, master the art of public oration, understand leadership and develop an appeal to ordinary citizens. A rather more interesting way to gain judgment and credibility than working as a party hack, which so many of today’s politicians appear to do as their form of apprenticeship. Not everyone can afford to make wholesale changes to their livelihoods while in their prime – but many actually fail to do it through fear or laziness. Yet even cautious individuals can enjoy renewal once they are notionally retired from a first career. Everyone possesses a range of talents; and we should all aim to have second or even third acts in our working lives.
我一向对那些从事过多重职业的人啧啧称叹。他们是一群拒绝定型的人，一群乐于体验各种角色（有时是同时体验不同角色，更多的时候是先后体验）以打破常规的人。对我而言，他们属于最令人印象深刻的那类商人——他们不断变换着职业，在转行时积累下新的技能，在不同领域取得巨大的成绩。毫无疑问，作为一位企业家的真正乐趣之一是，你不会困在一个令人窒息的职业里，你可以自由翱翔。
过去，人们对这种频繁转行的偏见远不像现在这么大。像本杰明•富兰克林(Benjamin Franklin)这样的人并没有被视为半吊子，尽管他曾当过作家、发明家、印刷工和政治家，还做过其它无数工作。但最重要的是，富兰克林相信一点：人应在世上雁过留声，不应虚度光阴。我的墙上贴着一幅英国皇家艺术学会(Royal Society of Arts)的海报（富兰克林曾是该学会会员），海报上引述了富兰克林的一句名言：“如果你不愿在辞世化作粪土后就立刻被人遗忘，那要么就写点值得一读的文字，要么就做点值得记载的事情。”
这类传奇式的多面手肯定是些精力旺盛的人，永远都不需停顿，同时谱写着三种不同的人生，而我们其余的人甚至在一种人生中都很难有所进展。不过，人们毫无理由必须在半个世纪里执着于一条职业轨迹。既然在70岁前，我们可能都得为了生计而奔波，那么我们为什么不计划在中年之时转向另一个奋斗领域呢？如此一来，我们就可避免因固守一个行当而感到厌倦。
距我们更近的一个多面手是约翰•弗里曼(John Freeman)。他的开创性系列电视访谈节目《面对面》(Face to Face)曾在1958年至1962年间播出，该节目的DVD版刚刚由英国广播公司(BBC)重新发行。弗里曼干过的行当多得惊人。大学毕业后，他曾于二战时期担任军官，任工党议员10年，然后又当过广播员、《新政治家》杂志(New Statesman)编辑、英国驻华盛顿大使、伦敦周末电视公司(LWT)董事长，最后在加州任大学教授。近日他度过了自己96岁的生日。在21世纪，有谁能像他这样如此完美地实现职业转换？恐怕这类人会被视为半瓶子醋或是没什么真本事的人。
然而，你在各行各业积累下的经验无疑可以具有会非常宝贵的价值。如果你数十年来只专注于一个狭窄的行当，那么你可能会变得目光狭隘、思维过时。我承认，要想在任何一行脱颖而出，“领域内知识”都是至关重要的。但是，20年的时间肯定足够一个人真正地变成专家。接下来呢？抛弃所有受过的训练、相关资质、人际网络和参考点，无疑是令人心惊胆战的一步。然而，在一种平淡无奇的环境中生活，又有何令人兴奋之处呢？我们每个人都应当把毕生在新领域获取知识当作一个根本追求。
对那些把人严格归类的人士来说，罗纳德•里根(Ronald Reagan)是另一个令他们颜面扫地的范例。最初，里根曾是一名小有成就的好莱坞演员，在美国陆军服过役，而后成为一名工会领袖，即美国影视演员协会(Screen Actors Guild)主席。接下来，他担任过通用电气(GE)的发言人，后来又当选为加州州长。上世纪80年代，他曾两次当选美国总统，被很多美国人视为当代最成功的美国总统。他熟练地利用早期的工作去赢得公众认可、掌握公开演说艺术、理解领导才能并修得对普通公民的吸引力。相对于以党务工作为职业，这是一种更有趣的、获得判断力和可信性的方式——如今，许多政客似乎把党务工作当作一种实习期。
并非所有人都有能力在风华正茂之时频繁改变自己的谋生之道，但是，很多人未能做到这点实际上是因为恐惧或懒惰。然而，一旦在名义上从第一职业“退休”，即便是谨小慎微的人也能享受到新生的快乐。我们每个人都具备多种才能，都应把揭开自己职业生涯的第二幕甚至第三幕当作目标。
