One of the best things you can learn in school is good taste.
This has nothing to do with what you eat, wear, or listen to.
Rather, it’s about learning what qualifies as good work in your field, and where the standards for good work come from.
It’s also about developing a more nuanced understanding of who’s who and what’s what — mapping the networks, understanding influence and influencers, and seeing underneath the bumper-sticker labels of particular sectors.
Even if you’re a generalist, you need to have some specific domain expertise. No one hires a consultant; they hire an organizational strategist.
If you’re going to be the person to call, it’s worth having demonstrably excellent taste in organizations, strategy, and communication.
Colin Steele 