I-Shaped, T-Shaped, N-Shaped, and M-Shaped: Competency Profiles That Determine Success in the Digital Transformation Era
Last updated: January 16, 2026 Read in fullscreen view
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In the context of increasingly intense digital transformation, the survival and growth of enterprises-as well as the long-term sustainability of individual careers-depend heavily on the skill profiles of the people who lead and execute initiatives. In reality, only about 50% of Fortune 500 companies still exist compared to 20 years ago, and fewer than 30% of small businesses survive beyond a decade. One of the core reasons lies in how organizations build teams and develop human capabilities.
I-Shaped: Deep but Narrow Specialists
I-Shaped individuals possess very deep expertise in a single domain. They are subject matter experts (SMEs) with extensive knowledge and experience, typically built through formal training and many years of practice.
The strength of I-Shaped professionals lies in their depth of expertise, which is especially valuable when addressing specific technical or operational problems. However, their greatest limitation is a narrow perspective. I-Shaped individuals often approach problems and propose solutions entirely through the lens of their own specialty. When many I-Shaped experts work together, organizations can easily fall into siloed thinking-each person defending their own “right answer.” This leads to conflict, inefficiency, and decisions that lack a holistic view.
In complex digital transformation programs, this frequently results in a familiar outcome: significant investment, technically correct implementation, but limited or disappointing business value.
T-Shaped: Balancing Depth and Breadth
The concept of T-Shaped individuals has been widely discussed since the 1980s. It describes people who have one deep area of expertise (the vertical stroke of the “T”) combined with broad knowledge across related domains (the horizontal stroke).
T-Shaped individuals are particularly effective in cross-functional environments. They communicate well with stakeholders, connect different departments, and see the bigger picture better than I-Shaped specialists. This makes them well suited for roles in project management, consulting, and team leadership.
However, T-Shaped profiles also have limitations. With broad but relatively shallow knowledge across many areas and depth in only one, they may struggle to drive execution on problems that require multiple deep competencies simultaneously. In organizations, this can sometimes lead to prolonged discussions and compromise-driven solutions that lack real breakthroughs.
N-Shaped: Two Pillars of Expertise as a Competitive Advantage
N-Shaped (more intuitively visualized as a lowercase “n”) represents a natural evolution from T-Shaped, where an individual develops two deep areas of expertise. Examples include project management + automation, marketing + data analytics, or technology + business operations.
With two deep skill pillars, N-Shaped individuals become extremely valuable to organizations. They not only understand issues but also participate directly in strategic decision-making, acting as bridges between critical functional teams. In many cases, N-Shaped professionals have influence comparable to senior management because they understand both technical details and business impact.
From a career perspective, N-Shaped profiles expand advancement opportunities and reduce the risk of being locked into a single role or function.
M-Shaped: Multidisciplinary Profiles for a Complex Era
M-Shaped is an increasingly preferred capability model in both enterprises and strategic consulting. M-Shaped individuals possess three or more deep areas of expertise, combined with interdisciplinary thinking and broad knowledge across industries.
The essence of M-Shaped is not simply “knowing many things,” but the ability to connect seemingly unrelated domains to create solutions that are innovative, practical, and sustainable. This capability is critical for solving end-to-end digital transformation challenges, where technology, people, processes, and business models are tightly intertwined.
In practice, teams (or pods) composed of M-Shaped individuals are often smaller yet more effective. They shorten decision-making cycles, reduce coordination costs, and deliver clearer business value compared to models that rely on aggregating many isolated specialists.
From Organizations to Individuals: Why M-Shaped Matters More Than Ever
At the organizational level, M-Shaped profiles help break down silos, strengthen internal alignment, and optimize technology investments. Solutions are designed not only to address immediate problems but also with a long-term vision for the entire business ecosystem.
At the individual level, career development often begins with I-Shaped depth, expands into T-Shaped breadth, progresses to N-Shaped dual expertise, and eventually reaches M-Shaped maturity. This is not a mandatory path for everyone, but in a volatile environment, adaptability, multidimensional learning, and systems thinking are the most sustainable competitive advantages.
Conclusion
I-Shaped, T-Shaped, N-Shaped, and M-Shaped are not labels of right or wrong, but stages of capability maturity. In the 21st century-where digital transformation and continuous innovation are the new normal-the M-Shaped model is emerging as the optimal profile for both organizations and individuals.
It is no longer about being excellent at one thing, but about excelling in multiple connected domains, understanding the big picture, and acting effectively. That is the key to creating real and sustainable value in an increasingly complex world.
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