South Africa, Jan. 14 -- Five hundred years ago, the Renaissance produced a new kind of leader: the polymath. Thinkers like Leonardo da Vinci worked across science, art, engineering and philosophy because their moment in history required it.

They were responding to a profound shift in how knowledge was created, shared and applied. The term polymath describes a person with deep expertise across multiple, diverse fields, often described as a "Renaissance person."

Rather than knowing a little about everything, polymaths achieve real proficiency across disciplines and connect ideas creatively to solve complex problems.

Polymaths are defined by:

In 2026, we are facing a similarly destabilising yet profoundly expansive moment. For the first...