ABSTRACT Experts in rural development and agrarian change wield considerable influence over programme design and delivery, directing resources and shaping trajectories towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet the pathways through which such expertise develops remain under‐examined. This study examines the journey to expertise among experts in Southeast Asia through the lens of Joseph Campbell's monomyth, the Hero's Journey. Drawing on semi‐structured interviews with 34 leading experts, it shows that expertise is not a linear accumulation of technical skill but a cyclical, transformative process. Experts' narratives closely align with the stages of the Hero's Journey: a Departure from an ordinary world of established knowledge; an Initiation of trials, challenges, and learning; and a Return in which new insights are applied to guide others and influence systems. This analysis makes three contributions. First, it enriches rural development and agrarian change research by demonstrating that expertise is socially constructed and personally transformative, shaped through struggle, mentorship, and commitment to a greater good. Second, it re‐conceptualises the relationship between expert and farmer by recognising both as protagonists on parallel hero's journeys, reframing extension from hierarchical knowledge transfer to one of mutual engagement and co‐learning. Third, and most importantly, it shows that systemic change requires more than individual transformation. By reflecting on their journeys, identifying the prompts that spurred personal change, and assuming responsibility for enabling the journeys of others, experts contribute to institutional learning and provide pathways for large‐scale transformations central to the realisation of the SDGs.
Hainzer et al. (Wed,) studied this question.