Is age a barrier to good leadership?
I've been having a good discussion on this issue with some friends at the Aardvark Business Forum recently and so it was interesting to read this article on BNet this morning sharing the experiences of a 25 year old CEO.
There are undoubtedly successful young leaders out there. Ruth Amos, founder of Stairsteady - interviewed on the blog last year, is one notable example that springs to mind.
Are such examples exceptions to the rule though. Are younger managers and leaders looked down upon by their more experienced colleagues? If you're a younger manager, how can you earn the respect of your older peers?
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i do not think that age is a barrier to good leadership. i find that young people have a fresh approach and often question 'old' approaches, they are often key in innovation and so a company is forward looking. i do not think at the same time that older people cannot do this, but as people grow older they get 'stuck in there ways' and have an unwritten rule book that they follow mentally.
How old was Alexander the Great at his peak? At the other extreme, Churchill would have been considered to be past his prime today, but another example of a great leader.
I think the key here is not how old you are, but what you have achieved. You gain respect by achieving your objectives in a way that doesn't trample over everyone else in the process.
I'm not sure that older people are necessariliy stuck in their ways - it's just that they've found through experience what works and probably tend to stick with that rather than take chances by being innovative. A lot might also be down to corporate culture, and to what degree innovation is encouraged and rewarded.
i do not think that age is a barrier to good leadership. i find that young people have a fresh approach and often question 'old' approaches, they are often key in innovation and so a company is forward looking. i do not think at the same time that older people cannot do this, but as people grow older they get 'stuck in there ways' and have an unwritten rule book that they follow mentally.
Sorry, I feel a bit of a fanboy, but are you the Ruth Amos that was in Management Today a while back? lol, that sounds like I'm after your autograph - sorry.
You only have to look at Facebook to know that success can be had at a very young age.
However, and generalising grossly, it's my experience that successful managers are usually at least 30 or so. With age, I think comes a little more maturity and experience. There will always be exceptions but I believe they are not usually the norm.
Paul
Hi Matt,
yes i am. hello
-and Jim, i was not meaning that evevryone is stuck in there ways, but i think that there are positives and negatives of any age and many often focus on the negatives of young people, but i was trying to point out that there are barriers at any age.
-and Paul, i can see where you are coming from but people younger than 30 are not always given the opertunity.
Hi Matt,
yes i am. hello
-and Jim, i was not meaning that evevryone is stuck in there ways, but i think that there are positives and negatives of any age and many often focus on the negatives of young people, but i was trying to point out that there are barriers at any age.
-and Paul, i can see where you are coming from but people younger than 30 are not always given the opertunity.
Cool. You're kind of a celeb. Nice to meet you :) I agree with you that there are positives and negatives of any age. I guess the key is having a good mix of ages, personalities etc. to ensure you have all the bases covered.
That is true, Ruth... that is true. But with not being presented the opportunity comes less experience, you could argue.
Paul
Leaders, young or old are not presented with opportunities, they are actively looking for them and whether experienced or not will seize the moment.
Managers tend to be the safe pair of hands and get better with experience. Gaining experience takes time.
Another good example here of 18 year old Diane Keng.
http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2010/07/07/at-18-shes-already-on-her-third-business/
There's an interesting article here offering tips on how young entrepreneurs can avoid failure.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/youngentrepreneurscolumnistscottgerber/article207582.html
A nice video here by Jessica Mah, the 20 year old founder of Indinero
Management is ultimately about doing things..... if you have the vision of the end goal and the self belief to continue even if you make mistakes or misjudgements then you can succeed.
This is not bound by age or the need to know a lot of models and theories
For me the issue here is the situational aspect of leadership and the depth of 'experience' and 'ability' you need to succeed at the level you are at.
Leadership is not just about being a CEO -it exists at all levels and fantastic examples are seen everyday by both young and old.
What determines success is, I believe, desire and a fundamental ability to learn. Age is not a barrier here. However, experience does help, particularly recovery from difficult situations as it does allow one to put things in context! Having lived through the recessions of the 70's and 80's I seem to be much more optimistic about prospects than younger managers seem to be.
Warren Bennis' HBR article on the Seven Ages of the Leader might be a good foundation for more reasoned argument though.....
I agree with David, you can be a good leader at any age - if you have the skills.
It's harder to access those skills at a young age - few organisaitons (particulalry SMEs) train their youngest talent in leadership skills or indeed are forward thinking enough to have succession management strategies in place.
Most leadership learning is therefore informal - and having a good mentor helps!
David and Madeleine,
I fully agree with you. There has been considerable discussion on the CMI blogs about the state of UK mangement and leadership, and the need for more focused training and mentoring.
I'm sure that organisations are more productive and happy with a greater diversity of ages and skills.
Leadership is about attitude and personality not age. These days, young people are taught leadership skills in schools and are far better equipped to manage and lead from day one.
In my opinion age is not a barrier in leadership because(Old is Gold) in the competitive world there is always need of senior leadership all junior managers learn,from the senior leaders and they are the Wealth for the Nation.
Saleem Raza Bhatti.ACMI