Manatt Health National Advisor Paul Irving wrote an article for Harvard Business Review exploring aging and leadership transitions in politics and business, particularly the impact of ageism and how it can affect perceptions of leadership effectiveness.
Often times, age is seen as the sole factor for determining if an individual can effectively lead, creating generalized practices such as mandatory retirements which can overlook one’s true ability and valued experiences. Numerous older leaders throughout history have proven ageism false, remaining influential and respected well into their 70s and 80s. At the same time, age comes with higher risk of health conditions that can affect leadership capacity, in which younger leaders may be more suitable for the position. “Questioning the capability of a leader based on age alone is ageist and wrong. But the needs of the times and the health and abilities of that leader may mean that it is time for transition,” Irving wrote.
Read the full article here.