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Last year, we asked young leaders, ages 17 to 31, what they want – and don’t want – from older allies. It’s older leaders’ turn now.
Our new report, What Older Leaders Want – And Don’t Want – From Younger Allies, includes insights from 30 older adults, ages 51 to 77, on topics including respect, relevance, ambition, conflict and power sharing.
The older leaders we spoke with are a diverse group of nonprofit and business leaders, activists, social entrepreneurs and authors. When asked what they want from younger allies, they said they want to be respected, understood and tapped for their expertise.
They told us they want to be invited – to be part of the good fight, share what they’ve learned, become friends, and join in life’s celebrations.
They spoke about how much they admire younger leaders’ confidence, values and insistence on work-life balance.
Many older leaders said they no longer need to be quarterback, but they don’t want to be sidelined either. They told us they want to share power but have a range of ideas about how. They said they want to learn from their younger allies on leadership and life and, oh yeah, technology too.
Last year, we published the bookend to this report, asking younger leaders what they want from older allies. Today, we’re struck by the reports’ similarities. Both older and younger leaders told us they want more curiosity and listening, less blame. More time to build trust and understanding. More chances to work with and learn from one another. An end to ageism against old and young alike.
Join us for a discussion of the research findings on July 29. Speakers include three of the leaders who participated in the study:
And three others from our team:
We’re grateful to AARP, The Eisner Foundation, and the Wallis Annenberg Legacy Foundation for their support of this research.