Age

#Beingaleader means you have to deal with a lot of different ages on your team. Young. Old. Experienced. Inexperienced. Wise. And maybe not so much. All age levels might be on your team and each might react differently to the same approach you take. You will have to deal with this no matter in what arena you lead.

But sometimes it’s your age that can have a big impact on leading. How? Well, it can be from how others view you or it can be from how you view others. Maybe you look at them as too young or too old or maybe you look at yourself as too young or too old both for the task and for the team you have. It can be a challenge either way. You need to learn to deal with how others react to you and how you react to them.

If others view you as too young, you will need to assert yourself but with humility. You can’t just give direction and expect compliance when the person you’re leading has significantly more experience than you. You need to earn their trust (usually earned in the trenches together) and show them you can be depended on to make good choices and you are worth following.

If you view yourself as too young, then you have more of an identify crisis on your hands. You need to learn to be comfortable with the gifting and position you have been given. Again, humility goes a long way. You still have much to learn but you also have much to give. Do not let someone look down on your youth.

My first real foray into leadership happened when I was 15 and my leader asked all of those in attendance what we thought of what was going on. Most everyone answered in the typical teenager way of “fine”. I felt a compulsion to instead draft a page and a half response. My leader took me to lunch soon after that and basically challenged me to take that part of the group over. Sort of a put up or shut up moment. So I did. Put up. Not shut up. And I’ve been doing that for 40 years now.

But age has been a factor in almost every leadership position I have been in. Usually, I was the young one and I had to learn to lead those older than me. Now, the position is different (I think everyone just got younger over time. I’m sure it’s not me….) Most of those I lead now are my age or younger than me. Hopefully I bring some perspective to that situation having lived it all these years. It is important at this point to start looking at the young people on your team and encouraging them to show their best and encourage them to step up when needed. Sometimes a challenge, with encouragement, is all that is needed.

#Beingaleader involves age issues. Learn to be comfortable in your skin. With who you are. And to treat others with respect regardless of their age.