Leadership in age, how do you maintain trust in your mission?

“We have to be seen to be believed” was one of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s mantras but what is true for Royalty also applies to business and political leadership.

This matters in a world where leadership seems to be getting older but also where leadership has to be present.

The late Queen’s work ethic saw her maintain an intense schedule into her 90s but other older business leaders have also been in the news more recently.

Warren Buffet’s decision to relinquish the CEO role at Berkshire Hathaway (but remain as Chair) at the age of 94 was made with the wry comment that he hadn’t started to feel ‘really old’ until he was 90.

The three leaders of the world’s superpowers are all in their 70s (US President Donald Trump, 78; Russian President Putin, 72; and Chinese President Xi Jinping, 71).

The average age of a FTSE 100 CEO is around 56, in the US the average is over 60 years old.

While headlines maybe garnered by swash buckling tech bros and young dynamic entrepreneurs the reality is that in most cases leadership remains an older person’s game.

Yet, we live in an era where age seems to be less respected, where Gen Z are reportedly looking to progress faster, defy aging and embrace the power of youth.

Donald Trump has also epitomised and accelerated a return to the ‘macho manager’ strong leadership style so stereotyped in the 80s. For leaders of all ages that means being dynamic and leading from the front.

Extracts and articles this week from Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s book, Original Sin, on the end of the Biden presidency highlights why this matters as Biden’s staff allegedly went to greater lengths to shield him from public and private meetings but in the process denied him a platform to be present. While the reasons for that were surely driven by human compassion as well as political expediency (something that will be more apparent given the recent, sad news of his cancer diagnosis), the public judgement naturally focused on his ability to continue in what is arguably the world’s most senior leadership position.

All of this matters because we now live in an era where business as well as political leaders are under greater scrutiny than ever before.

Activist investors, NGOs and their staff and competitors look for any chink and sign of weakness that can be used as a lever to affect change. Leaders are also operating with new generations coming though who do not have the same reverence for age and experience that they themselves may have experienced growing up.

Many CEOs are also conscious of a vibe shift in how corporates are perceived. The roll back of ESG and DEI has left many CEOs (and corporates) looking to keep their heads down and avoid stoking controversy. Unfortunately, the non-balance sheet projects that they are now staying silent on were often the ones that differentiated them from their peer group.

So how can CEOs, statistically older people, step up in this world of change?

The key questions to answer are what does the leader believe and why should they be believed?

The late Queen’s mantra that being seen is key to being believed is part of the solution. Effective leadership is always present and has to invoke some element of leading by example.

But having a clear vision for what you stand for, what world view you champion and how you will deliver that mission is equally critical.

That means being clear viewed in your beliefs, articulating that mission effectively and explaining why your vision for success is in the long-term interests of all stakeholders. 

It also means standing firm when others seek to cancel you and confidently and consistently demonstrating your mandate to lead. 

Presence and purpose regardless of age.