Band 7+: Directors and managers of organisations are often older people. Some people say that it is better for younger people to be leaders. To what extent do you agree?

The situation that heads of organisations are elderly people is common. It is often argued that younger people should be made leaders. In my opinion, neither of these views is the correct one for every situation, because everything depends on the induvidual case. However, I gravitate to those believing that younger generation leads innovative organisations the best.

In many companies key roles are held by people in their 50s or older. Obviously, there are many advantages of this, the most significant of which is, in my opinion, their extensive experience in life and expertise in their work domain. These factors are able to impact the whole organisation and lead teams, who lack that vital knowledge. On the other hand, the elderly often hold on to their conservative approaches and views until their retirement, which can lead to making decisions that are irrelevant to modern reality.

Taking younger generations next, it is often argued that they are much better leaders, in comparison to the older ones. This idea stems from the fact that millennials possess the most accurate understanding of the current trends in society, and how it functions altogether. One of the many other crucial reasons why this view is popular is the ability of younger generations to adapt to the rapidly changing market. A great example that proofs this point is startups. It is essential for them to have a blazingly fast reaction to trends in order to survive, as the in the environment in which they operate is extremely fierce and unpredictable. Therefore, only young people can handle these circumstances.

Overall, both points of view have some indisputable arguments. There is no ultimate answer to what is the best director’s age, as every organisation has its own unique requirements for them. Nevertheless, having considered all the points, I have come to conclusion that in companies that strive to have a competitive edge over the market, managerial roles should be given to younger people. However, in the already well-established companies they should be devoted to individuals with greater experience.