I find myself talking about my experience thinking I am helping but in many situations all I am doing is positioning myself as the expert and its time to pay attention. Overvaluing experience does not serve an older leader well, because it blocks the full contribution of younger leaders in the conversation. This post by Chuck Lawless was on point:
“Yesterday, I addressed this issue of pride in younger leaders. Today, though, I focus on my generation and older—and I do so with some trepidation because I know I’ll be testing and revealing my own heart here. If you’re an older leader, be aware of these warning signs of pride:
- You write off the opinions of young leaders because they’re “inexperienced and naïve.” They might well be both, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t learn from them. In many cases, they’re more in tune than we are with the culture we’re all trying to reach.”