Name: Is being a cutting-edge leader only for the young?
Uploaded: 2023-10-09T15:24:41.985Z
Duration: 405.36

Is being a cutting-edge leader only for the young V2.mp4

Is being a cutting-edge leader only for the young V2.vtt

English 

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Before it was like, okay, if you're
over a certain age, whatever the age

{{00:00:03}}
may be, you know, it's time to retire.

{{00:00:05}}
But now, as I mentioned, it's not
about age, but rather it's about

{{00:00:08}}
influence, impact and inspiration.

{{00:00:10}}
So I think the greater the leader,
the greater value they can bring

{{00:00:13}}
and the impact they make, regardless
of their age, they're going

{{00:00:16}}
to be needed and sought after.

{{00:00:23}}
So when I speak about leadership,
I actually define it on the

{{00:00:26}}
yardstick 21st century leader.

{{00:00:28}}
So I give three pillars; here in the UK,
they say like cashier number one, please.

{{00:00:32}}
So pillar number one, I say
that leadership isn't about age,

{{00:00:36}}
but rather leadership is about
influence, impact and inspiration.

{{00:00:40}}
So as a leader, you have to have that
intention, the strategic foresight

{{00:00:43}}
to, you know, first influence, impact
and inspire yourself before you

{{00:00:46}}
can do that to your organisation.

{{00:00:48}}
The second key is distinction
in leadership isn't a mindset.

{{00:00:52}}
Distinction in leadership
is a state of mind.

{{00:00:55}}
And then the third key is distinction
in leadership isn't about me,

{{00:00:58}}
myself and I, distinction in
leadership is about him, her and us.

{{00:01:02}}
So the yardstick leader is legacy minded.

{{00:01:05}}
And would you say there's specific
qualities or values that a cutting edge

{{00:01:10}}
leader possesses or needs to possess?

{{00:01:12}}
Yes.

{{00:01:12}}
Yeah.

{{00:01:13}}
So I think I have to be.

{{00:01:14}}
So when I said the difference between
a mindset and a state of mind, they

{{00:01:17}}
have to have the ability to see
opportunities and possibilities in

{{00:01:20}}
the midst of obstacles and problems.

{{00:01:22}}
And we've seen particularly in the
last three years with a lockdown,

{{00:01:25}}
COVID, et cetera, that, you know,
there's been major disruptions.

{{00:01:28}}
So a leader has to be a future thinker,
an empathetic thinker, a strategic

{{00:01:34}}
thinker, but also have the ability to
see, as I mentioned, opportunities in

{{00:01:38}}
the midst of obstacles and problems.

{{00:01:40}}
So what are some common misconceptions
about age and leadership?

{{00:01:44}}
I think things are changing slowly.

{{00:01:45}}
But I think...

{{00:01:47}}
That, you know, now with a, with a, I
suppose the emphasis on entrepreneurship

{{00:01:51}}
and I suppose disruptive leadership in
the organisation before it was like, okay,

{{00:01:55}}
if you're over a certain age, whatever
the age may be,  it's time to retire.

{{00:01:59}}
But now, as I mentioned, it's not
about age, but rather it's about

{{00:02:02}}
influence, impact and inspiration.

{{00:02:04}}
So I think the greater the leader, the
greater value they can bring and the

{{00:02:07}}
impact they make regardless of their age.

{{00:02:10}}
They're going to be
needed and sought after.

{{00:02:12}}
But I guess, you know, there,
there still is a little bit

{{00:02:15}}
of that, that kind of thought.

{{00:02:16}}
So how do you think that society's
perception of age impacts individuals'

{{00:02:20}}
beliefs in their own ability to lead?

{{00:02:23}}
Yeah, that's a really good question.

{{00:02:24}}
I think again, it comes down to
self awareness; who you are as an

{{00:02:28}}
individual, what you can bring.

{{00:02:29}}
I've coached and I've worked with
leaders who are in their 60s, 70s,

{{00:02:33}}
and  as far as they're concerned,
the organisation retired them, but

{{00:02:36}}
they've got so much inside of them.

{{00:02:37}}
So I think it's having that disruptive
mindset and that ability to go

{{00:02:41}}
against the grain and, you know, and
break the status quo in that sense.

{{00:02:44}}
I think there's a lot that older
leaders can potentially bring.

{{00:02:49}}
What, in your kind of opinion of working
with older leaders, do you think, what

{{00:02:53}}
qualities or skills can they bring to the
table that might give them a potential

{{00:02:57}}
advantage in being really cutting edge?

{{00:02:59}}
Or even an advantage to younger leaders?

{{00:03:02}}
I think, I think, I always speak
about the three levels of sight.

{{00:03:05}}
Hindsight, foresight and farsight.

{{00:03:07}}
So if a leader's 25 years older than,
you know, young leaders, 20 or 25

{{00:03:13}}
and another leader's 50 and 50 is
not old anyway, or 60, they've got

{{00:03:17}}
maybe 30 years of experience ahead
of them, ahead of the younger leader.

{{00:03:21}}
So I think, of course, experience,
that ability to, hindsight,

{{00:03:24}}
foresight and farsight.

{{00:03:26}}
And their true self, because, you
know,  they've led through maybe, local

{{00:03:31}}
wars, global recessions, lockdowns.

{{00:03:33}}
So that experience, you can't
buy that in a local shop.

{{00:03:36}}
Do you think there's a danger of the
value of age and experience being lost?

{{00:03:43}}
There is, because, you've got the
Forbes under 30, soon they should

{{00:03:47}}
have Forbes over 70 and over 80.

{{00:03:50}}
But I think, as we mentioned
before, If an individual leader

{{00:03:53}}
is bringing value, whether it's
the organisation, whether it's the

{{00:03:56}}
society, whether it's the community,
regardless of their age, they will be

{{00:03:59}}
respected, regarded, and recognised.

{{00:04:01}}
And do you have any examples of
successful older leaders who have

{{00:04:05}}
defied that notion of being cutting
edge is solely for the young?

{{00:04:09}}
And what lessons could we
learn from those experiences?

{{00:04:12}}
That's a really good question.

{{00:04:13}}
I think, comes to mind
the likes of Reid Hoffman.

{{00:04:17}}
who founded LinkedIn, I think near
enough 40 years of age, the founder

{{00:04:21}}
of Zara was coming up to 40 plus, we
know about Colonel Sanders, et cetera.

{{00:04:27}}
And one of the things that I've learned,
I've read and analysed about these

{{00:04:29}}
great leaders is that one, they're
visionary, two, they've got a high

{{00:04:34}}
level of resilience and three, they're
not afraid to disrupt the market.

{{00:04:38}}
So visionary, high level of
resilience and the disruptors.

{{00:04:43}}
I realised that's the common consensus
throughout some of these great leaders

{{00:04:47}}
who maybe peaked at a later age.

{{00:04:49}}
Yeah, and I guess as we continue
seeing kind of the pace of technology

{{00:04:55}}
really change and evolve very quickly.

{{00:04:58}}
How can older  leaders really
adapt to that quick change and

{{00:05:02}}
remain innovative and sort of
being that cutting edge leader?

{{00:05:06}}
That's a fantastic question.

{{00:05:07}}
Really good.

{{00:05:08}}
Very important.

{{00:05:08}}
So I've called the 2020s the
era of creative distinction.

{{00:05:11}}
And as you know, things are
happening at high speed.

{{00:05:14}}
For me, to answer that question,
you know, as an older leader, you

{{00:05:18}}
have to be a lifelong learner.

{{00:05:19}}
You have to be hungry, not just to learn,
but learn things that are relevant.

{{00:05:22}}
That's listening to podcasts,
reading articles, attending

{{00:05:26}}
seminars and conferences and then
seeing what you've learned, how

{{00:05:29}}
you can apply it to everyday life.

{{00:05:31}}
Maybe take a course or
two based around tech.

{{00:05:33}}
Maybe ask question to a younger leader.

{{00:05:35}}
But you know, a great man once said
being current is the currency of life.

{{00:05:39}}
So if your  regression and technology is
moving, unfortunately you get left behind.

{{00:05:43}}
So yeah, I think attend, read,
learn, ask questions, potentially

{{00:05:47}}
get some qualifications.

{{00:05:49}}
And final kind of question, if you
wouldn't mind sharing, what's maybe

{{00:05:54}}
one thing that you hear a lot from
leaders that you work with around a

{{00:06:00}}
piece of advice they look for from you?

{{00:06:02}}
Or ask about, sort of
something they want help with.

{{00:06:06}}
Its navigating the future because, you
know, when I speak around the world,

{{00:06:09}}
always tell my audiences that or share
with my audience, the future you're

{{00:06:12}}
not thinking about has already started.

{{00:06:14}}
So a leader who might be 60 plus
is thinking, okay, particularly now

{{00:06:18}}
with tech growing at alarming rate,
where am I in the next 10, 15 years?

{{00:06:21}}
How do I now add value?

{{00:06:23}}
So , I think a lot of questions
now is, okay, for me, the next

{{00:06:26}}
10, 15 years, how do I pivot?

{{00:06:29}}
Where should I pivot?

{{00:06:30}}
Why should I pivot?

{{00:06:31}}
How can I develop my
leadership distinction?

{{00:06:33}}
Incredible.

{{00:06:34}}
Well, Onyi, thank you so
much for joining us today.

{{00:06:36}}
It's been an absolute pleasure.

{{00:06:37}}
Thank you so much.

{{00:06:38}}
Thank you.

Before it was like, okay, if you're
over a certain age, whatever the age

But now, as I mentioned, it's not
about age, but rather it's about

So I think the greater the leader,
the greater value they can bring

and the impact they make, regardless
of their age, they're going

So when I speak about leadership,
I actually define it on the

So I give three pillars; here in the UK,
they say like cashier number one, please.

So pillar number one, I say
that leadership isn't about age,

but rather leadership is about
influence, impact and inspiration.

So as a leader, you have to have that
intention, the strategic foresight

to, you know, first influence, impact
and inspire yourself before you

The second key is distinction
in leadership isn't a mindset.

Distinction in leadership
is a state of mind.

And then the third key is distinction
in leadership isn't about me,

myself and I, distinction in
leadership is about him, her and us.

So the yardstick leader is legacy minded.

And would you say there's specific
qualities or values that a cutting edge

So when I said the difference between
a mindset and a state of mind, they

have to have the ability to see
opportunities and possibilities in

And we've seen particularly in the
last three years with a lockdown,

COVID, et cetera, that, you know,
there's been major disruptions.

So a leader has to be a future thinker,
an empathetic thinker, a strategic

thinker, but also have the ability to
see, as I mentioned, opportunities in

So what are some common misconceptions
about age and leadership?

That, you know, now with a, with a, I
suppose the emphasis on entrepreneurship

and I suppose disruptive leadership in
the organisation before it was like, okay,

if you're over a certain age, whatever
the age may be,  it's time to retire.

So I think the greater the leader, the
greater value they can bring and the

impact they make regardless of their age.

They're going to be
needed and sought after.

But I guess, you know, there,
there still is a little bit

So how do you think that society's
perception of age impacts individuals'

I think again, it comes down to
self awareness; who you are as an

I've coached and I've worked with
leaders who are in their 60s, 70s,

and  as far as they're concerned,
the organisation retired them, but

So I think it's having that disruptive
mindset and that ability to go

against the grain and, you know, and
break the status quo in that sense.

I think there's a lot that older
leaders can potentially bring.

What, in your kind of opinion of working
with older leaders, do you think, what

qualities or skills can they bring to the
table that might give them a potential

I think, I think, I always speak
about the three levels of sight.

So if a leader's 25 years older than,
you know, young leaders, 20 or 25

and another leader's 50 and 50 is
not old anyway, or 60, they've got

maybe 30 years of experience ahead
of them, ahead of the younger leader.

So I think, of course, experience,
that ability to, hindsight,

And their true self, because, you
know,  they've led through maybe, local

So that experience, you can't
buy that in a local shop.

Do you think there's a danger of the
value of age and experience being lost?

There is, because, you've got the
Forbes under 30, soon they should

But I think, as we mentioned
before, If an individual leader

is bringing value, whether it's
the organisation, whether it's the

society, whether it's the community,
regardless of their age, they will be

And do you have any examples of
successful older leaders who have

defied that notion of being cutting
edge is solely for the young?

And what lessons could we
learn from those experiences?

I think, comes to mind
the likes of Reid Hoffman.

who founded LinkedIn, I think near
enough 40 years of age, the founder

of Zara was coming up to 40 plus, we
know about Colonel Sanders, et cetera.

And one of the things that I've learned,
I've read and analysed about these

great leaders is that one, they're
visionary, two, they've got a high

level of resilience and three, they're
not afraid to disrupt the market.

So visionary, high level of
resilience and the disruptors.

I realised that's the common consensus
throughout some of these great leaders

Yeah, and I guess as we continue
seeing kind of the pace of technology

How can older  leaders really
adapt to that quick change and

remain innovative and sort of
being that cutting edge leader?

So I've called the 2020s the
era of creative distinction.

And as you know, things are
happening at high speed.

Expert Insight

Business needs are changing rapidly in the 21st century, and leaders must do more than just keep up if they are to be truly cutting-edge. But does it take youth to stay ahead of the curve?

Onyi Anyado, Founder of Onyi Anyado Media House, discusses some of the misconceptions about age, societal pressures around getting older, and how age can be harnessed as a powerful tool, even for leaders at the forefront of change.

Leadership Myths

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thumbnail_Onyi Anyado Headshot.jpg

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Onyi Anyado Headshot.jpg

Onyi Anyado

Discover insights from other experts

Founder

Anyado emphasises how distinction in leadership is not determined by age, and is instead achieved by always thinking to the future in various ways.

The 21st century leader

The speaker highlights the stigmas that exist around age and leadership potential, as well as how they can affect self-belief.

Misconceptions surrounding age and leadership

Anyado speaks to the strengths that old and young leaders each have due to their age, and how these can best be used.

Harnessing age as a cutting-edge leader

The speaker stresses the importance of consistently learning relevant skills as a leader and applying it to everyday life.