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Leading and Succeeding in the Second Half of Life
[Back to the August 2011 newsletter]
By Robert D. Ramsey, Ed D
“Experience is the mother of wisdom.”
—Proverb
About half of today’s business, nonprofit, governmental, and civic leaders are in the second half of life. If you’re not one of them, you probably soon will be. Is this a good thing? It depends on you. Second-half success starts by understanding the obstacles in playing the back nine of your public life.
Baggage and Barriers
If you’re a golfer, you know that playing the back nine is a whole different game. The conditions—lighting, wind, humidity and temperature—have changed and you’re not as fresh. The greens seem further and the rough a little rougher.
You also feel a sense of urgency, because you’re chasing daylight and running out of time. That’s why many golfers say playing the last half of the course is tougher than playing the front nine.
Obviously, the back nine poses new challenges, but playing it well is essential to a winning round. It’s the same with lifelong leadership.
By this point in your life, you’ve pretty well mastered the basics. Many tasks have become routine. The rush of doing things for the first time is gone. You’ve become comfortable. This comfort makes it easier to grow careless, bored, or burned-out.
Likewise, you’re no longer seen as an up-and-comer. Some may even think your time has come and gone. You’re branded or pigeonholed and maybe even taken for granted. And some hotshot leader-in-waiting wants your role.
The world often perceives older leaders as Luddites who have lost their edge. At this point, it’s common to feel marginalized. Obviously, finishing strong isn’t for wimps. That’s what makes it fun!
Just as good golfers make adjustments, such as altering their swing or varying their club selection, older leaders must use their experience and knowledge to play smarter on the back nine. Mature leaders use acquired wisdom and skills to continue on a high note. Fortunately, as the natural gifts of youth fade, such as energy, enthusiasm, and recency of training, tools that come only with experience replace them.
Gifts of Maturity and Experience
Experienced leaders possess the perspective to avoid knee-jerk reactions. More important, they have built a reputation for credibility and integrity that younger leaders can’t match.
Maturity and experience also equip second-half leaders with other advantages that younger counterparts usually don’t have, including:
- Self discipline
- Social capital (good will)
- A demonstrated work ethic
- Sense of timing
Success Secrets
The most-effective mature leaders apply these six strategies to continue as strong as they began. You can do it too.
- Keep learning. If you don’t keep up with the new stuff, you become old stuff in a hurry.
- Practice humility. The best lifelong leaders are servant leaders.
- Take on new responsibilities. They keep you on your toes throughout your career.
- Set stretch goals. They will keep you fresh and pull you into the future.
- Stay relevant. Embrace change and develop intergenerational relationships.
- Stay motivated. Associate with passionate people and invest in other people’s success.
Many sports contests are won in the second half. The same is true of your legacy as a leader. Leading and succeeding throughout life require attention, intention, and hard work. It’s not easy; but it’s worth it. It’s the difference between leaving a lasting legacy and just leaving.
(Portions of this material are excerpted from an article previously published in SUPERVISION Magazine.)
About the Author
Dr. Robert D. Ramsey is a lifelong educator, freelance writer, and voice for the senior community. He is the author of several successful professional books and a frequent contributor to numerous popular journals. His column on vital aging appears monthly in Minnesota’s SUN Newspapers.
Dr. Ramsey, his wife Joyce, and their cat Abby live in Minneapolis where they can be close to their two grown children and four grandchildren.
[Back to the August 2011 newsletter]
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