Question

Directors and managers of organizations are often older people. Some people say that it is better for younger people to be leaders. To what extend do you agree or disagree?

Model Answer

It has always been the case that people tend to take on more important roles as they get older. Some argue that this process means young people are excluded from key roles in large organizations. Would promoting more young people to senior positions make companies more competitive? Personally, I do not think this is the case, as youth is not inherently better than experience.

One argument often made in favor of youth is that older people are increasingly out of touch with a rapidly changing world. For example, older individuals may not grasp the importance of new technologies in marketing an organization or its products. If this were true, then large corporations would benefit from involving more young people in the decision-making process. Personally, I am unconvinced by this argument, as I believe people can stay up to date with modern trends without too much difficulty.

On the other hand, age undoubtedly brings with it many benefits. If someone has worked in an industry for a long time, they are likely to have a deep understanding of how its various components work together. This knowledge will enable them to make good strategic decisions over the long term. Experience is especially useful in times of crisis. Having experienced moments of difficulty before, an older employee is less likely to panic when faced with adversity.

Overall, I believe that there is not much of a case to be made for employing replacing older executives with younger ones. With experience, the best candidates will naturally rise to the top and taken on positions of more responsibility.

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