Leadership is a complex but interesting discussion topic. Some people get a lot of experience before they are 30. For example, an army officer joining at 21 and spending 9 years leading men in Afghanistan and Iraq, will have experiences hard to replicate working as a manager in Woolworths straight out of University. The army officer or a senior NCO (sergeant for example) may know nothing about commercial agreements and making money from selling beans, but they will have a deep understanding of people, how they cope with adversity and how to motivate them. I would be surprised if they aren't humble and grounded.
I agree, it is possible for young people to have great leadership qualities. For most people, it is just more difficult to accumulate the experience in a short time frame. In my experience, young leaders often have great decision making capability. They can be smart and make great commercial decisions as good as any 50 year old leader. They can analyse data and spot what needs to be done as well as anybody twice their age. It is dealing with the inevitable complexities of human beings where it tends to go wrong.
Part of the problem is companies fast tracking graduates into leadership roles, putting them straight out of uni into an assistant or trainee manager role. How can you be a good leader if you have never been at the lowest level as a follower? Not for years, but at least spending six months on the shop floor getting managed by a supervisor. Getting told off and made to do menial tasks. It is very difficult to relate to people if you have not stood in their shoes, or something similar at some point. I have had some appalling managers with that type of background.
Corey Payne has started out as an NRL first grader when he was 20 and played until he was 28. Then into a management role at Woolworths head office (for 1 year) and then CEO. I mean, just reading that out loud it sounds ridiculous. I haven't read Roger's book, but I bet his experience was nothing like the rails run Payne has had.
You know what? It isn't his fault. Wiser heads should have given him better advice and told him to pay his dues. He will get the big chair one day, but will have more chance of success if he does a few more roles at less senior levels. Watch other leaders in action, see what they do and learn from them. What to do and what not to do. Poor bloke didn't have a chance.
You don't need to be young to provide continuity. If we can get a CEO to last five years they will already exceed the average tenure of a Fortune 500 company (less than 3 years). Even a sixty year old can give us five years.
