11 Practices Of Highly Successful Leaders Over The Age Of 50

August 6, 2013 2 Comments

Andy Stanley once made the observation that few if any great ideas ever come from anyone over the age of 45.  As a 47-year-old man, his statement has remained imprinted on my mind.  Upon hearing it, I made the decision to read more books, experience many new things, create more memories, be a continual learner and constantly think outside the box while remaining true to my core beliefs.
Unless we as leaders are diligent in our personal growth, there will come a time when even our best ideas and approaches will become outdated.
That is why I am watching 54-year-old Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery with great interest this year.  He appears to have a healthy mix of old and new school techniques.
On August 2nd, Bill Barnwell of Grantland.com did an amazing job profiling Emery.  After reading the article, I gleaned 11 Practices Of Highly Successful Leaders Over The Age Of 50.  You can read the full article by clicking here.

1. Highly Successful Leaders Over The Age Of 50 Use Their Proven Strengths – Do not deny the skills and abilities you bring to an organization.  Leverage the proven strengths of your background, experience, open-mindedness, and work ethic.
2. Highly Successful Leaders Over The Age Of 50 Honor The Past While Moving Into The Future - Shortly after taking over the role of GM, Emery elected not to retain the services of Bears icons Brian Urlacher and head coach Lovie Smith.
3. Highly Successful Leaders Over The Age Of 50 Respect Their Audience – Most old-school general managers speak in clichés and say as little as possible.  Emery’s press conferences are considered more like fireside chats.  He understands today’s audiences are more educated and deserve to be treated as such.
4. Highly Successful Leaders Over The Age Of 50 Explain The Process Behind Their Decisions - Because the audience is educated, Emery explained Smith’s inability to construct a successful offense during his tenure as head coach.  During his nine years as a head coach, they had a Top 15 offense only once.
5. Highly Successful Leaders Over The Age Of 50 Remain Faithful To Their Process - It is important to believe in your long-term plan.  This allows you to avoid overconfidence during good times and not panic during unproductive periods.
6. Highly Successful Leaders Over The Age Of 50 Ensure The Success Of Your Top Performers – You must identify your top talent and put them in positions to be successful.  One of Emery’s first priorities was surrounding star quarterback Jay Cutler with as much talent as possible.
7. Highly Successful Leaders Over The Age Of 50 Take Risks – Unsuccessful leaders stay with people and processes longer than they should.  They wonder, “What will happen without them?”  Successful leaders make tough decisions and embrace the unknown.
8. Highly Successful Leaders Over The Age Of 50 Widen The Decisions Circle - Emery hired Mitch Tanney as Director of Analytics.  This widens his decision circle and allows him to listen to alternative viewpoints.
9. Highly Successful Leaders Over The Age Of 50 Pair Veteran Talent With Young Talent – This brings both experience and creativity to the decision process which gives the organization a more sustainable future.
10. Highly Successful Leaders Over The Age Of 50 Lower Their Egos While Increasing Their Patience - Despite their experience, successful leaders understand they do not know it all.   They are willing to admit to the younger people on their team they are needed and have unique insights which are desperately needed.  Then they must be willing to live with some mistakes.
11. Highly Successful Leaders Over The Age Of 50 Hire Talented People – For all the quality things Emery brings as a seasoned GM, his success will ultimately be determined by his decision to replace the successful Lovie Smith with Marc Trestman.  If Trestman’s tenure as head coach is viewed as a failure, so will Emery’s tenure as general manager.

Many new general managers embrace the Moneyball approach with the use of sabermetrics. analytics and not just out-of-the-box thinking but creating a brand new box altogether.  Emery balances those modern techniques with old-skill principles.  If the Bears have a good year, he will be a model for how all seasoned leaders should lead.
If you are over 50 years of age, what practices have you implemented to be successful?