admin As an HR head or a business owner of a small to medium size company, you are always surrounded with numerous challenges regarding handling ‘available best’ human resources. Reshuffling of manpower and delegation of work is always a big challenge, which can be solved smoothly by changing the mindset of people. One of the big challenges is to help mid to senior level executives to view their ‘physical age’ with right perception. It would be interesting (& saddening) to see how some executives suffer with ‘too young’ syndrome and shy away from big position, big responsibility. Executive Vice-chair of IT giant Infosys,* Kris Gopalakrishnan once said, ‘You are never too young to be a leader.’ Also, it is widely said again and again that your success has no relation with your age. Famous marketer and entrepreneur **Justas Marcus quoted in his article, ‘Be polite and disagree with thought – I’m too young to achieve this or I am too old to desire success.’
Let’s discuss our own story. What about your answer to ‘I am too young’ dilemma? How many of you have seen young brigade suffering with this excuse? Today’s generation is highly ambitious, highly motivated than ever. Many young people are moving swiftly in their career. In such a good scenario, I have seen many young, talented persons suffering with ‘too young’ excuse.
What can be possible root for this excuse? Lack of self-confidence? Un-willingness to take bigger responsibility? Or something else? Take the case of Carlos. He was very talented and eager to learn new things. He developed keen interest for manufacturing process and got opportunity to work as manufacturing engineer three years back. Few weeks ago, he approached me. He looked puzzled and worried.
“What happen young man?, I inquired, “You seem disturbed. Any problem?”
“Well, my management is considering me for promotion”, he said, “and that is the reason I am worried.”
“Promotion! Wow, it is good news. It means you may have to lead a team of people. It means higher designation and higher responsibility for you” I said.
Carlos replied,” But how can I lead the team of 7 supervisors, who are 4 to 8 years senior to me in age and experience? Moreover, I don’t have any previous experience of leading the team.”
“See”, I said, “Every person interested in making progress in life have to face this ‘first time’ situation sooner or later. If you see people around you, they are becoming general manager to director at your age. So, you have to believe in yourself to take this assignment.”
“Second thing, your management have that confidence in your ability. Else, they may not have given you this big responsibility. Now, the moment you prove to yourself that you can handle this new role, you are old enough to do this.”
“Third and most importantly, show respect and dignity towards your senior reporters. Try and learn new things from them. Take their valuable advice as and when required. If you can handle them in such affirmative way, they will work for you and not against you. Let them feel that they are working for a team and not for a dictator.”
I met Carlos recently. He is doing well. His team and his management are happy with the way Carlos has adapted new responsibility. Message is very simple yet clear for young achievers. Leaders in all fields are generally younger than many of the people they lead. So, they should get used to with this condition. It will help them to handle bigger role in future. Your age, young or old, won’t be handicap unless you make it one.
Think young age as liability and it is. See young age as boon, opportunity and it is.. How well you know your job, how well you can extract work from your team matter most than your age and your so-called small or long experience. If you can handle big responsibilities at relatively young age, you are automatically mature to handle it.
In short, you can cure age excuse by :
Look at your present age with optimism. Give thought to yourself on how you can make most of it. Always think ‘I AM OK AGEWISE RIGHT NOW’. Don’t think ‘I am too old now, it is too late’. Look your age positively even at 20s or 50s or 60s.
Stop crippling, stop giving excuse. Invest your energy, and time into what you love to do and what you want to do. Think in a this way, ‘Every age and every time is right for me to start my favorite activity’.
*Ref :https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2018/aug/12/you-are-never-too-young-to-be-a-leader-says-executive-vice-chairman-of-infosys-kris-gopalakrishna-1856716.html
**Ref : https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/289848
-Aankit Kothari
Co-Founder , Thinkmotivia Konsulting, India
Author , ‘Let’s Chase Success’ (Amazon.com)
Behavioral Interventor and Training Facilitator
Aankit earned his graduate and post-graduate degree in engineering from Gujarat University and IIT Kharagpur, respectively. For next 13+ years he worked as a business development professional with top notched companies like LG Electronics, Whirlpool, and Anchor Panasonic, etc as his esteemed clients. He acquired first hand insight in human behavior and business communication during this tenure.
Aankit and his team is working with SMEs for sales and behavioral training. His immaculate, high energy speaking and presentation style won him various followers across India. He is associated with experiential learning workshop and training field since early 2010s.
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