What does it take to be a young leader? Or to lead people of all ages and truly inspire them?
Many believe years of experience, expert knowledge and firmly developed connections make a leader great. Yet, does time on this earth alone make a leader noteworthy? The military is arguably the best organization at developing young leaders. History tells of young trailblazers like Joan of Arc, who led the French Army at only seventeen; of conquerors like Alexander the Great who controlled the known world before he turned 30. These young leaders thrived without a lifetime of developed knowledge, and instead created experiences as they went.
The modern business world has seen an influx of CEO’s under the age of thirty. Sure, they aren’t conquering nations or leading armies by the thousands, but they have the same qualities of these great leaders from the past. Time has proven that the valor of a leader is not defined by their age, but instead by their raw ability to inspire others to follow them towards the execution of a specific vision.
Young leaders must be able to motivate young and old alike, in addition to bridging the age gaps in between. They are not limited by the number of years they have been alive or what others think of them, so what is it that makes them successful?
