Geeks to Geezers Ageless Leaders Professor David J. Demko, PhD AgeVenture News Service DEAD WOOD. No interpretation needed. Everyone knows that label designated for leaders who have "run out of steam". NEW BLOOD. Likewise, definition unnecessary. Common knowledge tells us that an organization's continual growth, its very survival, relies on an unrelenting infusion of new ideas, energy, and courage. And, that tall order requires real leadership. But, what, exactly, is leadership? Is true leadership a predictable process of birth, maturity, and death? Or, is it a set of characteristics that, once instilled, become "ageless entities?" Two leadership experts, Warren G. Bennis and Robert J. Thomas, review the striking careers of America's leaders, young and old. The results? The discovery of characteristics that are common denominators, the very foundation, of leadership. Ageless leadership. Qualities possessed by young and old. Bennis and Thomas offer their readers a compelling odyssey into the roots of leadership. There book, "Geeks and Geezers: How Era, Values, and Defining Moments Shape Leaders" (Harvard Business School Press, 2002, $26.95) will forever change how we view not just leadership, but the very way we learn and ultimately live our lives, says publisher, Harvard Business School Press. It presents for the first time a compelling new model that predicts who is likely to become, and remain a leader, and why. Today's young leaders grew up in the glow of television and computers; the leaders of their grandparents' generation in the shadow of the Depression and World War II. In a study of these two unique groups, labeled "geeks" and "geezers", Bennis and Thomas set out to find out how era and values shape those who lead. Here's a brief run-down on those interviewed for the book. Age Range: Geeks 21-34, Geezers 70-93. Gender: Geeks included twice as many females ( 39% versus 22% ). Parents: Geeks more likely offspring of divorced parents ( 44% versus 8% ). Mothers of Geeks: those who once worked outside the home ( 92% ). Mothers of Geezers: those who once worked outside the home ( 13% ). What the authors discovered was the process through which leaders of any era emerge. At the heart of this model are what the authors call "crucibles". These are the periods of transformation, the times when character was put to the test. From these trying times, one emerged either hopelessly broken or boldly empowered. The answers to many leadership questions are simmering within these crucibles of crisis. For example, are leaders born to the task, or are they created by events? It seems, a little of both, and a LOT of vision and courage. "We all know people who hit 70, and suddenly look and act old, ... yet, there are others who manage to stay forever young, whatever their chronological age" (Bennis and Thomas, 2002). Somebody wake up Noah Webster and tell'em to update his dictionary with a new word, "neoteny". The definition? "A youthful curiosity and zest for knowledge", say Bennis and Thomas. Image credit: Harvard Business School Press. BACK TO TOP