30 Under 30

The 30 Under 30 is So 20th Century

Oh my goodness, have you read the 30 people under 30 lists? I don’t know about you, but the achievements of those who have been recognized blew me away. Forget those articles that tell us we need to get up early, and the 40 things we need to do before breakfast in order to be successful. I’m exhausted just reading their bios and want to lie down in a darkened room! I don’t know how these leaders have managed to fit so much into such a relatively short time frame.

And yet, while the achievements are outstanding, deserving of recognition, it does cause me to think on the whole concept of these lists. Is it just me, or do those 30 people under 30, or 40 under 40 aggravate you, too? What is this ongoing fascination with age, especially those under 40?

Maybe it’s because I’m looking at 30 in my rear view mirror, and fast approaching fifty years of age. I didn’t start my business until I was nearly forty. But mostly, these lists need a counterpart for the 21st Century.

30 Under 30 lists made sense when it recognized people who were 25% of the way through their career. But that’s so 20th Century.

Why are forty-somethings often seen as not needing recognition until they receive a lifetime achievement award, or the proverbial gold watch?

Increased health and longevity has, and will continue to have, a huge impact on the workforce. In the past century, people retired at age sixty-five, expecting a lifespan of about ten more years.

Today, we can expect to be active and productive for twenty or thirty years past age sixty-five. The hundred-year life will be a reality for many. And who would expect healthy, energetic, and battle-tested professionals to retire at the young age of sixty-five? Why not seventy-five or eighty?

I can’t imagine ever truly retiring. I love what I do, whether at work, or in my social life. The two will continue, for what I hope will be a very long time. The paradigm has shifted, and needs to shift. Those of us in our 40’s and 50’s are no longer on the slow downhill glide to retirement. We shouldn’t be marginalized. Instead we need to champion the value we continue to bring to our organizations.

We’re all bright young things

Colonel Sanders launched KFC when he was 60. Elon Musk launched Tesla and SpaceX in his 40’s (yes I know his PayPal success was much earlier, but bare with me here). Just two examples of ‘late bloomers’.

If we're living to 100, potentially working until we're 80, and enjoying multiple careers, we need to learn how to value the contribution of all. Not just the ‘bright young things of today’. By the way, I was considered a bright young thing, I am still a bright young (even as I put on my reading glasses), and especially to my grandparents, whilst also being a slightly old thing to my sons. It’s all about your perspective!!

In the 20th century those in late career were quickly outshined by the younger generation who were fresh out of the education system with new thinking and new ideas. Today, in the 21st century we are all continuing to learn and grow. Those of us who are 40+ are actively learning, enabling us to keep up with the next generation, and bring the additional value of experience. Twenty-somethings need to know that there is life after “bubbles” pop.

In the 21st Century context, I’m a juvenile, all of us who are 40+ are just getting started. In the coming decades, we need to demonstrate the new paradigm of sabbaticals replacing early retirement. Reinvention over retirement. For many, “retirement” at the end of a career no longer makes sense, but sabbaticals during career may.

Under 30?

If you’re under 30 and haven’t made the Forbes list, all is not lost. Don’t simply compare yourself to the outstanding achievements of the winners and find yourself lacking. Make sure you apply perspective, recognize the achievements you have made, and consider the future legacy you want to build.

Look at your work as a path of lifelong learning—which happens to be a non-negotiable to future-proof your career. And this path isn’t straight as a ladder. A career-ladder is so 20th Century as well.

Whether you realize it or not, you're on a career lattice—with 360-degrees of opportunity. Why follow the lemmings to the top of the ladder, when you can turn left or right to follow your interests?

And why not take a step down (gasp) to gain invaluable experience?

Bottom line: make sure you’re not carrying a 20th Century mindset in your 21st Century career. The world is your oyster. (Whatever that means…)

Over 50?

In case you haven’t gotten the memo (or Snapchat) 50 is the new 30.

Not everyone knows this yet, but you are just getting started. If the prospect of career change sounds frightening or exhausting, you’re reading the instructions upside-down.

You can reinvent yourself and career in ways workers couldn’t even imagine fifty years ago. All it takes is a new mindset and the curiosity to pursue work that energizes you.

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. ” – Alvin Toffler

With online learning, you can become a “nano-degree” expert in months not years. A single education, a linear education that is focused on developing the skills to succeed in a single expertise, is the legacy of a bygone era.

Long life learners

I’m on my fifth career, and an example of the importance of lifelong learning. If I dust off my original career goals, after “long distance truck driver” (honestly! I wanted to see the world) and “space explorer” (I’m a huge StarTrek fan) I was planning to be an engineer.

Fate introduced me to a high school economics class and inspired my first change in direction.

Instead of engineering I jumped into a finance career analyzing business plans, cashflow forecasts, and financial documents. From there I pivoted from the numbers side of the business into the people side, with a passion for leadership development.

More recently I have moved from solopreneur to entrepreneur, become an author and a frequent speaker at industry and corporate events. Five careers in my lifetime and who knows what opportunities await tomorrow!

A single degree in finance may have got me started. Ongoing post graduate studies in Human Resources Management allowed me to pivot. And a commitment to life long learning is fueling current and future success.

That original finance qualification is no longer relevant to the work I do. Not only is that degree “old enough to drink” it’s old enough to be a parent in its own right!

Learning agility and a healthy curiosity are the key skills for future success.

Scarcity drives value. Today, it’s not information that’s scarce, it’s people who know how to use it at work. Experience can make your knowledge more valuable then ever.

To kids of all ages—Cheers!

The 2017 Class of 30 Under 30 inspire me with their risk-taking, enthusiasm, and dreams of making the world a better place. However, I’m looking forward to the 50 under 50 list, and the 8 careers before 80 list. Maybe we’ll be on it!   

Morag Barrett is the author of the bestselling book, Cultivate, and co-author of The Future-Proof Workplace (Wiley). She is also the founder and CEO of SkyeTeam, an international HR and leadership development company. Originally from the UK, she has worked with more than 3,000 leaders in twenty countries on four continents. SkyeTeam.com

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