More Than A Number: 7 Reasons Why Aging Is Your Secret Power
While age discrimination at work is a reality, age can be a leader’s super power.
For too long, many women have bought into the lie that their relevance is proportional to their youth. The truth is, aging is a secret power.
Don’t believe me?
Take a look at 7 reasons why getting older is one of the best things that can happen to you.
“I think that ageism is a cultural illness; it’s not a personal illness,” actor Frances McDormand, recently said.
Sexism is not the only challenge that older women face in homes, workplaces, and other spaces daily. Writing for NBC News, McClennan Masson co-founder and president Jeanette McClennan writes that older women face a double challenge. In addition to gender-based discrimination, they must deal with ageism too.
However, as McClennan elaborates, a coming shift in demographics may help us to challenge negative assumptions and stereotypes of older women. Basing her prediction on U.S. census data, McClennan explains people aged 65 and older will outnumber individuals aged 18 and younger for the first time in the country’s history.
“A coming shift in demographics may help us to challenge negative assumptions and stereotypes of older #women, explains @Jjmac199, founder of McClennan Masson. #ageism”
Read more on Jeannette McClennan in Take The Lead
We’re undeniably on the move toward a largely older workforce.
McClennan writes, “This major demographic shift presents a good opportunity for reevaluating our stereotypes and negative assumptions about getting older.”
Why, though, should you or any other woman wait that long to embrace your age? Aging is an advantage for many women. Grieving over the faded bloom of youth is unnecessary; it could even hold you back.
1. You’re more likely to succeed: Age increases your likelihood of success. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently reports on a study led by Lally School of Management associate professor Hao Zhao, PhD., at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The study finds that older entrepreneurs enjoyed greater success than younger entrepreneurs.
The publication writes that the study revealed a 53-year-old entrepreneur was “as likely to be as successful, over time, as one launching a company at age 29.” Younger entrepreneurs may be more willing to make bold decisions, and they may be more comfortable working with technology. But older entrepreneurs usually have a network of business contacts, more capital, and the wisdom of experience.
“Age increases your likelihood of #success. A study by the Lally School of Management at @Rpi found that older entrepreneurs enjoyed greater success than younger #entrepreneurs. #femaleentrepreneur #ageism”
The statistics alone are enough to boost your confidence when intentioning, but why stop there?
Read more in Take The Lead on ageism at work
2. You command respect: Writing for InStyle, Kayla Greaves highlights a powerful reason why aging is a superpower for women. Older women inspire respect in the eyes of people in the U.S. and further afield. Greaves quotes assistant professor of psychology at the University of the District of Columbia, Dr. Afiya Mbilishaka, saying that many traditional West African societies assign great status to elderhood.
According to Greaves, Dr. Mbilishaka says, "When someone became a grandmother, they had more power and choice… [The] older you looked, the more you were respected.”
Read more from Gloria Feldt on solutions to ageism
Far from being consigned to history, those ideas are still at work in Black communities that celebrate women’s longevity as an act of resistance. Furthermore, similar ideals still are enshrined in many communities. Those who respect you and the experience and wisdom that come with your age will listen to what you say.
3. You have a greater sense of purpose: Your sense of purpose deepens with age. In McClennan’s NBC News article, she writes that experiencing the loss of loved ones can give a woman a new perspective on life. The attitude inspired by a renewed or greater sense of purpose can inspire your associates.
4. You can contribute meaningfully to the community: As a woman, aging means you can contribute to your community in meaningful ways that would not necessarily have been available to the younger you. Writing for Age International, Sarah Harper touches on various studies that indicate the valuable community contribution that older individuals make around the world. She is the director of the Royal Institution and former Professor of Gerontology at Oxford University.
“As a #woman, #aging means you can contribute to your community in meaningful ways that would not necessarily have been available to the younger you. #purpose ”
According to Harper, a recent Asian community work study showed that “more than a quarter of Indians and Taiwanese and a fifth of Filipino and Chinese men and women in their 60s and 70s regularly helped in the wider community.” She adds that other studies found that older individuals have “local knowledge and community-organizing skills” that are invaluable during disaster relief efforts.
Aging as your superpower goes far beyond the realm of business.
Read more in Take The Lead on age bias
5. You haven’t lost your curiosity: One of pop culture’s negative stereotypes of older women is that they’re narrow-minded fuddy-duddies who stick to what they know. The aging women in America and elsewhere who continue to nurture curiosity now challenge that false perception.
McClennan’s firm, McClennan Masson and Tetra Insights worked with data scientist Catherine Hicks to survey more than 1,000 individuals between ages 18 and 90 and gain insights into later life. She writes that “people in their 60s and 70s were just as curious as their younger counterparts.” Greater risk aversion was more prominent among respondents in their 80s.
A time-sampling study on Aging and Feeling Curious published by Li Chu and Helene H. Fung in Innovation in Aging also has positive findings on age and curiosity. One of those findings is that there is less anxiety associated with curiosity in older individuals than in younger people.
Your curiosity can lead you to explore new opportunities and embrace a sense of playfulness and self; there’s no need to limit yourself to exploration only.
“Aging as your superpower goes far beyond the realm of business. #personalgrowth #opportunity ”
6. You’re courageous enough to try new things: Aging does more than give women the opportunity to nurture their curiosity. It brings the courage and the willingness to try new things, such as starting a new career later in life or picking up a new solo pursuit or hobby.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Projections overview and highlights, 2018–28, published in October 2019, reveals that most of the growth in the population and labor force over the last two decades has been due to people 55 and older. The trend is set to continue over the following decade. The bureau also found that people aged 65 and older are involved in the labor force more than ever before.
Aging helps you to find the boldness you need to realize your intentions.
Read more in Take The Lead on tips for older leaders
7. You’re happier: Arguably, one of the best reasons aging is a woman’s superpower is that older women tend to be happier than younger women. As reported by the Independent, the British publication Platinum Magazine commissioned a survey of 1,000 women in the United Kingdom and found that those aged 50-65 were “happier with their age, relationship and confidence than women in their 20s.”
“Arguably, one of the best reasons #aging is a woman’s superpower is that older women tend to be happier than younger women. #positiveaging #womenover50 #wellness”
The calmness, positivity, and other inspiring qualities that such a level of contentment produces within you provide an excellent foundation for leadership.
For decades, it has been a popular notion to say that age is just a number. Perhaps it’s time to embrace age as far more than just a number. Aging is a secret power.
“For too long, many women have bought into the lie that their relevance is proportional to their youth. The truth is, #aging is a secret power. #work #career #empowerment”
Megan Hudson is a content champion for various online publications, often covering a range of business topics from finance for startups to small business accounting tips.