Modern Elder

When I first met Peter Drucker, I had been a fan for half my life. He was the brilliant thinker who shaped modern management around the world, influencing thousands of executives and corporations, changing businesses forever.

“A man watches his pear tree day after day, impatient for the ripening of the fruit. Let him attempt to force the process, and he may spoil both fruit and tree. But let him patiently wait, and the ripe pear at length falls into his lap.” - Abraham Lincoln

It’s uplifting to see the world come together for a single event. It doesn’t happen all that often. But, the World Cup is one of those times.

“It takes courage to recognize the real as opposed to the convenient.” - Judi Dench Dame Judi knows what she’s talking about.

Andre Iguodala is a dapper dude. He’s a GQ model with EQ on the basketball court. He was also the MVP of the inaugural Golden State Warriors NBA Finals run in 2015 (4 championships in 8 years).

How do we articulate our values as we age in the workplace? Do we cite our history or outline a future that takes advantage of our career lineage? While both answers play central roles in today’s typical resume, I have to believe that our current language doesn’t quite capture what we truly have to offer. The problem starts with the word “resume” itself.

“There is nothing inherently ennobling about aging. Nothing. There’s no sign that anything lends old people steadiness or wisdom or magic from on high or from down below. If we don’t train young people and middle-aged people in elderhood, we will have no elderhood…

I wrote this in response to the occasional feedback wondering why MEA has “Elder” in its name even though the word can be triggering.

There’s mounting evidence that suggests those who are unemployed long-term are twice as likely to be over the age of 50 than younger. It’s hard to pinpoint one reason for this. Still, it seems to be a combination of ageism, a confidence gap for many older workers regarding their tech skills, and a growing apathy amongst workers 50+ concerning the modern workplace.

No, this is not about your waistline. MEA is not WeightWatchers for Elders. Instead, this is about your soul-line, lineage, and legacy.