How old do you feel?

[MineralMan]

24. I'm 75, feeling 65.

I became an adult in the 1960s. My generation did not take the reins of leadership until the 80s or even the 90s. However, I never felt like we were in charge. There have always been old people in charge of things, with the younger generations moving up as slowly as ever. I worked on JFK's campaign while still in high school. He was in his 40s then. He was my parent's age roughly. They assassinated him.

In the working world and the political world, it takes a long time to become the people in charge. Some time in one's 40s or 50s, a person can begin to become part of upper leadership. Not until then. Only those who pioneer some field at an early age get to run things while still approaching middle age. Such people often fail spectacularly, though.

Generally, most people have considerable respect for experience when looking for leaders. That's why most elected officials are older. It's difficult for a younger candidate to win high offices because of that. Is that fair? I don't know, actually, but I do know that it's typical in business and politics.

Approaching middle age is a good time to throw your hat into the leadership ring and take on more responsibility. You can run for office, but not high office in most cases. You can move up in management, but aren't likely to become a VP in business for a while. That's in the normal situation. If you have a revolutionary idea, you can create a start-up, but most of those fail. But, you will be at an age where your ideas will be listened to, and perhaps implemented if they are good ideas.

Pelosi and Biden have proven themselves to be excellent leaders as elected officials. That's why they are in the positions they now hold. They know how things work, how things get done, and are patient enough to see long-term goals through. They also understand the limits of what can be accomplished at any given time. They have learned those things through experience, and it makes them very good at their jobs.

However, most people will still prefer a seasoned individual for a leadership position. You can get there, but you will have to prove that what you know qualifies you for leadership. And you'll have to prove that to people who have already achieved high positions in any kind of leadership. There are no shortcuts, except for a very few outstanding younger people who exhibit a great deal of wisdom and vision. Impatience is not an asset in a leadership quest.

You might not like what I am saying, but I've been where you are, and am now where I am. I'm not a business or political leader, but I deliberately did not choose to seek such positions. Instead, I lived my life on my own terms, and would not change anything about it if I were to have another chance, which I won't.