Herzegovina University Faculty of Social Sciences Dr. Milenko Brkić

HERZEGOVINA UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

DR. MILENKO BRKIĆ
Ivica Čuljak
English language – proofreading exercises
Business Managers:
Differences between Older and Younger Managers
Seminar paper
Tutor: Daniela Matić mag.
Bijakovići, June 2016

Business Managers: Differences between Older and Younger Managers
Managers have a very responsible role in any business. They are the ones who oversee and
supervise company`s activities and employees. They also have the responsibility of keeping
workers aligned with the goals of the company. In larger organizations they report to top
executives, while in smaller companies they are either the company`s owner or they report
directly to the owner. In any case, their role in successful running of the company is crucial.
That is why choosing the right candidate for the job is extremely important.
In the past more experienced workers were the ones who were usually hired. Nowadays, some
companies give younger managers an equal chance.
In a recent article for Harvard Business Review, Joseph Folkman1 and his colleague Jack
Zenger explored their database of more than 65,000 leaders and looked more deeply at
managers who were 30 years of age and younger (455 leaders) and compared them to an older
group of leaders over 45 years of age (4,298). After separating the two groups, they looked at
the distinguishing characteristics of each. While comparing groups they tried to make them as
similar as possible. At the very beginning of the study they found out that of the younger
group, 44% ranked in the top quartile2 on overall leadership effectiveness compared to all
leaders in their database. In contrast, the older group contained only 20% who were in the top
quartile. The older group consisted of leaders who were exceptional, more that were good and
some who needed improvement.
They also found the younger group was rated more positively on every one of the 49 items
they compared. That indicates there are talented young leaders in those organizations who
will be capable of stepping into key roles.
Older and more experienced managers are usually hired because most of them have already
proved their worth, they are knowledgeable, fully trusted and capable of running the
organization / company. Those are the things most people believe young managers lack.
On the other hand there are many qualities younger managers can bring into business.
1
Joseph Folkman is a behavioral statistician who covers evidence-based improvement.
Taken from http://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2015/10/01/6-surprising-reasons-younger-managers-
perform-best/#430c47d27054
2
Top quartile is the median of the upper half of the data set. This means that about 75% of the numbers in the
data set lie below top quartile and about 25% lie above it.
Taken from http://web.mnstate.edu/peil/MDEV102/U4/S36/S363.html
Young managers have a fresh perspective on things. They easily market their new ideas and
make changes. Their lack of experience can sometimes be a plus side since they are not fully
aware of how difficult making changes often is. They show more will and leadership when it
comes to change projects.
There is also a big difference in how motivating younger and older managers are. Younger
managers inspire others to put more effort and energy in every project. Older managers are
not as motivating. They tend to give commands instead of examples to follow.
Young leaders often ask for feedback. It is important for them to know more regarding their
performance and different ways of making improvements in contrast to older managers who
rarely ask for and respond to feedback.
Unlike some of the older managers, most young managers strive to find innovative ways to
accomplish work. They are focused on results and do everything in their power to achieve
their goals. The goals they set are often difficult to achieve, but that doesn`t discourage them.
On the contrary, they inspire themselves and others to achieve difficult tasks.
In conclusion, there are both advantages and disadvantages of employing younger managers.
On one hand they lack in experience and strategic perspective. They also lack in deep
knowledge which can be gained only with time. On the other hand, this study has shown that
there are many qualities they have to offer. They are bold, innovative, hard-working and
results focused. They motivate others to work harder. They always ask for feedback in order
to improve their performance.
In my opinion, these qualities should not be ignored and young managers should be given a
chance to put their knowledge to practice. We cannot deny the many qualities, experience and
leadership skills older managers have either. Both younger and older managers can be equally
successful leaders.
Successful leaders, regardless of age, are those with an impressive ‘win-loss’ record, who
achieve their goals, have a significant impact while in their position(s), and focus on the
personal consequence of their decisions and actions for themselves first and foremost. 3
3
The definition of successful leaders is taken from http://www.trainingindustry.com/
Literature:
http://www.forbes.com/
http://www.trainingindustry.com/
http://web.mnstate.edu/peil/MDEV102/U4/S36/S363.html

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Herzegovina University Faculty of Social Sciences Dr. Milenko Brkić

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HERZEGOVINA UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Tutor: Daniela Matić mag.

Bijakovići, June 2016

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