In sport, succession is almost a natural phenomenon. It’s a bit like it is in the wild — the fittest survive. Though much weight seems to be given to adding up how many titles you’ve won, or tournaments you’ve played, individuals all have a perform-by date. Then it’s time to go.
On Saturday at Wimbledon, in the “gentlemen’s” final, we witnessed the triumph of youth over experience. That is what seemed to be the difference in a straight sets win, despite the buckets of talent and determination on both sides of the net. This is as it should be; renewal should be welcomed.
Sport holds so many attractions and lessons for us. It is the manifestation of common interest (Spanish teamwork came together to overcome English individual talents to win the European Cup), national pride (even given the creep of professionalism) and a set of rules that actually rule and are applied in real time.
Not so in politics, where elected leaders will do anything (by way of popularity or force) to stay in charge. In the result, about half the world’s population is led by fewer than 10 politicians who have been in charge for over a decade — incumbents who are already old and aren’t planning to go anywhere any time soon.
In businesses, experience of past sell-by date leadership failure has taught lessons and resulted in rules and practices to objectively over-rule habitual leadership
The list of aged politicians seeking re-election is long, and the list of political parties that seem set to stay in power forever even longer. Narendra Modi (71) has ruled India (population over 1,4-billion) since 2014. Xi Jinping (71) has ruled China (population also over 1,4-billion) since 2013. Vladimir Putin (71) has ruled Russia (population 145-million) since the turn of the century. The leadership of the US (population 350-million) is being contested between two men aged 78 and 81.
While those seeking further terms can often claim major achievements when they initially came to power (not necessarily all by the same measure or standards), they all have reducing marginal utility. At the very least, their initial ideas become outdated and are overtaken by technical advances and new era realities.
The aged are a faster growing population than the newborns, and there is no upper age limit to voter eligibility (though there should be) so things aren’t going to change, unless and until the incumbents see beyond their own egos. People put in charge of the future need to have longer foresight than hindsight. Fifty-year-old leaders plant; 70-year-olds harvest.
The evidence suggests few people can cope with being overwhelmingly popular or powerful without starting to drink (and thirst forever more of) their own Kool Aid. Rock stars die early trying desperately to feed this thirst. So many political leaders just keep drinking, at the expense of the people they lead.
In businesses, experience of past sell-by date leadership failure has taught lessons and resulted in rules and practices to objectively over-rule habitual leadership. Where these are absent or not applied in full, soon the laws of diminishing returns prevail, leading inevitably to the demise of the enterprise.
At a personal level, if you find yourself referring to where you’ve come from when asked where you’re going to, you must recognise the symptoms of a spent life. You are in trouble. Renewal is, by definition, vital — in sport, in business, and in your personal life. In institutional leadership it is essential. Celebrating the arrival of renewal instead of stifling its emergence bodes as well for those coming in as for those who must move on.
We’re just beginning to deal with the new order that is our unity government. For the first time consensus must be found across ideologies, not just within them. While this may require compromise, it will also shift the focus away from each other and onto the problem, and that can only be a good thing.
With a few sensible gatekeepers, coaches and referees we may still pull it off. Imagine.
• Barnes is an investment banker with more than 35 years’ experience in various capacities in the financial sector.
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