50 over 50: The List Nobody Publishes (But Should)

What prompted this post? I’m seeing more highly capable, highly experienced people in my peer group on the sidelines which makes the lack of a list like this stand out even more.

Forbes has put a spotlight on this cohort, though appears biased to women, and of course we have AARP among a few others doing what they can.

On LinkedIn I see the profiles, the features, the announcements: 30 Under 30, 40 Under 40. I get it. These individuals are bright, rising, disruptive. But there’s another group, the one I’m in, that few seem eager to put front and center.

Why?

Ageism. Not wanting to be the “back in my day” person. Or being perceived as irrelevant? I’ve been fortunate to work with startups to global corporations. With no disrespect intended, I rarely hear an idea I haven’t seen before in some form. The harder part? Responding to “been there, done that” without sounding like that guy.

50 Over 50 reality check

* We don’t have a talent problem. We have a memory problem. We over-index on potential and underweight experience. You're seeing a movement with coaches/managers in the NFL, NBA, MLB, why would corporate America be any different? And in doing so, we ignore the people who have seen multiple cycles, built and rebuilt businesses, made mistakes (and paid for them), and learned what actually works vs. what just sounds good in a pitch deck.

Experience isn’t theoretical

* At 30, you’re smart. At 40, you’re dangerous. At 50+, you’re useful. Because you’ve sat in rooms where decisions actually matter, operated with less technology, navigated pressure that doesn’t show up in case studies, and likely paid your dues. That changes how you think. And more importantly, how you decide.

The uncomfortable truth

* Innovation appears to be the buzzword in many companies, though when we break it down it's often just repackaged ideas, line extensions, short-term thinking, and decisions often made without context. And that’s fine, until it’s not. Because eventually, companies don’t need more ideas. They need perspective, and that comes from seeing how things actually play out, not how they’re supposed to.

What 50+ actually brings (that we don’t talk about)

• Not just experience, but pattern recognition, seeing around corners. We were human AI before there was AI.
• Restraint, knowing what not to do because we've experienced Murphy's Law.
• Credibility, people engage and listen differently.

You don’t get any of the above from reading or a few years of work experience. You get that from time.

For those 50+ who have self-doubt, don’t. You’ve been through enough cycles to know what’s real and what isn’t. That’s not resistance to change. That’s experience doing its job.

At some point, experience isn’t optional. That’s when we get the call.