November 16, 2018

When I was a young lawyer there was a partner who sat in his office all day. At first, I didn’t understand his role at the firm — a hard-driving place with lawyers as intense as you can imagine. All this guy did was read and write in his office. Like a legal Buddha.

I didn’t realize it then, but he was the elder statesman.  And he was also the lawyer every other lawyer wanted to spend time with — to reason with, to argue with — just for his good judgment and wisdom.

Chip Conley has written a new book to remind us that there is much to celebrate in the kind of wisdom that allows the generations to connect and learn from each other in the workplace.

In Wisdom @ Work: The Making of a Modern Elder, Conley has defined a new kind of “modern elder” who not only provides wisdom, but uses that wisdom to be curious and learn from and connect with other generations. The book provides the roadmap for embracing the role and provides guidance to organizations seeking to grow their modern elders. 

And I’m in it. On page 160.

When I first met Chip Conley he was CEO of a boutique hotel chain and the author of one of the best business books I’d ever read called, Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow.  We were connected by an international business organization founded in Rochester, N.Y., the Young President’s Organization.

Chip sold his hotel chain in 2010 and was ready to embark on his next phase when he was asked to give a speech about hospitality at a new startup called Airbnb. He was then asked to join the company as a mentor to the leadership team and then eventually became the head of Global Hospitality. His new journey began at the age of 52 and lead him to define “modern elder” to capture all he learned in his role and the story of others who were doing the same.

While writing the book Chip reached out for stories about those who had unconventional career paths to support his thesis about how modern elders constantly evolve their careers,

I instantly responded. Lawyer turned actor, writer, and leadership consultant is not your traditional career path, but according to Chip, it’s the kind of path that leads to being a modern elder in the workplace.  I realized in sharing my story that hindsight truly is 20/20 when it comes to understanding how we all can use skills developed over a lifetime to shape a career.

And then I hesitated. Did I really want to use the word “elder” to describe myself, especially given that I happily color my hair to cover my gray?

But, Chip says, “We are reclaiming and redefining the term ‘elder’ as someone who is as much a wisdom seeker as a wisdom keeper. Both student and sage. Age doesn’t guarantee wisdom, but a willingness to learn and to serve throughout one’s life is a path to real wisdom.” 

Chip’s philosophy and passion encouraged me to own the term. And now Chip is growing his mission in order to cultivate Modern Elders. This past week Chip launched the Modern Elder Academy for people ages 45-65 who are facing career and life changes and want to “reframe” their value in the world. For more, visit https://chipconley.com/modern-elder-academy.

So here I am proudly claiming that I too am a Modern Elder … but I’m still going to color my hair — why not? My grandma did it until she died at 94 and trust me, grandma was very wise.

Four Steps to Becoming a Modern Elder:

1. Evolve.

2. Learn.

3. Collaborate.

4. Counsel.

As first published in the Democrat and Chronicle and USA Today Network.