Wisdom@Work: The Making of a Modern Elder by Chip Conley
After selling the company he founded and ran for 24 years, Chip Conley moved into a teacher/mentor/intern role with start-up Airbnb. He was not just in a role of guiding others. He found a way to combine wisdom, curiosity, beginner’s mind, and willingness to grow. These are the traits of the “Modern Elder.” He defines a new archetype for mid-life and beyond.
Conley shares his journey and ways to deal with ageism in the workplace and in life. His intention is to help people enter their next chapter with curiosity, enthusiasm, wisdom from lessons learned, and an insatiable appetite to learn something new.
Modern Elders exhibit wisdom in the following ways:
- Good Judgment
- Unvarnished Insight
- Emotional Intelligence
- Holistic Thinking
- Stewardship
Conley’s call to action for Modern Elders:
Evolve your identity and skills
Be humane and humorous
Build a collaborative bridge
Debunk ageist stereotypes
Conley’s questions to consider:
- Is there a trend or industry that fascinates you? How can you start exploring it further?
- Is there a hint from your childhood about what new career path might be meaningful for you and is there a part of your identity you have to let go of to evolve into the new you?
- Which of your mastery skills are portable no matter what path your career takes?