Too Young to Lead? Who People Actually Trust | The Leadership Lab

Описание: Leadership is often treated as something that comes with age, tenure, or titles. But the reality tells a different story.

In this episode, we break down a 2025 study published in The Leadership Quarterly that examined why young leaders are often judged as less “leader-like” despite evidence that they are not less effective. The answer is not performance. It is perception.

The study shows that young leaders face what researchers call role incongruity. They are often stereotyped as dominant and energetic, but not yet competent or communal. That mismatch creates resistance from teammates, coworkers, and evaluators, even when the leader is doing the job well.

We walk through:

1) Why leadership bias against younger leaders exists
2) How observer age shapes leadership judgments
3) Why confidence alone is not enough to earn trust
4) What signals actually reduce resistance and increase followership
4) How this applies to young athletes, coaches, and working professionals under pressure

This matters in sports, business, and any high-stakes environment because leadership and influence are not about authority. It is about coordination. Teams follow the person who helps them think more clearly when chaos or complexity hits.

This episode is not about motivation. It is about effective leadership for young people under real conditions.

Study referenced in this episode:
Daldrop, C., Homan, A. C., & Buengeler, C. (2025). Too young to lead? Role incongruity explains age bias against young leaders. The Leadership Quarterly, 36, 101878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2024...

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