So, You Might Live to 100… Now What? Leadership Thoughts for the Century Club
Introduction
Imagine living to be 100. In Lynda Gratton’s and Andrew Scott ‘ The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity[1] this potential dream or nightmare is exactly what they imagine. They challenge the traditional three-stage life—education, work, retirement—suggesting that as we live longer, we’ll need to rethink how we approach each of these phases. But there’s more to this conversation. Beyond careers and finances, what does it mean to lead a life with meaning, purpose, and responsibility over such a long lifespan?
The Multi-Stage Life and Leadership
Gratton and Scott talk about how the traditional life path—learn, work, retire—is becoming obsolete. In this new world of longevity, we’re looking at a multi-stage life where people will change careers, return to learning, and rethink retirement multiple times. This can be daunting, but it’s also a chance to continually reinvent ourselves.
I’ve experienced this first-hand. I remember when my wife and I had our third child. We already had two children, but it wasn’t until our third was born—when I was 36—that I truly began to understand what it meant to give 100% to my family. Before then, I was still prioritizing work and my social life more than I’d care to admit. When our third child came along, it hit me that I was being selfish, and I didn’t like how that reflected on me. That realization led me to change jobs and shrink my freelance work and even my friendship group. The person I was Front Stage wasn’t matching who I wanted to be Back Stage.
Here’s where Simon P. Walker’s The Undefended Leader[2] really shines. Walker talks about how we navigate our lives through a Front Stage and a Back Stage. The Front Stage is what we present to the world—our public persona. The Back Stage is where our true self resides, the part of us that is authentic and maybe a little more vulnerable. In a multi-stage life, as we face transitions, challenges, and new phases, this gap between our Front and Back stages can widen.
Leading with authenticity—where my Front Stage and Back Stage aligned—became crucial during that transition in my life. I had to step back and rethink what mattered most to me. Walker’s message here is clear: if we lead our long lives defensively, always protecting that Front Stage image, we’ll miss out on the chance for genuine growth and connection.
Power and Its Place in a Longer Life
As we live longer, another question comes up: how do we manage the power we gain over time? Gratton and Scott mention that people may experience several career transitions and accumulate influence in different ways. But with more time, more power, and more responsibility, we have to think about how we’re using these things.
This idea is particularly relevant to me now. After launching my own business in 2018, I’m going through a major transition again. My business has grown, and now, instead of being a “solopreneur,” I have to embrace being a CEO. What this means for me is letting go of control, trusting my team, and focusing more on working on the business rather than in it. I’ve always been the type of person to jump in and solve a client’s problem, but now I’m learning to let others take care of things. It’s a big shift in how I think about power—letting it go, sharing it—and it’s not easy.
This brings me to N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird’s Jesus and the Powers[3]. In their book, they look at how Jesus approached power, often turning it on its head. Instead of using power for personal gain, Jesus used it to serve others and challenge unjust systems. In a world where many of us will live longer and potentially accumulate more power, this idea feels more relevant than ever.
I’ve had to think carefully about how I use my influence within my business. The transition from being the go-to problem solver to empowering others feels like a direct lesson from Wright and Bird. It’s about understanding that leadership isn’t about holding onto control but empowering those around you.
Financial and Ethical Considerations
One of the trickier aspects of living longer is the financial side. Gratton and Scott don’t shy away from the reality that we’ll need to plan for longer careers, extended periods of learning, and the possibility of several retirements. But that’s not just a logistical issue—it’s an ethical one. How do we ensure that everyone gets the chance to thrive in this new model, not just the people with resources?
This is where Jim Wallis’s God’s Politics[4] becomes important. Wallis talks about how our political and economic systems should reflect our moral values. He pushes for policies that prioritize the common good over individual wealth. If we’re going to live longer, then we need to build systems that make that sustainable for everyone—not just the people who can afford to invest in their future.
Think about a time when you’ve seen policies or systems in your community that didn’t seem fair—maybe they helped some people but left others out. Wallis’s point is that our ethical commitments should guide how we structure these long lives, making sure that financial and social support is there for everyone. This echoes a growing tension in today’s world—how do we balance the increasing needs of a longer life with the structures we already have in place? If we’re not careful, the gap between those who can afford longevity and those who cannot will only widen.
So, what does it mean to live 100 years? As Gratton and Scott show, it’s not just about planning for a longer life—it’s about embracing the opportunities that come with it. But those opportunities require thoughtful leadership, careful management of power, and a commitment to ethical responsibility. Simon P. Walker’s ideas about authentic leadership remind us to stay true to ourselves as we navigate multiple life stages. N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird’s work on power encourages us to use our influence for good. And Jim Wallis challenges us to build systems that support everyone, ensuring that this 100-year life is sustainable and meaningful for all.
[1] Gratton, Lynda, and Andrew Scott. The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016.
[2] Walker, Simon P. The Undefended Leader. Carlisle, UK: Piquant Editions, 2010.
[3] Wright, N.T., and Michael F. Bird. The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2019.
[4] Wallis, Jim. God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2005.
About the Author
Mathieu Yuill
While raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens may be a few of Julia Andrews' favourite things, here are a few of mine: Talking to strangers, Learning about what you do for fun, Conversation over coffee. I own a marketing and communications company in Toronto, Canada called Leading With Nice. There are a lot of names I could have given the company but a trusted friend encouraged me to name it that because I really value the humanness in us all. Bah - this is starting to sound like a horrible LinkedIn post. So whatever, let's have coffee. I'd love to hear about what you do for fun!5 responses to “So, You Might Live to 100… Now What? Leadership Thoughts for the Century Club”
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Hey Matthiu,
You write, “As we live longer, another question comes up: how do we manage the power we gain over time? Gratton and Scott mention that people may experience several career transitions and accumulate influence in different ways. But with more time, more power, and more responsibility, we have to think about how we’re using these things.” You’ve got me thinking about this power that is gained over time and over various experiences.
My question is about what happens when that power begins to decline because of age – not everyone appreciates the wisdom that comes with age and experience and often those who might be older and wiser tend to get dismissed too easily. I’m asking about this because if we live to be 100, one of the things we may have to grapple with is a sense of losing power, especially if our mental health or bodily health declines. I’m also asking this because I work with a lot of people who are decades older than me and I hope to carry with me a sensitivity about this topic. Thanks for helping me think about this.
Hi Matthew,
Wow what a great post.
You wrote, “Beyond careers and finances, what does it mean to lead a life with meaning, purpose, and responsibility over such a long lifespan?”
I am hearkening back to an old book I read “The Man in the Mirror, ” by Patrick Morley. Morley asked the question, “What is your Spiritual Mission?” This caused me to pause…eventually over time Act 1:8 became my life verse and my spiritual mission, “”But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This essentially took me on the road (I lived overseas for 30 years).
In time my action verse became, Deut 10:18, ” He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing” These verses have become my “purpose.”
I use them as filters for the projects that come my way. AND the last verse serves as the biblical base for my NPO.
Shalom…
Mathieu,
When you shared about letting go of control, I too have been a person who likes to jump in with people and solve a client’s problem. I really see how God has grown me in that area, having less to say and listening more. I appreciate your sense of humor and how you bring laughter to the time we spend together in the cohort. Thank you for being real, raw and . . . . hmm. . . . trying to think of an “r” word. . . . regurgitated. . . no that sounds gross. Umm, I’ll keep thinking! 🙂
It was great to read your post after recently doing our syntopical interview.
In my case, I had to shrink my coaching/consulting work and limit my friendship conversations so that I could create capacity for this doctoral program (I keep telling people I will eventually go on an apology tour among my friends, asking their forgiveness for my lack of engagement since I began this doctorate).
You said, “This echoes a growing tension in today’s world—how do we balance the increasing needs of a longer life with the structures we already have in place,” with the backdrop of an ever-widening gap between the haves and have-nots. I love where you were going with this post, and it makes me want to think/act more critically with the possibility of a longer life and the need to leverage/create capacity to serve neighbors, especially those neighbors on the margins. Great post, Mathieu.
Great post, Mathieu. And, great reflections, Travis. As I read these together, I am realizing that these transitions we keep talking about- from one act to another- seem to also cause disruptions in the relationships we have. Maybe its prioritizing family over work at one stage, or putting friends on hold for a bit while going back to school, or maybe its walking away from a social structure that made sense in the last phase, but not in the next?
This is a half-formed thought at best, but I am beginning to wonder if part of the trick of staying agile is appropriately curating these relationships? Which ones do I fight to hold on to, and which ones may have to fall to the side to create space to move on to the next calling? This is not a fun concept- I have an unusually high value in loyalty- and it may be one of the things that makes agility so hard.
Thoughts?