Why Can't Old Horses Win New Races - A Leadership Lesson

Recently a thought ran across my mind and I started to think a lot and I did message couple of my friends. I asked them a simple question, “Why can’t old horses win new races”? Firstly I was surprised to receive their response and moreover responses made me ponder more about the Topic. Today in my article I would like to make a case study which has been talked from the day word Management came into existence.

In my previous company we had a winning team, which was handling a set of business and they were exceptional. Believe me, behind the success of this business there were two solid intellectuals. I must admit that everyone in the orgasanisation knew their names from Middle management to the top most. I m sure any organization runs on two basic things, profit and loss statement and these two Gentleman whom I call the masters of that trade were reasons behind why the company grew and made a substantial profit.

Suddenly Company ventured into some thing new, a very different model than they have operated ever. Now these two masters of the quiet similar trade were not so effective, there performance was as low as any new comer in the business. They were challenged by Gen Y about their Ideas, concepts, and their very existence was questioned because of their performance.

I was appalled to see these two masters fail! I was also interested in knowing their trade and learning from them. However I felt as you grow old, people are skeptical to change.  I have listed down some the key points why people may seem to take change as threat to their own being.

Point # 1

Change is very uncomfortable – There is a saying in Chinese which goes like this “The one, who changes, never grows old”… I had been able to read some of the wonderful scriptures about change management in recent times. They are not different even they know that change is the way forward, they think and they deny the change. I always tell them “Everything is flux; nothing is constant, if you can’t change, change will change you”.

Let me give you an example, I m used to get up at Nine, and suddenly one day I had a meeting and was suppose to travel.Which means that I should I get up early at six. As everyone would I thought I can’t get up so early but I knew that there are no options available. I some how managed to attend the meeting at sharp Ten (I think I was bit late though). Now don’t ask my how did it? But it was really uncomfortable, tiresome, boring, I felt as if some body took my freedom on that particular day. Like wise, these Baby boomers have set of principles, Ideas, thoughts, values, which helped them to succeed. They can’t see anything more than that.

“These baby boomers are masters in saying, that’s not going to work, this will never work. No matter how much you try to convince them but the fact is they will follow the old rules to win new games. Which is an uphill task!!!??

Point # 2

They have autocratic approach than Leadership approach – They are inspired by many Leaders in past however they have autocratic approach, they don’t believe in leading, they believe in controlling.. They think a smart kid on the block might challenge their position, intellect and style of managing. They think the only way to manage people is to control people by their authority, position, power, sometimes by replacing and getting the person who will not challenge their Ideas.

Point # 3

Learning – As I say “Success keeps you glowing but learning keeps you going”. They tend to stop learning once they achieve certain position and they think what they have learnt is enough to win any race.

There are other points which we can discuss however I think these three points are very basic “why old horses can’t win new races”. One of my friends said “Once the horse is old and he can’t run, he is shot to death”. Shocking but that’s the fact and I personally feel business doesn’t run on emotions but on number”.