Published 2025 – This paper explores how age-diverse leadership drives profit, people and planet. It sets out three strategic approaches to bridge the corporate generational gap for twenty-first-century success.
While the median age of the global workforce is 39.6, the global average age of CEOs is 56.8, and board members in major markets often average between 58 and 64. This widening “gerontocracy” in corporate leadership risks disconnecting organisations from the very demographics they employ and serve.
This joint report by the UN Youth Office, the St. Gallen Symposium and the Club of Rome explores how businesses can unlock long-term value by adopting intergenerational leadership models. It highlights the growing demographic gap between corporate leaders and the global workforce and presents a strong business case for meaningfully involving younger generations in decision-making.
What is intergenerational leadership?
The concept refers to the meaningful involvement of multiple generations in decision-making across all spheres of operation. It moves beyond tokenism to treat individuals of all ages as equal partners in shaping strategy and culture.
Rather than a simple HR initiative, this model acts as a catalyst for transformational change. The authors establish that by diversifying the ages of decision-makers at various levels (including C-suite, board and middle-management) businesses can better navigate the complexities of the twenty-first century and align their operations with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Why is there a gap in intergenerational leadership?
The intergenerational leadership gap persists because corporate and political decision-making structures have failed to keep pace with global demographic shifts and the evolving needs of the modern workforce. Additionally, there is resistance to embracing new visions and communication styles, as well as a failure to understand the needs of newer generations.
According to the report, there are four systemic factors that contribute to this widening divide:
- The “Success Trap”: Organisations often fall into the trap of sticking to mental models that drove past successes. These old paradigms can obstruct progress and prevent the adoption of new ideas exactly when technological or climate disruptions require fresh thinking.
- Short-termism vs. long-term strategy: Ageing leadership teams may be more focused on immediate quarterly results that manifest during their tenure. In contrast, younger professionals are often more invested in long-term payoffs, such as climate adaptation and sustainable business model innovation, which are critical for future resilience.
- Institutional resistance and experience bias: In high-stakes business environments, “experience” is frequently treated as the sole valid criterion for leadership. This creates a barrier for younger leaders, as efforts to diversify age-wise often meet resistance from those who favour traditional hierarchical models.
- Communication and cultural frictions: Significant barriers exist in the form of conflicting communication styles, differing work values and varying cultural expectations regarding respect and hierarchy. These frictions can lead to a “diversity gap” that weakens the connection between senior boards and their digitally-native employees and customers.
How can we implement intergenerational leadership?
The authors explore three main approaches to enabling intergenerational decision-making, based on pioneering efforts to integrate intergenerational leadership:
- Consultation: These methods, which include reverse mentoring and next-generation advisory boards, focus on learning from younger generations.
- Co-leadership and shared decision-making: This approach directly involves members of different generations in core decision-making structures.
- Embedding intergenerational leadership: This effort mainstreams intergenerational leadership in the strategy, structure and culture of an organisation.
These approaches, should be attached to five tangible executive steps that can unlock value for people, planet and profit through intergenerational leadership. Those points are related to the need to:
- Make a business case for intergenerational leadership
- Design a targeted approach appropriate to the context.
- Define and support the desired skill set.
- Rally and sustain support for intergenerational leadership.
- Bridge potential gaps in communication styles, work values and cultural expectations.
About the authors
Felix Rüdiger is Head of Content & Research at the St. Gallen Symposium.
Kaspar Köchli is Research Manager at the St. Gallen Symposium.
Matthew Hunter is Partnerships Lead at the United Nations Youth Office.
Nolita Thina Mvunelo is Programme Manager at the Club of Rome.
Download the paper
Download How Intergenerational Leadership Unlocks Innovation and Sustainability in Business to discover how organisations can strengthen their work alongside youth and unlock new pathways for collaboration across generations.
