Acknowledging the Tattoo

To young leaders everywhere. Beware, you have something tattooed on your forehead.

When 27, I was asked by the Deputy MD of Macquarie Group (the late, great John Caldon) to interview the Bank’s senior leadership and prepare a report on government relations – a senior assignment for a junior executive.

When John asked me how it was going, I mentioned that some of the senior management that I interviewed seemed dismissive or outright rude towards me. I didn’t understand why.

John smiled gleefully and replied: “There’s a magical age, Adam, I think it might be 37, when people stop asking how old you are. You become just another person. Until then, you’re ‘young’ and you need to act with that in mind.”

I immediately understood what John was telling me. You look young. You look inexperienced. Don’t ignore the tattoo.

If you are under 37 and in a leadership role, you need to begin by acknowledging the elephant in the room: your age.

Sometimes that requires a frank admission at your team meeting: “I’m young, I’m still learning, I will need your help to succeed in this role.” Always, it requires you to be humble, to seek feedback and to listen wholeheartedly.

So if you are a young leader – let them know that you know about the tattoo.

They will respect you all the more for it.