Comparing the ages of President Trump and President Biden: What is the optimal age to be a leader?

So that raises a question. teeth The perfect age to be president, or make a big bet leaderwhat about that?

This is a question that has been studied by many scholars for many years. Dr. John Law, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Professor of Health Policy and Aging Speaks luck.

But pinpointing the ideal number isn't easy.

“First, cognitive and behavioral functioning involves a variety of specific functions, including fluency, short- and long-term memory, problem solving, and speed, and there is a great deal of variability in the effects of aging on these different functions,” he says, “so it's not a monotony where everything deteriorates at the same rate.”

Dr. Michael SnyderChairman Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of MedicineI agree that cognitive decline varies greatly from person to person and is different for each individual.

“For a lot of people, it could be a lot slower,” he said. luck“We are all People from the 90s are still super sharpAnd similarly, I know people who become much less active in their 60s.”

Cognitively, Rowe said, “all 40-year-olds are pretty much the same, but When I turn 80Some are very good and some are not so good.”

Cognitive decline occurs after age 65

As we age, he says, we're more likely to have “abnormal declines” in cognitive function. The prevalence of dementia is about 10% at age 65, and quadruples by the mid-80s, but it can also be mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Most people with dementia are over 65 years old Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Approximately 14 million people are estimated to be diagnosed Alzheimer's disease By 2060. “Clearly, a mentally ill person is not fit to lead a country,” Rowe said, “so let's take that off the table.”

But things can get “even more interesting” for people with MCI, which affects 12-18 percent of people over 65 and causes behaviours such as forgetfulness and misplacing things.

Of all the cognitive declines that occur with age, speed is the easiest to study, he says, but even when lab tests reveal a decline, it's usually only 10 milliseconds slower than a younger group, so that might not make much difference.

For example, people making decisions about international finance have more than 10 milliseconds to think about, “so some of the changes may not be functionally significant,” he points out.

Snyder said people Live a longer, healthier life It's a lot more advanced than it was a few decades ago. Retire laterand a new study published in the journal Neurology It has been suggested that people who work in cognitively stimulating jobs from their 30s to 60s are at lower risk of developing MCI and dementia in their 70s and beyond.

Plus, with age comes wisdom, and this is just one aspect of aging that can actually be beneficial for leaders.

The minimum age for a US president is 35, the same age at which cognitive ability typically “peaks.”

Several the study It has been shown that people reach their “peak” cognitive ability around age 35, which is the minimum age requirement. For the President of the United StatesThis can continue into your mid-40s, when the effects of cognitive aging may begin to set in. Dr. Patricia BoyleProfessor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Rush University Rush Alzheimer's Center.

“Of course, cognitive health is influenced by genetics, diet, exercise, blood pressure, connections with others, and how active or inactive your mind is, so everyone's experience will be different,” she points out.

But aging has its advantages: Some aspects of intelligence, such as vocabulary, improve with age, Rowe said. And what's more, studies have repeatedly shown that older people are more emotionally stable, he added.

The wisdom that comes with age and experience cannot be underestimated.

Lowe said: Research Pair Since 2010 Dr. Igor Grossmanwho was then enrolled at the University of Michigan and is currently Wisdom and Culture Lab A study from the University of Waterloo in Canada found that people aged 65-80 excel in the following aspects of leadership:

• Bring multiple perspectives to an issue
• Be open to compromise
• Recognize the limitations of currently available knowledge
• Dispute Resolution

“Despite declines in fluid intelligence, social reasoning abilities improve with age,” the study noted. “These results suggest that it may be prudent to assign older adults to important social roles, including legal decision-making, counseling, and intergroup negotiation.”

Lowe also said: 2020 Report by Dr. Laura CarstansenProfessor of Psychology at Stanford University Stanford Center for LongevityHer study of 1,000 people aged 18 to 76 found that older people were more resilient than younger people during the early stages of the pandemic.

Older adults are more likely to feel calm, interested and grateful, and are less likely to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, Carstansen explained. In an interview Stanford University credited the study with shifting experiences and perspectives.

“We often think of older people as frail and helpless, but there is a lot more variation among older people than among younger people,” Carstansen says. “Some older people are quite frail, but as a group older people are extraordinarily resilient and emotionally superior to younger people.”

Maddie Dycktwald,author Ageless Aging The man who has been a thought leader on aging and longevity for four decades says it's a gift of aging that shouldn't be overlooked.

When you feel more positive about life and are happier, “you can bring that perspective to your leadership,” she explains.

Rowe said his view is that if older people have healthy cognitive abilities, they can be expected to be more emotionally stable and have better problem-solving and negotiation skills.

But he also acknowledged that he probably wouldn't appoint a 95-year-old to the presidency, because the likelihood of serious health problems increases as people get older.

So does that mean he completely ignores older people?

Lowe doesn't think that's fair, given all the obvious exceptions. And different institutions need different leadership at different times, he added, citing Winston Churchill, who became British prime minister at age 66. “He was perfect for the Second World War, but when the war was over, the people forced him out because the problems the country had to solve were problems Winston Churchill couldn't solve.”

Dychtwald cites many positive examples of older leaders, including Warren Buffett, Pope Francis and Nelson Mandela, who became president at age 75. “They're older and wiser, and I think they have the maturity to make decisions based on experience,” he says.

Regarding the recent debate about the president and age, she thinks people are looking at it myopically, and points out that her book looks at three different kinds of aging: physical, psychological and, of course, chronological aging.

“That's what people are really paying attention to right now,” she says. “I'm 74, but I don't think that defines me. I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life, to say the least.”

For more information on healthy aging: