Leadership – can you be too old?

At age 81 years, Joe Biden is the oldest person to serve as President of the USA. Until recently the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party for the forthcoming US election, for which he had hoped to win a second term, concerns had been raised about his age and suitability to run for office. These concerns only increased following the June 27, 2024, debate between Biden and the Republican candidate Donald Trump, in which Biden seemed unsure and struggled to make his points clearly. However, while Trump might have given a more forceful debate performance, at 78 years, his age is also subject to discussion. Calls across the US political spectrum for Biden to step down to allow a younger candidate to take his place were heeded and Biden formally stepped down on July 21, 2024. Globally, age restrictions for political candidates are common but are generally associated with a minimum rather than a maximum age. Most countries require political candidates to be a minimum of 18 years old, with some countries having higher age restrictions for more senior roles; for example in the USA a person must be 35 years or older to serve as president. Maximum age limits for political office are rare. However, is age a good marker of political performance? How old is too old to lead?