Wisdom at Work

In our increasingly accelerated world that venerates the new, bright and shiny, many of us in mid-career sense that the ground is shifting beneath our feet, leaving us feeling invisible, undervalued and threatened by the 'digital natives' nipping at our heels. Chip Conley is not buying it, arguing that experience is on the brink of a comeback. At age 52, after selling the boutique hotel company he founded and ran for 24 years, Conley joined Airbnb as Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy. Though rich with experience, the industry veteran lacked the digital fluency of his 20-something colleagues. He quickly discovered that he'd been hired as a teacher and mentor, but was also in many ways a student and intern. What emerged is the secret to thriving as a mid-life worker in today's world: learning to marry wisdom and experience with curiosity, a beginner's mind, and a willingness to evolve. Igniting a bold, urgent conversation about age and ageism in the workplace, Conley liberates the term "elder" from the stigma of "elderly," and reveals the value of wisdom that can only be accrued through years on the planet. Wisdom at Work will teach you how to be indispensable in the second half of your working life.