As an argument against ageism in the workplace it’s hard to look past Gandalf, the wizard from The Lord of the Rings. The bearded wonder, portrayed in the film series by Sir Ian McKellen, is already thousands of years old by the time the story starts but still handy with a horse and sword.
In many ways Gandalf is the chairman (or chairwizard) of Middle Earth, the fictional setting of the stories. He is there to offer counsel, negotiate tricky alliances and then keep factions suspicious of each other on the same path, while leaving the action to the CEO, Aragorn, and the board (or Fellowship) of men, hobbits, dwarves and elves.
Not that Gandalf is afraid of getting his hands dirty when required, of course. In the face of a hostile takeover he uses all his skills to consolidate his position, travelling all over to various meetings to personally explain (a) his mission and (b) why the alternative (a takeover by the embodiment of pure evil and its various henchmen) is probably a bad thing for both the shareholders and the workforce alike. In order to further his position he also goes in for a bit of rebranding, changing his name from Gandalf the Grey to the altogether clearer proposition of Gandalf the White.
He has organised a good pension too (you would after a few thousand years), and a retirement home across the ocean to ensure he can’t be tempted to make a comeback. Golf beckons. But probably not in those robes.
Still looking for inspiration? Think like... Jaws, Lisa Simpson and Darth Vader.
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