I am more than 60 years old and was always a rather active person. Consequently, I know quite a few retired managers. You can divide them in two groups: I will call them the ego-centered ones and the altero-cenetred ones in this example and introduce one model of each sort.
Mr. Ego-Centered has excellent skills and superb competence. He does, however, often feel uncomfortable with his environment. Only very few friends have earned his trust. I often find him a little lonely and a little bitter.
As a general rule, he always had attractive women by his side through his entire life. The relationships with those sometimes worked shortly and sometimes over a longer period of time. Like most of his significant others, he has no children. To make up for it, he is a man of the world. He knows all continents and every mega city of this world.
In his professional life, he never managed to be quite at the top. On the second level, he was always extremely important to the huge concern. Through all his (professional) life, he had a personal assistant. His budget for expenses and travels was dizzyingly high and, of course, he always had an upper class business car.
He pointedly nourishes his intellectual cynicism. Emotinons are something that would only stand in his way, rationality is his credo. Both in business and private life, everything is always sweet and dandy. He thinks in straight lines and knows exactly what something is all about. And he also knows how people are supposed to function.
Mr. Altero-Centered is a totally different type of person. He, too, has excellent competence. His destiny, however, seems to be something he has made his peace with. Being a good listener, he also often gives prudent advice. He has many friends who like spending time with him. In old age, too, he is still prepared to make new experiences and learn. To me, he looks like someone who, even in retirement, is quite happy with his life.
In his life, his wife plays a significant role. They brought up their children together. His grand-children see to it that he is once more really active. With them, he was able to make up for all the things he missed out on with his own children because there was no time while he was in the middle of his professional career.
Because he was at the top of the concern. He travelled a lot all over the world. His big limousine, however, was driven by a chauffeur. Like all the other employees in his concern, said chauffeur loved and admired him very much.
Not to forget:
The story describes in a very rough and generalized way how I sometimes see people. I am, however, absolutely aware of the fact that there are no “black” or “white” categories. Consequently, the figures are totally fictional. Similarities with living or dead persons are not intentional. I know, esteem and like people of both categories. And I accept advice from persons of both categories. I believe both can be happy. But I think the ”altero-centered“ type is probably a little more content with his lot.
RMD
(Translated by EG)
P.S.
🙂 While I wrote this article, I realized that I do not know a single (!) retired female top manager! Those few that I know are all still active. But they are all more the altero-centered type.
P.S. 1
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