Joe Biden’s Case Shows Why We Need To Talk About an Age Limit for Top Jobs

The American president’s age is becoming a burden in his reelection campaign. In Germany, too, respect for life achievements often impedes a frank conversation about term limits in politics and corporations.

Democrats in the U.S. can’t avoid talking about the age of their 81-year-old president, Joe Biden. With the report from Special Counsel Robert Hur, that, not very subtly, described Biden’s state of mind as that of an elderly grandpa, the discussion has finally entered the mainstream media. How old can a president be? And who tells him when he’s too old?

The discussion matters for Germany not only because it could decide the election in favor of Donald Trump. It also touches on the fundamental question that an aging German society needs to face: how long can people be allowed to stay at the top—in politics and in business?

It is a controversial issue. It’s not just about age but about the length of terms of service. There is no question that state leaders Helmut Kohl and Angela Merkel would be judged more generously if they had not each insisted that they needed to serve four terms.

At the end of their 16-year terms as German chancellor, they lacked the strength to correct their previous errors. In addition, the eternal chancellors and those around them hindered the political ambitions of the generations that succeeded them. Despite this experience, Germany missed a chance to discuss setting term limits two years ago in the transition between chancellors.

Many corporations are experiencing something similar. For instance, the generational change in the optical retailer Fielmann demonstrates how good it is for a corporation to have an infusion of new blood. Since the son of the founder, recently deceased at age 84, took over full leadership some four years ago, the company is making advances in digitalization—very belatedly.

Many respected businesspeople remain active for an astonishingly long time, at least on advisory boards. At famous corporations like Tchibo and Otto, representatives of the proprietary family will soon be celebrating their 80th birthday. At Volkswagen, representatives of the families Piëch and Porsche who serve on the advisory board are 81 and 80 years old, respectively. As joint proprietors, they certainly have a right to be members—but it contradicts the recommendations of the German Code of Good Corporate Leadership.

In some cases, respect for impressive lifetime achievements prevents open discussion about when and how to initiate change. Youth is certainly not an end in and of itself. Experience and predictability are valuable. But it is only human for excitement about innovation to decline with increasing age and time in office, for the past to obscure a vision of the future, and for routine to take over.

It is thus reasonable to set term limits, even for businesspeople. As society ages, it will become more important for people to reach an agreement on this issue. BMW, for instance, has implemented a strict age limit of just 60 for its top managers, thus guaranteeing changes in leadership and promotion opportunities for the ambitious in middle management. The corporation will remain agile without descending into an obsession with youth.

There is no age limit for U.S. presidents, however. And thus no one seems able to persuade the deservedly respected Democrat Biden to bid a dignified farewell before the election.