“Ignoring the realities of the demographic shift under way is no longer an option”

Paul Irving, chairman of the Milken Institute’s Center for the Future of Aging, is among a select group of authors whose work will be published in Harvard Business Review’s annual Must Reads collection.

HBR’s 10 Must Reads 2020: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review includes “When No One Retires,” in which Irving examines the impact of the world’s graying population. The book version of the article combines two pieces Irving wrote for HBR in 2018: When No One Retires and The Longevity Opportunity. Irving makes the case that older adults must be viewed as a valuable resource for the contributions they can make in the workplace and as consumers in the global economy.

“Ignoring the realities of the demographic shift under way is no longer an option,” he writes. “… The business community has a chance to spearhead a broad movement to change culture, create opportunity, and drive growth. In doing so, companies will improve not only mature lives, but lives of all ages, and the prospects of workers for generations to come.”

Irving is a distinguished scholar in residence at the University of Southern California Davis School of Gerontology and chairman of Encore.org. He previously served as the Milken Institute’s president and as chairman and CEO of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, a law and consulting firm. He is the author of “The Upside of Aging: How Long Life is Changing the World of Health, Work, Innovation, Policy, and Purpose.”

HBR’s 10 Must Reads series is “the definitive collection of ideas and best practices for aspiring and experienced leaders alike.” The articles in the 2020 volume were selected for their potential to inspire leaders to better motivate workforces, advance gender equity, and improve results. HBR’s 10 Must Reads 2020 will be released October 1, 2019.