How to lead people who are older or more experienced than you

You are managing someone who has done this longer than you have been alive, and you can feel it. The instinct is either to defer to them on everything or to overassert to prove you belong. Both undercut you.

You were not put in charge because you know more than everyone. You were put in charge to set direction, remove obstacles, and make the call when the group cannot. That job does not require being the most experienced person in the room. It requires being clear.

Lead with genuine respect for their expertise. Ask for it, use it, credit it in public. A veteran who feels valued becomes your strongest ally. One who feels managed around becomes your quietest problem.

And do not apologize for the role. You can respect someone deeply and still make a decision they disagree with. The apology is what reads as weakness, not the decision.