Leading people older than you works when you’re more prepared, not more bossy.

Age gaps make authority awkward, and the instinct is to compensate by being firmer, which is exactly what confirms the doubt. What closes the gap is preparation, since being the person who did the work reads clearly at any age. Nobody resents someone who obviously knows the thing. They resent being managed by someone who does not.

Before the next time you run something with older people in it, over-prepare the details. Ask for their experience openly on the parts where they have more of it. Then make the call, because deference on facts and clarity on decisions is a combination that works.