What was the problem with the spartan assembly?

The Spartan Assembly was part of the first democracy that preceded that of Athens by about 150 years. The Assembly was made up of citizens on the one hand and the Council of Elders was made up of the two kings and 38 elected citizens over age 60 and they were in there for life. The trouble is, the Council of Elders was too conservative and overly cautious so made it difficult for the Assembly to function properly.