Not to put too much pressure on you dear readers born in then 1970s and 1980s, but you’ve got a big stinking pile to clean up and not much time to waste. Endangered planet. Economies in chaos. Terrorism. Massive debt. Massive poverty, just to name a few calamities awaiting your attention.
Luckily, you have what it takes to get the job done, argues Tammy Erickson, a frequent writer on generational divides. Says she:
“The most difficult elements of your past may well be those that provide you with the strongest capabilities for today. You have traded the idealism of my generation for realism, tempered by value-oriented sensibilities. At mid-life, you are well-prepared to serve as pragmatic managers, applying toughness and resolution to defend society while safeguarding the interests of the young. You will force nations to produce more than they consume and fix the infrastructure.”
Among the long list of valuable traits that Gen X brings to the world party are:
- A value for self-reliance, born of their distrust of institutions as they grew up.
- Awareness of global issues and a welcoming of contributions of diverse individuals.
- Inclination to innovate and experiment with alternative solutions.
You can read Erickson’s complete bouquet to Xers in her Harvard Business Publishing post, Why Generation X Has the Leaders We Need Now.
Age Inappropriate
I’m a big fan of Tammy’s writing, but I’m quite unconvinced that any particular generation has the knowledge, wisdom or experience to solve the world’s great problems. The best thing Gen X can do is bring people from all stages of life and geographies together to address common issues, something previous generations have not been able to do.
Maybe X marks the spot where this begins.
