Mentors Magazine: Issue 3

MENTORS MAGAZINE | EDITION 3 | 15

They were the slackers. They were dazed
and confused. They wore flannel. They lis-
tened to Nirvana and epitomized grunge.
Generation X, born anywhere from 1965 to
1980, has long been viewed with disdain
by cultural critics, dismissed as a “middle
child” generation between the more popu-
lous Baby Boomers and the ubiquitous Mil-
lennials. But in recent years, something
momentous has happened to these kids in
the middle: Gen X has grown up. In fact,
the oldest Gen Xers
are now 54 years
old. Has the gen-
eration that once
worshipped Kurt
Cobain success-
fully transitioned
to adulthood at
long last?

All signs point to yes. And any entrepre-
neurs who expect to thrive in the coming
years must pay attention to the needs,
wants and dreams of this generation,
which is now a major economic force in
our society. Looking at who Gen X is—and
studying how they are influencing and
shaping the world—is a vital task for com-
panies selling a wide range of products and
services. The health of your bottom line
could depend on it.

To a large extent, adulthood is just the next

challenge that Gen X is managing to mas-

ter. And it indubitably has had many hur-

dles to overcome. According to Kip-

linger.com, the Great Recession impacted

the net worth of Gen X more than other

generations. But the now middle-aged Gen

X is using its ingenuity to come out fine in

the end. Here are some of the strengths of

Gen X in today’s soci-

ety. As more Gen

Xers enter their

50s, these are

some of the ad-

vantages that

will see it

through, keep it

influential as a gen-

eration, and especially make it a prime tar-

get for any business that wants to stay

competitive:

Gen X is running the office. While organi-

zations are transforming themselves for

the digital era, Gen X is playing a crucial

role. According to the 2018 DDI Global

Leadership Forecast, they fill the majority

of all leadership positions around the

world, and since they possess an average

of two decades of work experience, they

are well prepared to enter the C-suite. Gen

By Dian Griesel

Gen X is using its

ingenuity to come out

fine in the end