Do you belong to the 21st century growth tribe?

This is a term that popped into my head the other day. I was pondering ideal clients, niche, etc, as I do every so often.

I’ve always struggled with it, and I know I’d help myself if I were clearer. The thing is, I kind of know who I’m aiming at, even though it’s rather broad and cloudy and – here’s the point – resistant to a short label.

It’s the people who are building the new world, or the new story of the world. The people who are the foam at the edges as the tide comes in.

I keep spotting myself using ’21st century’ as an adjective. It’s a shorthand for the way the world is, with the problems that face us and the trends in society, and for the way we ought to be operating to be in tune with that. So much in society, and particularly in the news, is still running patterns of the late 20th century.

It’s part of what I talk about in my book Crowd/Control, and over at The Upward Path. That idea of living in a time when the human path forks, and we can choose to move into a better potential or a grubby cul-de-sac.

Who are they then?

So, who are the 21st century growth tribe? Creative entrepreneurs, personal development folks like coaches and therapists, thought leaders, social and community enterprises, the ecosystem of creative and ethical microbusinesses, self-realisers, potential uncoverers, compassion leverers, truth tellers, idea makers, tech channellers, crowdsourcers …  

These categories are full of people who are doing innovative things, working in new ways, and operating out of connection to their heart, authenticity and service. They’re challenging old-model principles that work must be about suffering and sacrifice, and lists of socially approved occupations.

They’re particularly challenging the divisions between ‘proper work’, doing good, personal development and creativity. Once, these were supposed to happen in separate, demarcated areas of our lives. Now we can be joined-up people. And portfolio people, compiling ourselves out of unlikely ingredients.

The problem with operating at the edge of the tide is that the main body is coming along behind. You don’t always have the skills and support to do what you want to do, so you have to make it up as you go. And there can be pain in that, as you struggle to keep up with your heart.

So that’s a thing I want to do: apply my skills to be part of that movement providing support and leverage for itself, so we can make better progress up the path.

What do you think?

Are you part of the 21st century growth tribe? Do you have a better thing to call it? Let me know in the comments.