Gen X is Next!

Gen X Is Next

For decades we’ve heard the same thing: Boomers built the system, Millennials will fix it… and Gen X? Supposedly the “skipped generation.”

Yeah. About that.

In this episode of Sassy Politics, Christi Chanelle dives into why Gen X may actually be the generation uniquely built for leadership right now. Raised in the analog world but fluent in the digital one, Gen X learned independence early, questioned institutions before it was fashionable, and adapted through economic and political upheaval that shaped our perspective.

While everyone argued about Boomers versus Millennials, Gen X quietly became the bridge generation — the ones who understand both worlds.

So Christi asks a simple question in this episode:

What if Gen X wasn’t skipped at all…

What if Gen X is next?

🎥 Watch the episode
New episodes of Sassy Politics drop every Tuesday at 9:00 AM Central Time on YouTube.

🎧 Listen to the podcast
Available midnight Tuesday wherever podcasts are streamed.

☕ Support the show
If you enjoy the content and want to support the channel:

Buy Me a Coffee
 https://buymeacoffee.com/sassypolitics

🔗 Join the community we’re building

We’re stronger together.

If you want to get involved in the community we’re building, head over to:

https://linkedwestand.com

Put your information in and it will come directly to me.
 I look forward to seeing you there.

📣 Follow Christi Chanelle

🎥 YouTube – Sassy Politics
 https://youtube.com/@SassyPolitics

🎵 TikTok
 https://tiktok.com/@ChristiChanelle

📘 Facebook
 https://facebook.com/SassyPolitics

🦋 BlueSky
 https://bsky.app/profile/sassypolitics

📸 Instagram
 https://instagram.com/christichanelle

🌐 Website
 https://ChristiChanelle.com

👍 If you enjoyed this episode
Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share so more people can find the show.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: This content may include satirical commentary, altered media, or opinion-based analysis intended for educational, entertainment, or advocacy purposes. Any video clips, images, or quotes that have been edited or recreated are clearly intended as political or cultural critique—not factual representations. Viewer discretion and independent research are encouraged.

Transcript

Why Are We Here

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Why are we here? I mean, really? Are we here to accumulate as much money as possible, compete with each other, and hurt other human beings in the process? Maybe it's to dominate the planet. Or could it be that we're here to build something together? Maybe. Maybe that's the real question. And maybe the problem is that we've never really stopped to ask it. I mean that would cause us to have to look inward at the intent behind the things we do, right? Maybe money corrupts that little voice inside of us that tells us something isn't right. Or maybe we just stopped caring. Maybe your give a damn is actually busted. Because mine typically is. Okay, but but if we stop asking ourselves that bigger question, what happens? We probably start forgetting about each other, right? Society starts drifting. We stop acting like neighbors, and everything starts to feel disconnected. I'm Christy Chanel, and this is Sassy Politics. So today I want to talk about something that really got under my skin. I was scrolling TikTok, like I always do, and a video stopped me in my tracks. Two men, one was a boomer, scholarly, and one was a Gen Z. I mean, seemed intelligent enough, smart, serious. And the headline though, it was the headline that got to me. It said, why Gen X is going to get skipped in the leadership transition? Skipped? Did he say skipped? Why do you think Gen X is gonna get skipped over in this leadership transition?

SPEAKER_00 2:21

Generations tend to make their mark when they're young because they have a lot of energy and they have a lot of freedom. They're not tied down to their families and things like that. So there's gotta be a lot going on when a generation is in its twenties. The baby boomers now are between 61 and 80. The 55-year-olds have settled into life the way it is. They might be incredibly energetic and things like that, but if they had had a grievance about society, they would have expressed it around 1995. They've got used to executing the baby boom's plans. I mean, they're the sidekick generation of the baby boom, and and um it will take a fresher generation that has some grievances with the way the baby boom ran things to carry out a reversal or a reform or whatever you want to call it.

Desert Storm And First Awareness Of War

Gen X As The Bridge Generation

How History Imprints Each Generation

A Model That Links Generations

Why Women Step Up In Tense Times

Generativity Midlife And Menopause

Final Questions And How To Watch

SPEAKER_01 3:10

That clip came from Christopher Caldwell, and he was discussing generational leadership. Now listen, I'm not going to lie. Uh yes, that hit a nerve. And it's not because I need validation on behalf of Gen X that I'm a badass. I already know I'm a badass. Alright, just kidding. I don't, but I am. But it made me stop and ask something deeper. Why would somebody think that? Like, what am I missing that somebody would think that? And what does that say about my generation? So, of course, I had to start digging. I looked at psychology, history, data, and what I found was actually pretty fascinating. But before we go there, let me take you back to 1991. I was a senior in high school. I'm standing in my cheerleading uniform at a basketball game. You get those pep rally vibes, gym lights, band playing, people yelling, go, Patriots, go. And then an announcement came over the PA system. We had just launched an air campaign in the Gulf War. Operation Desert Storm. I remember yellow ribbons everywhere. They were tied on railings, pinned on jackets, and I remember feeling disconnected. I wasn't a parent yet. I was just a high school cheerleader standing in a gym cheering about basketball. I do remember seeing sadness in the room. But at the same time, I was just a kid at a basketball game. And that moment has stuck with me for decades. It was weird. The energy was weird. Uh I didn't know how to feel. What does that mean? We're at war. What does that what does that mean? What do I do now? What do I do with that information? Oh, nothing. I go to school on Monday and I see a bunch of yellow ribbons. Didn't quite understand it. But that was the first time war had entered my awareness. And something I learned while researching for this episode, Gen X is actually the smallest adult generation in America. What? Right? Isn't that crazy? I had no idea. Rough estimates look like this. So Gen X, my generation, has about 65 million, Gen Z has about 68 million, millennials about 72 million, and boomers are the biggest generation with about 73 million. Because of that, sociologists often call Gen X the bridge generation. We sit right between two massive demographic waves. And you know that shaped our psychology. Researchers often describe Gen X as independent, skeptical, pragmatic, entrepreneurial, and resistant to authority. And honestly, that definitely tracks. I know you know a Gen Xer. They fit all those qualifications. I'm sure, I mean, if we think about how we grew up, it makes sense, right? High divorce rates. We were the kids who came home to empty houses and let ourselves in. Then we had personal computers, email, and the internet. I personally remember some chat rooms. Dial up internet, you know that AOL. Then came 9-11. Suddenly the world didn't feel safe anymore. These events shaped how generations think. Psychologists call this generational imprinting. Major events during youth and early adulthood leave permanent marks on how we see the world. Let's break it down a little bit. Boomers. They grew up after World War II. Economic expansion, civil rights movements, which we should be studying right now, don't you think? The Cold War. They tend to believe in institutions. They often try to change institutions from the inside. And to be fair, they've done a lot of work that paved the way for the rest of us. They're just an absolute pain in my fucking ass. It is what it is. And then, of course, my generation, which we just talked about, Gen X. We grew up during the institutional distrust. We tend to build systems differently. We test authority, we question it, we build quietly rather than dominate loudly. Millennials. They grew up during social media, the financial crisis, student debt, and a lot of it. They're often incredible organizers, community builders, and I'm lucky enough to have four of them on my LinkedWe Stand team. Gen Z. Entirely digital. Smartphones since childhood. Political polarization, including now, climate anxiety. They're the mobilizers, the communicators. They spread ideas faster than any generation before them. And I've got one of those on my team too. And a few of them in my household. You know, maybe leadership isn't supposed to skip a generation at all. Maybe the next phase actually requires all of them. Gen X builds systems, millennials organize people, Gen Z mobilizes and communicates, and boomers carry historical memory. That combination is powerful, and it's exactly what I'm building. My leadership team includes me, Gen X, four millennials, one Gen Z, no boomers yet, but I am pretty sure the right one will show up when the time is right. Because the whole idea behind what we're building is simple. It's not about one generation replacing another, it's about linking them together. That's literally the name. Linked, we stand. But there is another pattern in history that I think we have to talk about. During periods of social tension, women often step forward. Think about leaders like Harriet Tubman, who led enslaved people to freedom and my personal freaking idol. Right? The Underground Railroad. Love, love, love. Susan B. Anthony, who fought for women's right to vote. Dolores Huerta, who helped organize farm workers. These women did not wait for permission. My kind of friends. They spoke when systems weren't fair. And right now, it feels like more women are finding their voices again. But there is something else helping around midlife that you should you should definitely know about. Psychologists call it generativity. It's when people stop focusing on survival and start focusing on legacy. What kind of world are we leaving behind? What do we want to stand for? What are we willing to defend? That shift happens in your 40s. It's when you stop worrying about what people think and start worrying about what's right. Let's just say it, there's also menopause. That awakening is so real and it involves so many topics that it needs its own episode. But I promise you, there is some good in menopause. It definitely breaks your givea damn, right? So when someone says Gen X will be skipped, I think they might be misunderstanding something. Something really important. Gen X didn't rush into leadership. We watched. We learned. We lived through decades of change. And now we might finally have something to say. So I'll leave you with the same question I started with. Why are we here? What are we supposed to build together? And and maybe the better question is what happens when all the generations stop fighting each other and start linking together. You can catch Sassy Politics every Tuesday at 9 a.m. Central Standard on YouTube if you want to watch the episode. And I do a lot of editing, so that would be cool to have your support. But you can always listen wherever you get your podcasts. Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio, wherever you stream. Until next time, LinkedIn Stand. Because we are stronger together. And maybe you should be a little bit sassy about it.