heyone of my favorite stories TimeHere’s the history: As 1927 drew to a close, the editors seized an opportunity to correct a serious mistake. They failed to put Charles Lindbergh on the cover to recognize the 25-year-old’s remarkable solo flight over the Atlantic, which he accomplished in May. He gave himself a mulligan on what was an otherwise slow news week, and named Lindbergh “Man of the Year” for the first issue of 1928, which became one of the most iconic franchises in journalism—what we know today as Time people. know as. of the year.
Lindbergh remained the youngest person to receive the recognition until 2019, when 16-year-old Greta Thunberg was named Person of the Year. These two milestones remind us that there is no age limit for leadership. We know that’s been true since TIME’s inception over a century ago, 20—no less. I suspect our readers feel the same: As I wrote in April, nearly half of you are under the age of 35.
It is therefore with great pleasure that over the past nine years we have had the opportunity to introduce you to an impressive group of extraordinary young people through Time’s Next Generation of Leaders list, made possible by our partners at Rolex. Leading the latest installment of the project, Emma Barker, along with senior editor Dayna Sarkisova, said, “Spending time with these individuals is a testament to what is possible today and what leadership can look like in a multitude of inspiring forms. “
On the cover, we introduce Florence Pugh, a 27-year-old British actor, whom we meet on the cusp of a breakout year with upcoming roles in two highly anticipated films: Christopher Nolan’s oppenheimer and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part two. It’s an extraordinary moment for Pugh, an artist just beginning to climb the peaks of his profession. “Despite his youth, he has a drive and assurance,” says Villeneuve. “You feel like you’re dealing with someone who can go absolutely anywhere and do anything emotionally in the most subtle and precise way. He’s a rough diamond.
next generation leaders The list is, as always, a global undertaking, with Time’s reporters and editors discovering what leadership looks like from across the planet. In this issue, we spend time with rising stars in places including South Korea, Argentina and Australia, where Melanie Perkins, co-founder of tech platform Canva, recently pledged a significant amount of equity in her giant startup company. did. “It was really an easy decision,” she says. “How best can you do with billions of dollars?”
Perkins’ drive to better the world is shared by René Silva of Brazil, who at age 11 persuaded his school teachers to let him join the student newspaper. That effort put him on a journey to launch a paper of his own that covered an entire favela. Silva leads today Voz das Comunidades, Dedicated to telling and promoting stories that are often overlooked in our country’s media.
Pugh, Perkins, and Silva join influential leaders like activist Sage Lanier, who is leading a solution-focused approach to the climate fight, and Ivorian American chef Rose Traore, whose journey through the world of restaurants and family The search for history has propelled them forward. Ivory Coast, for healing and building community through food. Together, this class joins more than 175 individuals recognized as Time Next Generation Leaders since 2014. At a time when society’s problems can seem insurmountable, it is so inspiring to see these young leaders sharing new perspectives and fresh ideas.
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