I previously posted about the power of hybrids–how "both/and" thinking takes the conversation to a new place and how vibrant communities, where a many viewpoints are put forth, are ideally suited to take create hybrids.

Jeremiah Owyang has a great posting about how it’s difficult to find hybrids that fill a real need in the world today–a VP of marketing who understands social media and how to use it in the context of sound marketing principles that drive business results. One naturally draws from digital natives and the other draws from digital immigrants. Can you get both in one package?  That was the question. The same question I pondered when I was actively looking for a "marketing maven" for another project I was working on, Conscious Living, Conscious Leaving, and found one side of the equation but not the other.

Jeremiah’s posting and my own experience make me think that the world will be searching for more boundary crossers in the future–individuals who operate in multiple worlds and fit wholly in none. Hybrids, true hybrids are rare, and they are worth the time and effort to find and leverage.

This also made me think about the point that one of my collaborators keeps reinforcing: it’s the appropriate use of technology that gives new tools their full power. 

My solution for now, at a time when many worlds are on the cusp of converging, is to find people who represent two points of view, two worlds, and have them partner up. It’s what ABV is built on–many points of view–and what we hope for in helping others build vibrant communities.