If you’re interested in the future of nonprofit leadership in its many diverse forms, Rosetta Thurman is a name you should really know. She has been a prolific blogger on next generation leadership and diversity in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector since 2007, and has been tapped as a speaker and presenter numerous times by those seeking to better understand the changing face of leadership in the social sector.

True to her reputation as a thought leader, she has again redefined terms in a recent blog post profiling “Four ‘Now Generation’ Leaders to Watch in 2010.” Beyond introducing us to the first few of a cadre of accomplished and innovative young leaders she will be continuing to profile throughout the month, she offers a wake-up call to our characterization of the so-called “next generation” leader by reminding us: the future is now.

“In 2010, the oldest of Generation Y will be 30 years old. No longer the ‘baby’ in the workplace, our peers, our organizations, and our communities are looking at us with hearts filled with hope to see what we will do, where we will take the crooked places in our world and make them straight. 2010 demands not that young people get ‘ready to lead’ but actually lead.”

Much in the same way that it is faulty logic to talk about how to “get ready” for a more diverse nonprofit workforce – diversity is here; if anything, we just all need to catch up – the “next generation” train has left the station. Young people have already begun to commit themselves to leadership roles, taking the reins of nonprofit organizations, and founding their own to fill in the gaps and create a more vibrant and future-ready social sector.

As these young leaders deploy technology-enabled communications and networking, they will build a dynamic community of peer learning and support that is sure to advance the sector as a whole. I can’t wait to see how it unfolds, and where it takes nonprofits next.