Vanguard
Etymology
From Old French “avant-garde,” “advance guard,” anglicized and clipped so that “van-” is a worn-down form of “avant” (“before”). In politics, Lenin’s idea of a “vanguard party” cast a disciplined elite as the force leading the working class toward revolution.
noun · /VAN-gard/
The leading edge of a movement, or the foremost part of an advancing force.
What it names
Whoever goes first and sets the direction — a handle for the leaders of a trend, an army, or a revolution.
Example
The startup saw itself as the vanguard of a whole new industry.
Related idea
Distinguish it from avant-garde, its unclipped French twin reserved for radical art — vanguard covers the military, political, and general “leading edge” senses.