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Too many aspiring thought leaders are more concerned with simply being part of the conversation than adding to it in a meaningful way.

Some may feel an intense pressure to keep pace with competitors, even if they don’t have anything new to say. Others may have plenty to say, but hesitate to speak out for fear of offending stakeholders and losing current and/or future business.

Whatever the reason, this lack of confidence in what to say and when to say it presents a problem. In almost every case, it strips would-be thought leaders of a true point of view — a critical element in establishing and demonstrating authority.

What Are the Hallmarks of a Strong POV? 

At its core, a point of view (POV) is a statement or position that others might disagree with. It’s not merely a statement of fact.

Like a good piece of writing or a coveted dinner guest, a solid POV invites further conversation and sparks new ideas. And like those thesis statements we learned about in middle school, a good POV is evidence of an underlying argument that’s well-constructed and fully considered. One that persuades, excites, and pushes the conversation forward using supporting evidence, engaging storytelling principles, and illustrative examples.

By contrast, what too often passes for thought leadership actually closes conversation off by  repeating what’s already been said, stating the obvious, or saying something patently false or outrageous. 

There is a middle ground here. Just because someone might disagree with a point of view doesn’t mean their response is inherently controversial or combative. They might just be saying, “Hmm, you’d do it this way? Interesting. Here’s why I think you should do it this way instead…”

Alternatively, sometimes a compelling, subjective point of view shines through thanks to the voice and distinct personality of the writer — even if the opinion expressed isn’t intrinsically novel. For example, most movie critics agreed that Moonlight was an exceptional film (see as evidence its 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes). But just because they all agreed doesn’t render each critic’s review moot. 

Good critics know how to express the same overarching opinion in a new and unique way — by drawing on their individual experiences, layering in interesting historical and industry context, and infusing their prose with a memorable style. These elements set each review apart and open up more space for conversation and debate.

Similarly, a consultant might agree with the majority of her peers that there needs to be more focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations at the board level. But she might have her own unique perspective on the best ways to go about it. Or she might offer salient, industry-specific advice on how ESG should be talked about and prioritized. She may even bring first-hand experience to the table (e.g., a stint serving as a consultant in South Africa during apartheid or advising directors who were early ESG adopters) that lets her speak to the issue in a completely different way from everyone else. 

Nobody needs to hear another clarion call about the need to adopt ESG practices at their organization (or read generic content about any other trending topic). But advisors who draw on their own experiences can make the case for ESG — or for the topic at hand — in a way that nobody else is making it.

Put simply, true authorities develop statements and positions that are made more compelling by virtue of their unique perspective.

[Ready to start honing your firm’s unique POV? Download our 4-Step Guide to learn how.]

It’s Time for Professional Services Firms to Develop True POVs

If you’re a marketer or aspiring thought leader at a professional services firm, you may be thinking that this is all well and good in theory, but that the consensus-driven partnership structure of your organization makes it difficult to put any kind of real stake in the ground.  

You’re not wrong. It’s rare to find a lawyer or consultant who wants to go out on a limb and risk offending their partners, clients, or potential clients.

But here’s the rub: Going out on a limb is often what makes the best points of view. (Just look at any newspaper’s most read op-ed pieces.) More to the point, weighing in on the conversations that matter most is exactly what your audience needs from you right now. 

The 2024 EdelmanTrust Barometer reveals that the public’s trust in government, media, and science continues to deteriorate. Conversely, people trust businesses more than they trust these traditional helms of authority. 

As a result, more and more of your stakeholders expect the leaders they trust to speak out and carve out positions of authority about things like: 

  • The increasingly polarized rhetoric around DEI and ESG
  • Geopolitical concerns and their effect on business decisions
  • Social issues that become heightened during election cycles
  • The promise and peril of emerging technologies like AI
  • Generational shifts in the workforce and their impact on recruitment and retention

In pivotal moments, your firm’s silence can speak louder than words. And your lack of response will be particularly noteworthy if your employees, clients, and community stakeholders look to you as a trusted authority and advisor. Abstaining from active, important, timely conversations might make your audience wonder what you stand for. 

By contrast, when you participate skillfully in the conversations that matter, you can reinforce your authority and strengthen your firm’s relationship with your audience.

Greentarget Can Help You Find the POV You’re Looking For

It can be challenging to uncover the positions of authority that will resonate most with your audience — especially if you’ve never taken time to think about thought leadership in this way before. The good news is there’s no need to figure it out alone. 

Greentarget can help you artfully combine your subject matter expertise with the factual rigor and narrative techniques of traditional journalism to produce POVs that align with your business goals — all while communicating what your audience needs to know. 
So when you’re ready to find your firm’s unique voice, let’s talk.

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It’s been a difficult year for journalism. Over the last 12 months, we’ve watched as some of the biggest newsrooms of the digital age have shut down or teetered on the edge of failure. Layoffs are happening at a dizzying pace at marquee publications including The Washington Post, Time, Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal. More than 500 journalists were laid off in January alone, adding to an already record-breaking streak in 2023.

Yet journalists do not shy away from adversity. They cover global catastrophes, dropping into war zones and braving dangerous environments to bring us the news we need to make informed decisions. So while they’re probably less used to being the story, they know how to face a tough situation with grit, creativity and resilience. And as Greentarget’s own research reveals, the next generation of journalists is positive about the future of the fourth estate.

To learn more about what that future may look like, we recently spoke to Hanaa Tameez, a staff writer for the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University who covers innovation in news media.

Over the last four years, Tameez has followed and reported on new business models, audience engagement strategies, the financial stability of traditional media outlets, and anything that challenges the status quo—including artificial intelligence (AI). Perhaps surprisingly, Tameez is also “generally and genuinely optimistic about the state of the news industry.” Here are three positive takeaways from our conversation.

#1: AI doesn’t spell the death of journalism

In a year when five Pulitzer Prize finalists disclosed using AI in the process of researching, reporting, or telling their submissions, we were keen to get Tameez’s take on how AI may impact journalism in the future.

While she said that “AI can be a threat, especially if it’s in the wrong hands and used for generating mis/disinformation,” Tameez also pointed out that (as some journalists have already discovered), “it also has many capabilities that can advance journalism if used correctly.”

As many commentators and journalists have said, we can’t operate from a position of fear when it comes to AI. Tameez reminded us that, in fact, we’ve been using AI technologies like Google Translate, audio transcription services, Siri, and Alexa for many years—a fact underscored by our own research.

Generative AI platforms are the next iteration of these tools, and they can make our lives and our work easier. However, Tameez cautioned that when it comes to the use of AI, “if you can do it ethically and offer more transparency in journalism, this is always better.”

#2: Niche publications are on the rise

As the news industry continues to fragment and segment, Tameez believes we will see “an increase in publications that cover niche issues” as consumers look to subscribe to outlets that offer in-depth reporting on their interests, such as parenting magazines or sports sites.

Industry and trade publications that target business-to-business (B2B) readers may see a similar boost. Jacob Donnelly, founder of A Media Operator, a publication that focuses on building digital media companies, is “pretty confident about the financial health of the B2B media space right now,” he said on a recent American Society of Business Publication Editors webinar. According to Donnelly, “publishers are starting to realize that smaller, more engaged audiences are where their livelihoods will last.”

Not only are trade publications and niche outlets faring better under the ad revenue model—not entirely surprising, considering their target audiences—they’re also still securing reader subscriptions. The combination helps drive revenue on two fronts.

Semafor’s Max Tani also wrote about the pivot to niche as publications focus on building stronger bonds with their readers:

“You see that everywhere now. The collapse of mass brands like BuzzFeed and Vice, the rise of a generation of much more narrowly focused ones, including this one, and a scramble to rescue beloved outlets like Pitchfork by returning them to a smaller, dedicated audience.”

#3: College journalism is filling local reporting gaps

As local news outlets struggle to stay afloat, an unexpected group is helping to keep local journalism alive: students.

The Christian Science Monitor recently covered how universities are stepping in to fill the gap as local news deserts grow. For example, the college newspaper The Daily Iowan recently purchased two struggling weekly publications. While that move was a first, other universities are stepping up to fill America’s news void in different ways, with initiatives ranging from student-staffed statehouse bureaus to newspapers run by journalism schools.

Tameez told us she has always been “a big proponent of student journalism” because that’s “where journalists learn to work.” She was the editor of her college paper, an experience that taught her how to be a journalist. While her team broke stories that made local news and national stories years later, “they weren’t given the platform in the same way student journalists have a platform now. Because of the challenges in local news, college journalism is filling the gaps.”

That’s not to say that journalism and journalists aren’t struggling—they are.

Despite Tameez’s overall optimism, she said that it’s been challenging to watch “real-life journalism getting lost” in layoffs. And while new news outlets are starting up, the rate at which other media outlets are crumbling is accelerating much faster. “It will take time to build a sustainable organization that can engage people in ways they deserve,” she said.

As news organizations adapt to these new challenges and opportunities, Greentarget will carefully monitor and report on the resulting data and trends. The principles of journalism drive smarter conversations, and true authorities have a responsibility to participate skillfully in the ongoing discussion. Quite simply, we all need the services journalists provide.

From our standpoint, Greentarget will strive to continue being empathetic to reporters in an era of smaller staff and a 24-hour news cycle. We know journalists need authorities with perspectives that serve the rapidly evolving needs of their audiences. We will continue to deliver. 

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The public tends to trust businesses and CEOs more than NGOs, government, and the media. That trust is fragile, though. And in the wake of headlines about everything from social issues to geopolitical conflicts, the way executive leaders navigate the pressure to speak out can either strengthen or undermine their stakeholders’ trust in them.

Entering the fray is not without risk, and it’s all too easy to make a PR misstep. That’s why so many executive leaders struggle to know when to make a statement — and what to say if they do.

In our recent webinar, Greentarget’s Executive Positioning experts — Vice President Abby Aylman Cohen, Director of Content & Editorial Strategy Jennifer Smith, and former Senior Vice President Steve DiMattia — laid out a compelling argument for why leaders can’t afford to be caught unawares by the issues that make headlines. Then, they offered practical advice to help firms protect their reputation and maintain trust with their audience in an age rife with polarization and unrest.

Here are three takeaways from the event.

1. Your Authority Hinges on Proactive Communication Planning

Of the respondents who participated in the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer survey, 62% said they expected CEOs to actively communicate around changes occurring in society as a whole, not just those affecting their businesses. Gen Z employees in particular said they value CEOs who speak out about societal issues.

But considering how fraught and emotional the landscape of public discourse is, it’s easy for executive leaders to fall into one of two camps: Ignore the headlines completely and focus solely on the issues that directly affect the business, or release statements that attempt to please everyone but say nothing meaningful.

Furthermore, it’s common for unprepared leaders to lose control of difficult conversations, especially if they’ve never practiced talking to the media and other stakeholders about challenging topics. When executives are unable to navigate all-eyes-on-them moments, they risk undermining their own authority and harming their organization’s reputation.

For example, the acute need for proactive communications planning was never more apparent than in 2022, when the Supreme Court’s draft Dobbs v. Jackson decision leaked. Between the time the leak made headlines and the final decision was announced, corporate and firm leaders had about five to six weeks to think about how they were going to communicate with their audiences. Yet very few did.

Unlike Dobbs v. Jackson, most events hit the news cycle without warning. But even so, it’s possible for leaders to create a framework that guides if and how they respond. This can underscore their authority and build trust with stakeholders — if they take the time to develop a smart, informed, and flexible communications platform long before there’s a breaking news story.

2. Don’t Scenario Plan for Every Possible Communication Challenge

Over the past several months, Greentarget’s Executive Positioning team has identified some of the top threats we predict will cause communication conundrums for executive leaders. You can do a deep dive into each of these topics by downloading our Executive Positioning Guide or by perusing our blog.

Our guidance has covered topics such as:

  • Polarized rhetoric around DEI and ESG
  • The promise and peril of artificial intelligence
  • Seismic generational shifts in the workforce
  • The 2024 election cycle and social unrest
  • Geopolitical conflicts

This list is by no means exhaustive because the world is always changing. But the good news is there’s no need to create a specific communication plan for every conceivable headline, world event, or threat to your firm’s reputation. 

The crux of our advice around responding to issues like those above is this: Think about how your firm will respond to a crisis. Which stakeholders will you need to consult? How will you develop a response that aligns with your firm’s values?

By doing so, you can turn tense situations into an opportunity to engage your employees and clients and strengthen your firm’s position as a trusted authority. When you do this, you take an important step toward building a flexible framework that will guide when and why you respond to any issue.

3. Now’s the Time to Develop an Executive Communications Platform

The news cycle moves at warp speed, and you can’t afford to be reactive when weighing in on the issues that matter most to your audience. Foresight, forethought, and careful preparation are key.

By taking time now to decide how and when your firm will respond to salient issues, you can ensure your messaging lines up with your firm’s priorities and reinforces your position as an authority worth heeding with the audiences that matter most.

Our Executive Positioning Guide provides in-depth advice on how to get started, but it comes down to taking the following steps:

  • Consider your audience, and the best channel(s) to reach them
  • Invite a diverse cross-section of stakeholders into the process
  • Get clear about your firm’s values (and make sure your messages align with what your firm stands for)
  • Make your firm’s approach to deciding how and when to speak out public — and communicate your “why”
  • Embrace a commitment to authenticity (i.e., walk the walk of whatever you speak out about; don’t just talk the talk)

Engaging Greentarget to lead you through a rigorous planning process can bring significant clarity here. Entering into this process now — before an urgent PR situation occurs — gives you time to thoughtfully consider all the angles and arrive at a position that’s authentic, well-reasoned, and nuanced.

Want to Learn More About Greentarget’s Executive Positioning Practice?

Exemplifying our commitment to being a trusted advisor to clients, Greentarget’s Executive Positioning team provides C-suite executives (managing partners, CEOs, executive committees, and boards) with insights to anticipate, understand, and respond to important global and social developments—as well establish proactive internal and external communications campaigns around other pivotal moments, be they related to company purpose, talent initiatives, succession plans, and more.

We’ve helped clients navigate how to communicate about racial justice, the invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, the repeal of Roe v. Wade, artificial intelligence, and so much more. We’d love to help you, too — so let’s talk.

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Challenge

Last year, Lathrop GPM significantly expanded its Business Transactions Practice Group in a short time, adding six attorneys over two months. The growing practice had quickly broadened its sector-specific capabilities for clients around fund formation, financing, growth, and tax planning; employee benefits and executive compensation; business succession planning; mergers and acquisitions; compliance; and real estate transactions, with additional support outside the practice group focused on estate planning, business ownership disputes, labor and employment, and intellectual property.

At the same time, Lathrop GPM also launched the Closely Held Business Institute, which built upon the firm’s long history with clients in this space. It enabled Lathrop GPM attorneys to better support the varied needs of these organizations by offering closely and family held business owners and executives content and networking opportunities focused on maximizing the growth, health and sustainability of their businesses.
Following these investments in its client services and resources, Lathrop GPM wanted prospective clients to know about its expanded practice group and the new Institute—and asked Greentarget for help spreading the word.

Solution

The Greentarget team worked quickly and strategically to secure media coverage highlighting the firm’s strengthened capabilities and expanded offerings. The team held interviews with the new partners to better understand their practices and the stories they could comment on with reporters to help build their authority.

The team also looked for trending news items or hooks that could entice reporters to feature Lathrop GPM in a story. This creative approach included pitches involving the finale of the hit show Succession, with the firm’s lawyers offering analysis of the legal issues around family businesses raised in the show.

Results

Greentarget secured over 50 media opportunities for the Business Transactions and Closely Held and Family Business groups in 2023.

Stories covering the growing Business Transactions Practice Group were featured in the Kansas City Business Journal, Law360 and The American Lawyer, among other publications. Both nationally and regionally, Greentarget secured valuable media opportunities that featured quotes from the lawyers and elevated the firm’s brand and capabilities before key audiences.

Greentarget also successfully positioned members of the Closely Held and Family Business practice as thought leaders on transaction and succession planning trends, including those impacting private equity investors. The team secured bylines and published coverage in Family Capital, Upsize, The Small Business Radio Show, Workspan Daily, ABA Banking Journal, Inside Philanthropy, Ad Age, Minnesota Lawyer, Medical Economics, and others.

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Over the next fifteen years, the American workforce will undergo a seismic shift. Baby Boomers will fully retire, and Gen Xers won’t be far behind. And that means Gen Z (those born between 1996 and 2010, currently 14 to 28 years old) will soon make up a significant share of your prospective talent pool.

Is your professional services firm ready for this inevitable sea change?

Gen Z has been shaped by vastly different cultural contexts than previous generations. Two events in particular — Covid-19 and the Great Recession — have influenced how members of this emerging generation approach their professional and personal lives. Whereas older generations considered things like flexible hours, work/life balance, and high pay to be hard-won rewards, Gen Z expects them as a given. What’s more, Gen Zers care deeply about working for organizations that meaningfully align with their personal values and ideals.

These realities create risk for firms like yours, especially if your current culture doesn’t match Gen Z expectations. Many Gen Zers are uniquely uninterested in chasing the proverbial brass ring. They want to do good, interesting work — but they also want to enjoy rich, full personal lives. If these priorities appear to conflict, conventional wisdom predicts a crisis for professions that serve the most challenging and sophisticated clients. Managers are fearful that a refusal to bend on cultural change will drive talent away.

Gen Z is an Executive Positioning Challenge

Much of our recent guidance on critical issues – whether it be geopolitical conflict, AI, DEI and ESG backlash, the 2024 election – is rooted in this assertion: if you are clear about what your firm stands for and can demonstrate how its values and expectations are in alignment, you will have an easier (or at least less fraught) time communicating controversial topics or positions that can create misunderstanding and conflict and damage the firm’s reputation. This is also true of the Gen Z challenge, and you can address it with the following steps.

1. Define your audience – You may only want Gen Zers who still aspire to the brass ring – they exist, no generation is a monolith. But focusing on that cohort may turn away the best talent and limit the diversity and alacrity of thought you can access. Either way, the first step is to define the audience you want to attract and retain. Then gather information about what they care about most and react to workplace culture.

2. Create a feedback loop – Effective communication requires a feedback loop. This can include formal and informal channels through which you gather input from your audience, identify expectations, and measure whether your messages are landing as intended. Regular contact with affinity groups, associate committees, or trusted intermediaries can inform your approach.

3. Declare what you stand for – We’ve written elsewhere about the University of Chicago’s Kalven Report. Create a process that is open to a diversity of stakeholders and engage them in a conversation about the values and principles that drive behavior at your firm. Clarify how you will make decisions that impact all the generations in your workforce and publish your guidelines for all to see. Going forward, your decisions may not make everyone happy, but they shouldn’t be surprised.

4. Reiterate and reinforce –If you can identify and occupy the space in which the firm’s priorities and expectations overlap with your audience’s values and aspirations, then you can alter your culture to encourage greater engagement. With every alteration you make to workplace culture, reiterate, and reinforce the values that drove the decision.

Meaningful Work and a “You Belong Here” Culture

What sort of alterations are appropriate? Corporate Counsel underscores the need to move beyond “no-meeting Mondays and free-pizza Fridays.” Such perks simply don’t go far enough to create the kind of culture that appeals to Gen Z. While aspects of your firm’s culture may be difficult, if not impossible, to change, there is room to maneuver within the “softer” elements of your culture that you can control.

McKinsey’s research findings show that Gen Z is passionate about:

· Advocating for social, racial, and environmental justice issues

· Finding purpose in their life and work

· Experiencing a sense of belonging within the context of a supportive community

· Expressing themselves individualistically

Considering this, you may need to formalize regular communication regarding:

· Your firm’s mission and values. What do you stand for and what is the impact your firm is making on your community, the nation, and the world, and well as on your clients and profession?

· Your firm’s commitment to DEI. What steps have you and are you taking to make your firm an authentically diverse, equitable, and inclusive place?

· Opportunities for meaningful work. What stories can you share about the ways colleagues are able to immerse themselves in work that has influence in their field, or to society as a whole?

· The global and social issues you support. Are there unique positions of authority your firm can hone to participate skillfully in the conversations that matter most to Gen Z?

Don’t Underestimate Gen Z’s Impact on Your Professional Services Firm

There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for making your professional services firm an employer of choice for Gen Z. And you certainly won’t be able to flip a switch and get where you need to be overnight.

But even today, you can start doing the work of understanding what motivates and drives Gen Z. And you can begin communicating in ways that will pay dividends in the future.

Though urgent issues undoubtedly occupy your attention on a day-to-day basis, getting ahead of the coming generational shift is vitally important. By making this a priority now, you can future-proof your firm and set yourself up for continued success.

Need some help directing a smarter conversation with Gen Z? Let’s talk.

About the Executive Positioning Practice

Exemplifying Greentarget’s commitment to being a trusted advisor to clients, our Executive Positioning team provides C-suite executives (managing partners, CEOs, executive committees, and boards) with insights to anticipate, understand and respond to important global and social developments, analyzing key issues that can impact reputation and compel leaders to communicate.

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