Stagwell Inc.

08/14/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/14/2025 15:43

WHAT THE DATA SAY: 77% don’t see any public leaders they admire or would want to emulate

U.S. LEADERSHIP CRISIS

A major lack of trust and value alignment exists between Americans and public leaders, according to our Harris Poll research with U.S. News.

  • 77% say they don't see any public leaders they admire or would want to emulate.
  • Disappointment in leaders varies by sector: 73% for health care, 72% for business and 68% for education.
  • 85% say government officials and other community leaders care more about their own power and influence than what's best for the people they represent.
  • More than half (56%) associate political figures with leadership, but only 31% consider them trustworthy.
  • 82% say the values held by business leaders don't align with those of everyday Americans.
  • 80% say the current public service leaders aren't prepared to adequately respond to the new crises of today.

GEN Z WANTS TO BE RICH QUICKLY

High cost of living and student loan debts mean Gen Z wants to gain financial independence as early as age 32 and will be creative to reach their financial goals, according to our Harris Poll research with dub.

AI FOR FINANCIAL ADVICE?

While Americans trust humans more than AI for financial advice, many are in favor of the two working together, according to our Harris Poll research with Northwestern-Mutual.

  • Americans trust humans more than AI for all financial scenarios, including creating a retirement plan (56%), asking a financial question (55%) and managing an investment portfolio (53%).
  • 47% would prefer to work with a financial advisor who understands and uses AI (54% for Gen Z and Millennials).

DISRUPTOR MEDIA SHOWCASE: Join Stagwell, SKDK and Targeted Victory on Sept. 16 in D.C. for the inaugural Disruptor Media Showcase - a session for advertisers and industry leaders offering an early look at how publishers are engaging audiences in today's fast-evolving media landscape. RSVP and see participating publishers here.

ICYMI: In case you missed it, check out the thought-leadership and happenings around Stagwell making news:

Stagwell Inc. published this content on August 14, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 14, 2025 at 21:43 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]