Editor's Note

In today’s challenging environment, effective leadership has never been more important. Not just in the printing industry, but in all human endeavors, but, yes, print business/industry leadership has become crucially important. Unlike the industry of yesteryear, when a print business could simply “stick to its knitting,” as Dr. Joe Webb used to say, today’s (and tomorrow’s) leaders must be able to navigate a constantly changing, dynamic market for print. And it’s not just technology changes, but cultural and generational shifts as well.

Therefore, this issue looks at leadership—and leadership-adjacent topics—from a variety of perspectives. First up, industry consultant Debbie Nicholson explains how—and why—you should closely examine how your employees and your clients perceive your business. The answers might surprise you—but can help forge a better business.

One of the big challenges these days is finding employees—it’s a top challenge for today’s business leaders, especially as those employees are—ideally—going to be tomorrow’s leaders. So print business leadership expert Wayne Lynn offers some tips and suggestions for finding not just employees, but the right employees, and how to retain them. 

Elizabeth Gooding discusses change management, a persistent issue for companies operating in the printing sector, as the need to adopt new technologies and processes to address market pressures requires the support of employees and often customers.

Pat McGrew and Ryan McAbee say that “leaders are lifelong learners”—indeed, the print industry’s future belongs to companies that learn faster than the market changes. They explore what you need to know to build a culture of continuous learning across the shop floor, from quick training habits to hands-on experimentation.

When searching for and hiring employees, how do industry leaders navigate generational changes? Cary Sherburne discusses “Leadership in the Age of Gen Z,” and stresses that it’s not necessarily about catering to the needs of a single generation, but by understanding the unique drivers of Gen Z, your company can create an environment where all generations can thrive, collaborate, and contribute to collective success.

Richard Romano explores an initiative in the sign industry that has been a boon for companies looking to hire new employees—Sign Manufacturing Day. It’s an annual event that can be easily adopted by commercial printers in general.

Who are the industry leaders of tomorrow? To perhaps point the way, WhatTheyThink has launched a new regular feature: the Student of the Month. In partnership with the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF), we profile a promising student in a graphic communications or related program. The goal is to raise awareness of graphic communications programs, as well as help students get a “leg up” on entering the industry after graduation. This month, we profile Anna Frias, a third-year student in Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication program.

We invited a recent graphic communications program graduate to write about her journey through academia and into the industry. Meet Kendra Roberson, who graduated Cal Poly earlier this year and landed a job as Account Specialist at L+L Printers in Carlsbad, Calif.

There has to be at least one article on AI in every issue (it’s a legal requirement, it seems) but print business leaders ignore AI at their peril. And while it is decidedly a force that is going to transform businesses throughout the economy—not just print—it has its dangers. Heidi Tolliver-Walker looks at some of the current risks of AI—from hallucinated data to security breaches—and explains how it demands careful implementation.

Mary Schilling continues her “Cool Tools” series with a round up of tools and technologies that pressroom leaders need to have in their arsenals.

Erik Norman explores a business’s “guiding principles,” the bridge between what we believe and how we behave. They translate vision into daily choices—on the press floor, in client meetings, and in those moments when cost, timing, and quality all compete for first place.

And, finally, Nick Gawreluk shares the final episode of his three-part saga in launching Print Profit.

We also include infographics from Keypoint Intelligence, and the latest installment in our picaresque journey Around the Web.

As we close out 2025, we hope you find the ideas in this issue of the WhatTheyThink Quarterly helpful in your own leadership challenges guiding your business into the New Year.

Enjoy Issue 4 of the WhatTheyThink Quarterly Journal!