When I posted Greg Smith’s, “Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs” from yesterday’s New York Times on my LinkedIn and asked if he was a disgruntled employee or hero, a very quick response came back from a colleague: “A Profile in Courage.” While I am not sure yet what to think, it is one of the most engaging PR stories to unfold this year.
What is also interesting about Mr. Smith’s letter of resignation is that he chose to bring this to the “The Gray Lady” of journalistic circles, what some might call one of the oldest, most traditional forms around of media, a newspaper. It was not initially posted on Facebook, or a blog, or tweeted, because, one would suppose, Mr. Smith thought it wouldn’t be noticed as quickly. No question, he was determined to make his point with all the noise he could muster. Interesting choice. (more…)