Things they don't tell you (but should) as a new comms leader

Before we dive in: if you’re a senior comms pro who wants to stop second-guessing yourself in tough moments, I have two things for you! Grab my free Comms Confidence Scripts and then check out my group coaching programme, The Confident Communications Leader which starts on Sept 23 for 10 weeks. It's the perfect support during your busy period and you'll emerge much more confident, credible and fully aligned for more growth in 2026.

Ok, to business. If you're a new comms leader (or maybe you've been one for a while) and you're feeling...isolated, intimidated, you're second guessing yourself, then take heart, because you're not alone.

I went through a particularly challenging journey as a new director of comms - at one point I even considered throwing in the towel - and do you know what I wish I'd had at that lonely time in my comms career?

Someone who was able to take me to one side, support me, challenge me and crucially, tell me all of the things that I REALLY needed to know in order to thrive in this new world of leadership. I didn't find this person until much later (a wonderful leadership coach who also inspired me to retrain as a coach) and so I STRUGGLED on in silence for far longer than I needed to.

I don't want that for you. I'm here to support all comms professionals stepping into leadership and it starts with this.

Things I wish I'd been told as a new comms leader

Here are the five truths I wish I’d known as a new comms leader:

1. You may have a seat around the table, but you have to EARN it. Nobody is going to slide over and make room for you as a comms leader. Let's face it, there's a lot of scepticism about what we do and whether Comms is a strategic function. So even if you have an allotted place on the SLT or even at Board level, you have to show people your worth.

Otherwise, you're just keeping a chair warm and not much else.

This means showing up with a clear and informed point of view that aligns with organisational priorities. Showing other leaders that Comms can be measured in meaningful ways. Dropping the Comms jargon and speaking the language of the business.

Don't listen to people who want to moan about the lack of respect shown towards comms leaders. Earn it for yourself and pave the way for others.

2. Don’t confuse being "busy" with being "valuable". Churning out campaigns, saying YES to all the "can you just" requests for your time, firefighting.. All these things will make you HELPFUL, but not VALUABLE.

And don't get it twisted - value is where you need to be.

Remember, leaders are judged on results, not how many hours they work or how many things they say YES to.

3. Perfect messaging won’t save you. Your ability to land tough points in a room full of sceptical senior leaders matters more than any beautifully crafted comms plan. If you can’t cut through in a five-minute board slot, your impact is capped.

When you join the Confident Communications Leader group programme, we spend a lot of time on the art of communication. Yes - in a programme for comms leaders, I teach you communication techniques.

Why?

Because too many comms leaders are like the cobbler's children, running around with no shoes on. We don't practice what we preach and we lose the boardroom by not learning how to communicate effectively with executives. (If you're cringing inwardly and you know you need help with this, the group programme is for you. You'll learn techniques to help you stand shoulder to shoulder with your leadership peers, confidently and effectively.)

4. Stakeholders don’t want to be “managed.” They want to be understood. Too many new comms leaders waste energy trying to corral execs into tidy processes, neat approval flows, or consistent messaging, and then feel crushed when those same execs go off-piste, ignore advice, or rewrite comms at the last minute.

Here’s the hard truth: you can’t control senior leaders. But you can decode what really drives them. What are they afraid of? What keeps them up at night? What business outcomes are they under pressure to deliver?

Once you learn to read those signals and frame your advice in terms that meet their priorities, the dynamic changes completely. You stop being seen as the annoying “comms person” chasing deadlines, and start being valued as a strategic peer who helps them achieve their goals.

Trust me, I learned this the hard way. The minute I stopped obsessing over “managing” my execs and started understanding them, the game changed.

5. Confidence is a skill, not a personality trait. I used to think some leaders just “had it.” Wrong. What looks like natural confidence is usually the product of practice, preparation, and a lot of self-awareness.

Confidence comes from knowing yourself - your values, your triggers, your blind spots - and being intentional about how you show up. It’s built by rehearsing your points until they feel instinctive, reflecting honestly on what worked and what didn’t, and preparing for the tough questions before you walk into the room.

And when your mind inevitably goes blank in a high-pressure moment? That’s when scripts, frameworks, and go-to phrases are a lifesaver. They give you a solid foundation to fall back on so you can stay calm, composed, and credible, even when you’re under fire.

(Which is exactly why I created the Comms Confidence Scripts — grab them here.)

Being a comms leader is one of the toughest gigs in corporate life — you’re expected to influence at the highest level, often without the power to decide.

I’ve been there. And now I coach comms leaders every week who are navigating those same realities.

👉 If you’re ready to show up with confidence, authority, and impact, check out The Confident Communications Leader programme. I'm enrolling now for new and emerging comms leaders who KNOW they are good at comms, but want to feel more confident and more credible as a LEADER.

See you in there?

Because your seat is already waiting. You just need to take it.