Leadership communications in 2026: why its a strategic function not a support role

As national policy priorities shift on growth, energy, housing delivery and public sector reform, the organisations expected to support government to deliver these ambitions face a constant challenge: maintaining strategic clarity amid political volatility. For any organisation to be successful in this environment, communication is not a support function. It is a core leadership capability that determines whether your strategy is understood, trusted and deliverable.

This is acutely challenging in a time of deep public distrust. The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer shows the UK Trust Index at 43, up slightly from 2024 but still within the international “distrust zone”. A majority of people believe that government and business primarily serve the interests of the wealthy, with six in ten saying they feel a moderate to high sense of grievance towards institutions. For tenants, residents, partners, colleagues and even stakeholders, disillusionment and distrust will shape how they interpret every decision, statement and action by an organisation.

This reputational risk is made more acute by generative AI, which is changing how people find and filter information. Your key audiences may never visit your website or read your full report. They may learn about your organisation through AI tools that summarise and rank content for them. This means if you want to be part of their information journey, messaging clarity and a communications strategy is not a ‘nice to have’ but how you proactively manage risk.

What is leadership communications?

Leadership communications translates strategy into culture, communication and experience. It is about what you say, where you say it, and how your behaviour reinforces those messages so people inside and outside your organisation can both understand and trust you. When it works well, leadership communications aligns internal and external narratives with leadership behaviour and organisational strategy. Communication is reinforced through consistent action that embeds credibility and transparency into everyday practice. It becomes a strategic function that strengthens governance, legitimacy and organisational confidence.

My view is shaped by experience working in local government, social housing, energy, financial services and health. In these highly regulated and scrutinised sectors, I have seen the same pattern. When communications is fragmented or overly technical, engagement is limited, scrutiny quickly becomes adversarial and delivery stalls. When leadership is visible and strategy is activated through clear, consistent and authentic communications, people can understand and are more likely to support difficult decisions. Relationships shift and trust rebuilds, even in organisations dealing with serious complaints, complex repairs issues or regulatory challenge.

Why it matters now

• Audiences expect clarity and honesty
  The latest Nieman Lab’s predictions for journalism highlight growing the demand from audiences for clarity, context and authentic connection. People judge leaders less on polish, more on honesty about what is known, what is uncertain and what it means for them. Effective communication connects strategy with lived experience, not just policy documents or corporate plans.

• Transparency is now a requirement
  National government and regulators increasingly expect organisations to deliver transparent, consistent engagement with their customers and local communities. In social housing, the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard requires landlords to meet clear expectations on openness, tenant influence and performance reporting. Whether a social housing provider or local government organisation, how you communicate is critical to demonstrating compliance, providing assurance to tenants, residents and communities and, above all, inspiring colleagues towards the behaviour needed to meet standards.

• AI is reshaping both discovery and interpretation
  If the content you publish online is poorly structured, jargon-heavy or ambiguous, AI tools are more likely to misinterpret or ignore it. Communication design and digital production are now critical parts of reputational risk management. It demands organisations consider not just the direct audience they want to reach but the systems people rely on to find (and share) information.

• Crisis management demands new principles
  We live in an increasingly volatile world with the 2025 National Risk Register identifying 89 potential threats that could significantly affect the UK's safety, security and critical systems. When crisis happens, people look for context, honesty and action. If leaders are slow, inconsistent or defensive, trust erodes precisely when you most need cooperation. Leadership in a crisis demands effective communications where leaders are visible, talk honestly and accurately with colleagues, partners and communities. Preparedness means clear roles, rehearsed narrative themes and stakeholder engagement plans that have been tested under pressure.

How I work with leaders

An example from social housing

In 2025, I worked with Clarion Housing Group, the UK’s largest housing association, to provide strategic communications support across Change, Corporate Affairs, Internal Communications and with development of the People Strategy 2026–30. With regulatory expectations rising and a major transformation programme underway, Clarion wanted to strengthen how it engaged colleagues with strategic priorities and embed more integrated ways of working across teams.

Working with senior leaders and communications teams, I developed a clear narrative for the organisation’s transformation programme, introducing a newsroom-style approach to internal engagement and strengthening planning and evaluation within Corporate Affairs. I also supported Internal Communications to make better use of AI tools and led the development of the new People Strategy, from research through to executive sign-off.

The result was a step change in how Clarion communicated change at scale, with higher levels of colleague reach and engagement, stronger support for transformation and communications positioned more clearly as a driver of delivery, not just a support function.

An example from energy
I supported Island Green Power, the UK’s fastest-scaling utility-scale solar developer at a point of growing public scrutiny and planning risk. Over six months, I led a team that delivered a strategic communications reset including brand refresh; recruitment of an internal team; and establishing a communications framework that streamlined agency operations across IGP’s portfolio of 13 projects.

The reset led to a transformation in reputation including by positioning the organisation as a ‘force for good’ delivering benefit to communities. This was alongside improving the effectiveness of communications across the project portfolio and achieving cost savings of 30-40% in six months.   

The case for leadership communications

In practice, leadership communications translates what leaders intend into what people understand and can put into action. It embeds communication into how decisions are made, explained and delivered, making strategy actionable rather than theoretical.

I’ve seen that where leadership communications is treated as a strategic discipline, the benefits extend far beyond reputational metrics. Organisations see greater public understanding of complex and contested decisions, stronger internal support for change and transformation programmes, and better performance under scrutiny or in crises. Communications moves beyond awareness to driving behaviour and experience that support strategic outcomes.

If your organisation is navigating regulatory scrutiny, reform or complexity, and you want communications that accelerates progress, I can help. To find out more, visit strategyimpact.co.