What charity leaders want from their comms team: Lessons from a seasoned CE

Shaun Greaves, CE of Presbyterian Support Northern (PSN)

Shaun Greaves has a request for his communications advisors: give him up front and honest advice.

"If I could have been sharper in an interview, I want to know that," says the Chief Executive of Presbyterian Support Northern (PSN). "But I also want that feedback delivered in a way that's thoughtful and intentional."

It's the kind of honest insight you don't often hear from the C-suite - and it gets to the heart of what makes the leader-comms relationship work in high-pressure charity environments.

With leadership roles spanning Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand, Scouts Aotearoa, Hato Hone St John and New Zealand Red Cross - and now heading one of New Zealand's largest social services providers supporting 150,000+ people annually - Shaun has worked alongside comms teams through crises, campaigns and everything in between.

I asked him what he genuinely values in the leader-comms relationship, what advice actually lands and what comms support makes the difference when it matters most.

1. Trust matters - but it goes both ways

"It absolutely needs to be a high-trust relationship," Shaun says. "I need to feel totally comfortable being vulnerable with whoever is advising me on communications issues."

That vulnerability is critical. It's what allows a CE to say "I'm not sure how to respond to this" or "that interview felt rough" without worrying about losing credibility.

But Shaun is aware that the hierarchy of workplaces can work against this.

"Some people think, 'the CE is the boss, I can't say that.' But I really want people to give me that feedback. Yes, I’m the CE, but I'm also human. Like anyone, I can be sensitive at times, but I absolutely want to keep learning and growing."

The goal isn't unconditional praise. It's honest advice within a relationship where both people are trying to get it right together.

"There is a need to have high trust with my comms team, and I want them to help me grow as a media spokesperson. It's about working together to help me do my job better in representing the organisation."

The lesson: Your leader probably wants your honest take more than you think. The question is whether the relationship has enough trust for you to give it - and for them to hear it without getting defensive.

2. In a crisis, ditch the options and make the call

When things are moving fast, Shaun doesn't want a list of possibilities.

"Every leader is different, but I prefer a reasonably straight call. It might be, 'here are a couple of options, but I recommend this one.' Especially in crisis comms, when you're juggling 25 things, I need people to be more directive."

This isn't about blindly agreeing to whatever comms suggests. Shaun estimates he follows the advice about nine times out of ten - but occasionally has context that shifts the decision.

The point is: he expects comms professionals to bring judgement, not just information.

"Comms protects the organisation's reputation, manages risk and supports leadership credibility. It's in both our interests to get it right."

The lesson: Your leader hired you for your expertise. When the pressure's on, they need you to use it - not present a decision tree and step back.

3. Precision is important, but so is being understood

"There's a reason for precise language, and I respect that," Shaun says. "But sometimes it makes messages less accessible. Our job is to help people understand what we're saying."

It's a tension every comms person in the sector knows: the policy team wants specific terminology, the legal team needs careful wording, the advocacy lead has fought hard for particular framing.

And then you read it back and think: would an actual human say this?

For Shaun, strong communications sit in the balance.

"What's the middle ground between being precise and being understood? That's where good comms sit."

He sees this as core strategic work - not dumbing down complex ideas, but translating them into language that actually lands with real people.

The lesson: If your key messages wouldn't sound natural in conversation, they probably won't work in the media either. Fight for clarity, even when stakeholders push for jargon.

4. Give strong lines - but trust your leader to make them their own

Shaun wants solid key messages provided by comms before a media interview, but doesn't want to sound like he memorised them.

"I want good lines of response. I might not use them exactly, but I use them to guide my message."

Earlier in his career, he tried to get the wording perfect but got feedback that he sounded stilted on camera.

"What I kept getting told was: when you're talking as a person, you're warm and authentic. But when you go into media mode, you sound stilted.”

Now he treats comms prep as a framework, not a script.

"I get familiar with the content, then I try to speak as myself. I avoid jargon where possible and speak as a human, showing that I really care about what I’m talking about. You get the more authentic version of me."

For comms professionals, that means trusting your leader to deliver the message in their own voice.

"Give me the structure and key messages, but encourage me to be human."

The lesson: Your job isn't to turn your CE into a media robot. It's to give them the confidence and content to be themselves under pressure.

5. In the charity sector, you need to be an adaptable all-rounder

Shaun is realistic about what small teams can actually do. At PSN - with around 850 staff and a tiny comms function - people have to cover everything.

"In our sector, we have limited resources, so you tend to need comms professionals who are all-rounders. You need to be able to turn your hand to social media, understand what media are looking for, have a grasp on internal communications and in general work across lots of channels."

That also means adapting as technology changes. Shaun sees AI as expansion, not replacement.

"I actually see AI as opening opportunities for comms professionals to expand their skill sets. The strategic thinking - the why of communications - AI is not going to replace that."

Tools can help with speed and drafting. They can't do judgement, tone or strategy.

"That's where the strategic comms thinking really matters."

The lesson: Versatility isn't just a nice-to-have in NGO comms - it's the job. But the strategic thinking that sits underneath all those tactical skills makes you indispensable.

Why this matters

Shaun wants comms professionals in the sector to know: "What you do really matters. Your work can directly influence policy, organisational direction, leadership credibility - all of it."

He also thinks the charity sector is one of the best places to build serious comms capability.

"You often have more influence, more freedom to be creative and more opportunity to develop broad skills than in corporate or government roles. 

“If people are thinking about working in this sector, I'd really encourage it. You can develop incredible comms skills here, and you can make a real difference at the same time."