Leadership is not just about making the call. It is about earning the confidence to make it.
At FleishmanHillard we call this License to Lead: the stakeholder permission organisations earn to make difficult decisions, navigate uncertainty and adapt as circumstances change.
In our 2026 UK License to Lead report, The New Rules of Leadership, we uncover that this permission has practical value: 89% of UK engaged consumers surveyed said a strong, positive reputation gives organisations more permission to undertake a major business transformation.
But permission is not created by communications alone. It is earned when behaviour and communication reinforce one another — when organisations explain decisions, communicate consistently, listen to stakeholders and show how that insight shapes action.
Our report explores the evidence behind the new rules: rising expectations, the value of being believed, the gap between expected and experienced leadership, and what communicators can do about it.
Read the report to explore what organisations need to earn and retain their License to Lead.
