International Men's Day: An open letter to the men in PR and Corp Communications

An open letter to the men in #PublicRelations and #CorporateCommunications and the men thinking about joining us:

When I first moved into communications, I was often one of the only men in the room.
Sometimes it felt odd. Other times, it felt like a refreshing shift in perspective.

But over time, I realised something important:
This profession isn’t “missing” men.
It’s full of strengths we don’t always associate with ourselves – listening, emotional intelligence, storytelling, and the courage to be visible with vulnerability.

And for me, many of those lessons came from the women I’ve worked with.
So before anything else – thank you for shaping my journey in more ways than you know.

But here’s the flip side:
As a man in comms, you’re often expected to perform a certain way.
To always take the mic.
To “add something”.
To “take the lead”.
To speak in every meeting.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked, “Why didn’t you speak?”
As if silence means disengagement.
As if thinking quietly is unusual.
As if being a man means I should automatically dominate space.

But the truth is: some of the best communication happens when you hold the room less and listen more.

To the men already in this field:
Be yourself. You don’t need to overcompensate.
You don’t need to be loud to be valuable.
Mentor someone who doesn’t look like you.
Call out assumptions about “what men should be”.
Model openness. Normalize asking for help.
Lead with empathy – I think that’s the leadership skill we undervalue the most.
Your presence can be thoughtful, intentional, reflective – and still powerful.

To the men considering comms:
This profession needs more of you.
Not to “balance” anything, but to bring fresh perspectives, different lived experiences, and your own shape of empathy.

And to leaders:
Create space where no one feels pressured to perform a stereotype.
Let contribution be measured by impact, not airtime.
Comms is richer when voices sound different
When leadership styles aren’t carbon copies
When everyone, men included, can show up without armor.

Happy International Men’s Day.