Guy joined Gloucester City Homes as Chief Executive in March 2022 from Stonewater where he’d held a number of roles, most recently Director of Housing Operations.
Guy’s career has spanned leadership roles in both the statutory and not-for-profit sector, often in roles working across the traditional boundaries of housing, health and social care and is passionate about the role housing associations can play working alongside citizens, partner agencies, as well the wider community, to improve quality of life, aspiration and opportunity for all, ensuring that everybody, regardless of their circumstances has a place where they feel safe and can be proud to call home.
Guy, who lives in Newport South Wales with his husband, two grown up sons and their golden Labrador. Until recently guy was also a board member at both Orbit Housing association a Newport City Homes, having served as Chair of Audit & Risk Committee at Newport City Homes for 6 years, stepping down in March as NCH and Melin merged to become Hedyn.
Podcast overview
In this episode of the CommsHero Podcast, we’re joined by Guy Stenson, Chief Executive of Gloucester City Homes, to explore what it means to be a visible, authentic leader in today’s world.
A self-confessed ‘frustrated comms professional’, Guy shares how his early passion for storytelling, from editing his school newspaper to launching a social care radio show, has shaped his leadership style across housing, health and social care.
We dive into why visibility isn’t about being in the office all day, how bringing personality into your comms can humanise your brand, and why corporate and personal comms don’t have to compete.
If you’re in comms, leadership, or simply passionate about better engagement, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
Podcast questions
- You’ve described yourself as a ‘frustrated comms professional’ what do you mean by that, and how has it shaped your approach to leadership and communication?
- Visibility is often seen as being physically present, but you’ve embraced a more modern take. Who do you believe leaders need to be visible to, and how do you go about doing that day to day?
- You regularly bring your personality into your posts why is this important for you, and how has it helped build trust or connection with your audiences?
- There can sometimes be tension between leadership communication and corporate comms plans. How do you strike the balance between supporting the comms team and speaking in the moment?
- Authenticity and availability can be powerful but they can also feel risky. How do you decide how much of ‘yourself’ to show as a CEO, especially on public platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter?
- What advice would you give to other leaders who want to be more visible and human in their comms but aren’t sure how to start?
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple