The Power of Pushback: Why ‘No’ is a PR Superpower

Published on April 28, 2025 by Kurt Heinrich

Kurt Heinrich

Kurt Heinrich is the founder of Broadsight. He is a longtime media relations and issues management professional and an advocate for data-driven communications leadership.

• LinkedIn

There’s a lie many communications professionals quietly believe: Your job is to execute.

Write the press release. Schedule the interviews. Clean up the mess. Smile, nod, and say yes.

But your real value? It starts when you say “no.”

Not out of ego. Out of care. Because the most impactful PR professionals aren’t just storytellers. They’re story stoppers—the ones who catch a reputational risk before it goes public, and who have the judgment to hold a line when the narrative is headed off a cliff.

From Executor to Trusted Advisor

Execution is expected. Counsel is what sets you apart.

When the CEO wants to respond to criticism with a defensive LinkedIn post or a VP suggests a tone-deaf campaign or statement, your job isn’t to polish it—it’s to pause it and engage with them for further consideration.

Strategic communicators shape what gets said, when it gets said, and if it should be said at all. That means asking:

• What’s the reputational risk?
• Who could we alienate?
• Are we solving a real problem, or reacting emotionally?

These are questions that an AI tool will not raise. As AI automates much of the tactical work in communications, your ability to raise these questions at the right time and consider them strategically will make you valuable.

The best PR teams protect the brand from the inside out. And sometimes, protection starts with pushback.

Why Saying ‘No’ Builds Long-Term Trust

Anyone can hit send. Not everyone can see the iceberg ahead.

In a world of pressure-packed timelines and executive egos, saying “no” requires courage. But it’s also what separates tactical comms support from true strategic counsel.

Real examples:

• A CEO wants to “clarify” an issue that would be better left alone. You step in and suggest a quieter, internal engagement.
• A campaign idea overlooks a stakeholder group. You reframe it to avoid backlash before it starts.
• People are complaining online about your company or organization but you know feeding the trolls will only make them hungrier

These moments often go unnoticed—because the crisis never happens. But that’s the paradox: your best work might look invisible. And it still matters.

How to Push Back Without Burning Bridges

Pushback only works if people listen. Here’s how to make it land:

1. Lead with Empathy: Start by acknowledging the executive’s perspective. “I understand you want to respond quickly” is more effective than “This is a bad idea.”
2. Ground Your Feedback in Outcomes: Executives respond to risk, not reprimands. “There’s a chance this could escalate” lands better than “I don’t like it.”
3. Bring the Receipts: Cite real-world examples. Reference social sentiment data. Show past cases where similar moves backfired. Logic reinforces instinct.
4. Offer Alternatives: Don’t just say no. In fact if you can say no, without actually using that word, all the better. Instead, offer a better path. “What if we addressed this through a staff Q&A instead?” turns a stop sign into a pivot.
5. Speak Early: Last-minute pushback feels like obstruction. Early guidance feels like partnership.

Pushback is a skill. Like any skill, it gets stronger with practice and credibility.

Building the Confidence to Say ‘No’

To push back effectively, you need more than instinct. You need influence.

• Know Your Stuff: Stay sharp on industry trends and stakeholder sentiment. Credibility builds authority.
• Build Trust Proactively: Don’t wait for an issue to introduce yourself. Invest in daily conversations and small wins—especially in areas that are key priorities for your executive members or leadership
• Frame It as Protection: You’re not the opposition. You’re the safety system. “Let’s make sure we strengthen trust” resonates more than “We can’t do that.”
• Pause With Purpose: After you say your piece, don’t fill the silence. Hold your ground. Let the weight of your insight land.

Being heard isn’t about volume. It’s about timing, delivery and consistency.

Choosing the Right Battles

You can’t push back on everything. If you do, your voice will get tuned out.

• Assess the Stakes and the Risk: Will this decision cause lasting harm? Or is it a minor misstep?
• Read the Room: If leadership is locked in, escalate only if the risk justifies it and consider how to mitigate impact.
• Protect Your Credibility: Don’t die on every hill. Let small stuff slide to build leverage for the moments that matter. Being seen as a blocker or a complainer is a quick way to get uninvited to key meetings. Always consider what’s practical and what’s pragmatic

Sometimes, supporting an idea you don’t love buys goodwill for future pushback. It’s not selling out—it’s playing the long game.

And if your voice consistently doesn’t matter? It may be time to ask whether you’re in the right room.

The Bottom Line

The best communicators don’t just amplify. They intervene.

Your value doesn’t come from nodding along. It comes from knowing when to pause, when to redirect, and when to say, “This isn’t the right move.”

At Broadsight, we believe pushback is part of the process. Our platform helps teams track every media interaction, coordinate internal messaging and build the credibility that earns them a voice at the table. Because great communications leadership isn’t about how fast you speak. It’s about who listens when you do.

Know when to speak. Know when to stop. And let Broadsight help you back it up. See how it works at broadsight.ca.