9th Public Sector Executive Level Leadership Summit

Building a data-driven culture - understand the role data plays in the work of the public sector

- Explore what is an organisational data strategy and the responsibilities and expectations of EL1 and EL2 staff

- Identify the critical issues that impact on the availability, integrity and use of public sector data

- Identify data quality frameworks, ethical and privacy principles

How to use data for decision making

- Understand core concepts related to data for decision making such as categories of data, standards, sources, collection, management, and applications.

- Learn how to ask the right questions to inform decision-making and improve outcomes

-Maximise your ROI on data by avoiding costly and unnecessary analytics and team expenditures

How to leverage data to improve operations and develop new products and services

- Understand key data concepts in the context of a leader making decisions, policy-making and understanding the data analysis process

- Identify opportunities to leverage data for your team and your organisation

- Identify the most valuable data types and data sets and how they can be leveraged

Data storytelling - Communicating clearly and persuasively

- Communicate effectively with senior management to apply data-driven strategies within a department

- Learn to create insightful data visualisations and build a persuasive presentation

- Learn how to stage and present effective data-driven stories using design and journalistic techniques

Join Liquid Learning for this kick-off session as we prepare for two days of incredible speakers, senior leaders, expert deep dives, and unmissable panel discussions.

Purposeful leadership goes beyond mere task-oriented management; it taps into the deeper meaning behind our actions, infusing them with intention, authenticity, and a profound understanding of the impact we can create as leaders. Throughout this session, you will hear from Ajitha as she shares her personal experiences, and explores strategies to align personal and organisational purpose, and discuss how purpose-driven leaders can cultivate engaged teams, and thrive positive transformation in their spheres of influence.

- Leading with vision and purpose

- Uncover the power of intention

- Strengthen the relationship with your team

This session will explore the intricacies of team restructuring and its impact on organisational performance. We will delve into the reasons behind restructuring, discuss effective strategies for managing change, and uncover the power of assertive leadership in guiding teams through this process. Join Tom as he explores this rich topic and discovers how to leverage it as a catalyst for growth, productivity, and success.

- Discover the power of realigning roles and responsibilities

- The importance of strong team culture

- Explore effective communication strategies

Mix and mingle with your fellow leaders over a cup of coffee and light refreshments.

Through this session, we will explore how strategic resourcing involves identifying and allocating the necessary resources, like talent, technology, and supporting innovative initiatives. Join Tanya as she examines the crucial role of effective management in fostering a culture of innovation, nurturing creativity, and agility as a leader. Learn from her best practices on how to harness the power of strategic innovation to drive your leadership efforts and achieve extraordinary outcomes in today's dynamic environment.

- The importance of developing agile ways of working

- Uncover the power of establishing collaborative networks

- Learn to balance short-term goals with long-term innovation outcomes

Leaders must embrace flexibility, open-mindedness, and a willingness to evolve. Adaptable leaders demonstrate a keen ability to navigate uncertainty, embrace diversity of thought, and foster a culture of continuous learning. Hear from Jane as she shares her best strategies to quickly respond to shifting circumstances, empowering individuals and ultimately driving the team's success and achieving optimal outcomes

- Embrace transformation

- Build an influencing culture

- Discover the power of transformational leadership

Enjoy a midday lunch break. A time to refresh, refuel, and prepare for a full afternoon of immersive learning and inspiration.

Challenges provide opportunities to grow your capabilities and push beyond your comfort zones. They can serve as catalysts for breakthroughs, learning, and personal development, so it's important to find the optimal perspective when approaching new challenges. In this session, you will gain valuable insights and practical strategies to effectively establish a perspective that inspires, engages, and drives your team toward new heights of success.

- Explore the positive impacts of change

- The importance of team empowerment

- Pushing beyond your comfort zone

In today's interconnected and complex work environment, leaders face new challenges such as managing regional work, leveraging new technology and navigating change with agility. They must embrace this evolution with space for inclusivity and participatory styles. Join Georgeina Whelan, AM, CSC and Bar in this insightful session as she explores the drivers behind this evolution, including emotional intelligence, ethics, and cultivating a continuous learning mindset. 

- Explore the differences of managing and leading

- Strengthen your unique leadership traits

- Explore the impact of purposeful leadership

A quick break to refresh and continue building your network with fellow leaders. Enjoy a light refreshment before finishing day one.

The psychology of change refers to the understanding of how individuals perceive, process, and respond to changes in their environment. Leaders need to engage in effective communication with their teams to use change as an opportunity to grow and excel. Through this session, you will learn from Rabia as she shares her best practices for understanding the psychological factors at play for effective change management.

- Learn to lead amidst rapid change

- Show up for your team through the transition process

- Shift the narrative into a positive approach

Welcome back for Day Two - there's a lot to digest from our amazing speakers and action modules so far!

Recap the key learnings and takeaways from Day One, and prep an action plan to maximise your event experience over our jam-packed second day!

Leadership is an art that can be accomplished through experience, cultivating an open mind, and continuous learning. Join Commodore Eric Young in this session, as he shares his personal and professional insights into effective leadership theory in order to achieve a long term success and help people become their best version in the workplace and as individuals.

- Uncover the power and learning that comes with being wrong

- Find your balance for extraordinary results

- Craft your ideal craft path

Despite progress, biases still persist in organisational settings, impeding equitable opportunities for individuals from underrepresented groups. By acknowledging and actively challenging these biases, leaders can create a more inclusive environment and break down systematic inequalities. Join Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay as she explores her best practices for fostering diversity, promoting unbiased decision-making, and ultimately cultivating an inclusive leadership culture that empowers all individuals to reach their full potential.

- Cultivating diversity of thought in the workplace

- Identifying and overcoming common challenges of promoting unbiased leadership

- Uncover the power of people empowerment

Mix and mingle with your fellow leaders over a cup of coffee and light refreshments.

Many leaders struggle effectively communicating with diverse stakeholders, resulting in misalignment and missed opportunities for collaboration. In communication there is no “one-size-fits-all” and the key to forming new alliances is to learn to identify your audience and craft messages that will resonate with them. Join Mark in this session as he shares practical strategies to build strong relationships foster collaboration, and drive desired outcomes through targeted and impactful communication.

- Learn to identify needs and preferences with different stakeholders

- Reflect in your communication style

- Discover how to adapt the message for it to be impactful

Leaders must cultivate a culture that encourages collaboration, and effective performance at all levels. Building a culture of alignment ensures that every individual within the organisation shares a common vision, values, and goals while fostering a sense of ownership and accountability. Throughout this session, we will explore practical strategies foster buy-ins for initiatives, empowering leaders at all levels to inspire, influence, and drive positive change within their teams.

- Discover the power of an engaged team

- Move from resistance to commitment

- Inspire trust and align your values with the proposed change

Enjoy a midday lunch break. A time to refresh, refuel, and prepare for a full afternoon of immersive learning and inspiration.

In times of uncertainty and adversity, the ability to navigate through turbulent waters and inspire others to rise above challenges becomes essential. Thus, the importance of enabling leaders to remain steady amidst chaos, foster resilience within their teams, and to grow into the best version of themselves. In this session we will hear from real-life experiences, practical insights and best practices from outstanding leaders with diverse backgrounds and impactful contributions.

- Turn crisis into growth opportunities

- The importance of being responsive and proactive

- Navigate crisis with composure  

A quick break to refresh and continue building your network with fellow leaders. Enjoy a light refreshment before finishing day one.

It has become increasingly important for leaders to transcend the boundaries of their echo chambers and engage in meaningful conversations. As leaders, is easy to find ourselves surrounded by like-minded individuals, reinforcing our existing beliefs and limiting our understanding of complex issues. Yet, by acknowledging the power of diverse dialogue and actively seeking out alternative perspectives, we can foster innovation, inclusivity, and effective decision-making within our teams. Join Adrian as he shares his own experience and best practices to build bridges and drive positive change through a more dynamic dialogue.

Building Bridges: Overcoming the echo chamber effect

- Discover the importance of expanding your perspective

- Dare to question, everything

- Promote diverse dialogue 

We wrap up our inspirational and jam packed two days with this interactive closing round table. This is your chance to table any topic or trend for a final group discussion. Reflecting on the inspiring stories that have been shared, discussing your key learnings with your peers, and creating your action plan for moving forward.

- Reflect on your key learnings from the Summit

- Identify opportunities for career progression and growth

- Create an action plan for your leadership journey

Strategic thinking and problem solving in the APS

- How the current strategic context is shaping the APS

- APS executive-level leadership and the importance of strategic thinking and problem solving

- Responding to emerging strategic challenges in the APS

Strategic thinking skills and tools

- The cognitive principles, tools and strategies essential to strategic thinking

- Common limitations and challenges to strategic thinking

- Models, tools and tactics to shape strategic thinking

Advanced problem solving for executive leaders

- How to objectively collect and evaluate evidence

- Exploring reason-based approaches to problem solving

- Applying rational and creative problem solving tools and techniques to address strategic issues

Leading and influencing others on strategic issues

- Effectively engaging stakeholders to understand the problem and identifying potential solutions

- Integrating multi-stakeholder perspectives and facilitating shared understanding

- Resolving conflict and disagreement in group problem solving

Definition: Understanding the problem

- Reaching agreement on the problem: Defining key variables, known causes, structure, scope, stakeholder impact, interdependencies and constraints 

- Evaluating problem impacts

- Developing solution criteria and the problem solving approach

Analysis: Identifying and evaluating possible solutions

- Generating and evaluate solutions based on feasibility, impact and risk

- Taking stock of required skills, knowledge and resources to resolve the problem or realise the opportunity

- Leadership, management, planning and team deployment considerations 

Implementation: from strategy to results

- Testing solutions: prototypes, pilots, simulations

- Adopting a systematic approach to solution implementation

- Building engagement and embedding change 

Overcoming roadblocks to strategic thinking and problem solving

- Cognitive biases, ideological paradigms and group-based

- The inherently challenging nature of ‘wicked problems’ 

- Cultivating your skills and maintaining your edge as a strategic thinker and problem solver