Public Sector Women in Leadership Summit 2024

Reading People - Tailoring your style to personality types

-Understanding different personality types in people

-Quickly identifying personality types and communication preferences

-Using emotional intelligence and adapting your communication style for the best response

Reading communication - Active listening and effective questioning

-Listening with your whole body to establish rapport and demonstrate attention

-Employing strategic listening to understand the speaker’s needs and motivation

-Asking reflective, deflective and leading questions to provide structure, direct the flow of conversation and reach closure

Beyond words - Nonverbal and paraverbal communication

-Using eye contact and posture body language to convey meaning

-Effective gesturing to illustrate a purpose

-Fine-tuning pitch, tone, and speed of your speech to make an impact

Build your direct communication plan

-Incorporate qualities of effective influence

-Communicate clearly in meetings or when conveying negative and complex information to stakeholders

-Develop a step-by-step process to communicate confidently from your first interaction with a stranger

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!

Major General Susan Coyle, CSC, DSM is Head of Information Warfare for the Australian Defence Force. She has worked at the tactical, operational and strategic levels in a variety of command and staff appointments, including Commander Joint Task Force 633 (Middle East), Commander 6th Combat Support Brigade, inaugural Commander Task Group Afghanistan, and Commanding Officer 17th Signal Regiment. 

When people can be themselves at work, they undoubtedly perform better. As leaders it's our responsibility to create an environment that is free from fear, where people feel safe to be innovative, creative and dare to try new things. In this session, join Jim as he reflects on a career promoting allyship and diversity in the workplace.

- Instill a culture where people feel valued and respected

- Celebrate psychological safety in a workplace that is free from fear

- Be an advocate for your team and lead authentically

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

DISC Behavioural Profiling can elevate your leadership and optimise communication by providing insights into personality dynamics. Recognising individual styles allows leaders to communicate more effectively but also drives productivity and innovation. In this session, Bec equips you with the ability to inspire and motivate your teams by tailoring your approach to better connect.

- Value the different personality types

- Resolve conflicts with greater empathy and efficiency

- Create a harmonious team environment

Resilience is the capacity to adapt effectively to evolving situations with strength in mind, body, and emotions. As the APS increasingly focuses on being citizen-centric, our work environment is ever-changing. As leaders, we must embody resilience and cultivate it within our teams. In this interview, join Sarah as she shares her journey in developing a resilient mindset amidst a career of shifting deadlines and demands.

- Develop a resilience toolkit to navigate changes

- Learn mental toughness strategies to better equip your team

- Assess your flexibility and find areas for support

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

In today's diverse and dynamic workforce, managing flexibility is crucial yet challenging. While adaptable work arrangements can boost productivity and job satisfaction, they can also blur the boundaries between work and personal life. Striking the right balance requires clear guidelines, consistent communication, and trust to ensure that flexibility supports both employee well-being and organisational goals. In this panel discussion we delve into the benefits and considerations of everything that comes with flexible working arrangements.

- Establish clear guidelines and policies to manage flexible work arrangements 

- Maintain consistent communication

- Create a culture of trust and responsibility

When thinking about your career progression, it can be difficult to know when and where to look for opportunities and how to know you're ready for the next step. As women we often downplay our strengths and will put off applying for roles that we don't feel qualified for. So how can you make the right decision when it comes to career progression? In this session, Jacqui reflects on her career journeys and the strategies she has used to make decisions about opportunities.

- Back yourself and your ability

- Identify your interests, skills, values, and goals to clarify potential opportunities

- Be on the lookout for those revolving door moments

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

Leaders with integrity create greater trust and satisfaction from their teams, improving workplace culture and performance. Throughout Cath's career she has always put her integrity first even if that means leaving a role. In this session, she shares how she has achieved a fulfilling career by focusing on her purpose.

- Focus on your how and why as a leader

- Purpose-driven leadership

- Understand the needs of others

Join us for our end of day one networking. Enjoy canapés and drinks whilst getting to know your peers further, build ongoing relationships, and share your highlights of the day.

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!

As you work to improve and quickly adapt in the fast-paced APS environment, your ability to effectively bring people together is the key to driving progress. In this session, Tess showcases her commitment to people-centered leadership by keeping her team at the core of every initiative. Through teamwork, she ensures success is achieved together.

- Shift your mindset to the team effort

- Establish influence in your teams and departments

- Allow individuals to use their unique skill set to ensure positive outcomes

Every interaction in your career is an opportunity to make a difference, whether with team members, colleagues, or citizens. Join Robyn as she draws from her journey, from frontline specialist to senior executive leadership, to highlight the importance of treating everyone with equal respect. She will share how your influence can extend beyond your current role and create a positive impact, regardless of your position.

- Understand the impact you can have as a leader

- Continuously strive to make a difference

- Align personal values with organisational goals

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

The Australian Public Sector has undergone a profound transformation in recent years, marked by a shift towards greater digitalization, efficiency, and citizen-centricity. As leaders within the APS, you are looked upon by your teams as role models to help shape their responses to change. In this session, join Sally Dooley as she empowers you with practical strategies to successfully lead your team through change.

- Provide constant and clear communication to streamline change 

- Overcome employee resistance to change 

- Deliver results in a complicated and evolving environment

Genuine leaders bring their true selves to every situation, creating trust and positivity within their team and providing the resilience needed to overcome challenges. In this session, Megan will discuss her distinctive leadership approach and how you can leverage your personal strengths.

- Emphasising the role of authenticity in leadership

- Stay true to your values

- Gain trust from your team

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

A leader's strength is derived from the team they create and surround themselves with. Advocating for your team means consistently highlighting their strengths, nurturing a collaborative culture, and making sure every voice is heard. It involves recognising individual contributions, promoting a sense of belonging, and tackling challenges collectively. Join us for this insightful panel discussion as leaders explore how to empower their teams to thrive, creating a collective success mindset.

- Celebrate your teams successes and promote their ability to others

- Create an environment of collaboration and creativity

- Enhance performance through positive reinforcement

A quick break to refresh and continue building your network with fellow leaders.

A career journey is called a journey because it involves having people around you who support your development and advocate for your success along the way. But how do you find those who will be in your corner? A great way to do this is by finding an official mentor, sponsor or coach, or perhaps all three. In this session Natalie shares how she's utilised relationships throughout her career.

- Identify the mentor or sponsor you need

- Focus on the connections that drive your career success

- Understand the benefits of being a mentor and reverse mentoring

We wrap up our inspirational and jam packed two days with this interactive action planning session. 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

Develop self-awareness and authenticity

- Identify and evaluate your key strengths as a leader

- Explore the role authenticity plays in effectively leading a team

- Recognise the impact your leadership behaviour has on others

Embrace your leadership identity

- Identify how best to utilise your optimal leadership style within the context of your organisation

- Advocate for yourself and develop your leadership identity

- Cultivate a high performing mindset

The importance of resilience and confidence for leaders

- Build resilience to thrive under pressure

- Dealing with disappointment and setbacks throughout your career

- Identify stress triggers and how to avoid them

High-level communication, influencing skills

- Manage emotions for positive and assertive communication and relationships

- Develop influencing techniques and conversational intelligence

- Execute difficult conversations with confidence

Transformational leadership strategies to accelerate team performance

- Leverage team dynamics to enhance performance

- Challenge, support and empower others

- Manage uncooperative staff members

Drive change and innovation as a female leader

- Recognise and overcome hurdles to change

- Trust your intuition and step outside your comfort zone

- Embed a positive change culture in an organisation

Build resilience to remain productive in a crisis

- Learn tools to help you thrive under pressure

- Support your team and engage others to deliver

- Debrief after crisis - Provide and accept feedback

Strategically plan your career progression

- Develop a personalised approach: short and long-term

- Understand challenges

- Share approaches to move your career forward