ANZSOG’s Executive Fellows Program provides a deeper understanding of leadership

In a world where the demands on senior public sector leaders are increasing every year, it is increasingly important for public sector leaders to take time to reflect and invest in their own leadership. 

ANZSOG’s Executive Fellows Program (EFP) is returning for 2024 and will be delivered in a fully online format, allowing for a greater range of guest presenters and giving participants the chance to work through material at their own pace. 

The EFP gives senior public sector leaders a unique opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of leadership and learn alongside their peers from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. EFP alumni include more than 200 public sector leaders who have gone on to hold roles as CEOs or Secretaries (equivalents) or Deputies after completing the program. 

The 2023 online program will be co-ordinated by former CEO of the UK National School of Government Robin Ryde – and divided into three modules each focusing on a key leadership theme: Leading the self and others, Leading an Organisation and Systems Leadership. These themes are explored using contemporary issues as a focal point, including the post-COVID-19 world, social movements and civil unrest, as well as preparedness in the face of the global spectre of war. 

Dana McDonald, a group manager at New Zealand Customs Service, was part of the ANZSOG online EFP in 2021 and says that the program was tiring – but well worth it.  

“We got stimulating presenters, a huge quantity of practical information, and the chance to build a network of people at a similar stage in our careers,” he said. 

“There was a lot of content you could dig into for certain areas, and the online format gave you a chance digest the material before the next session, or even to implement it in your work.” 

“You get exposed to a lot of tools, models, and ideas. You can simply give them a once-over lightly or get into the detail – depending on your needs at the time and as your needs change when you reflect back on the work.” 

Mr McDonald said that before he undertook the EFP he had reached a point in his career where he felt he needed professional development to fill gaps in his skills. 

“I’d moved into a different role as a Tier 3, where I report to a Deputy Chief Executive. It was a step up and I needed a leadership upgrade. I wanted to find out how I needed to be thinking, and what tools I needed to make that step up,” he said. 

“I was looking at professional development options and based on all the options that were on the market and what I needed, I thought the EFP was ideally suited to me. I had previously completed the Towards Strategic Leadership program with ANZSOG and got a lot out of it.” 

He said that sessions from Harvard Kennedy School leadership expert Dana Born, who focused on authentic leadership, and Professor Mark Moore on the concept of public value had been extremely valuable, as had discussion of systems thinking which was relevant to work across agencies. 

“I found Robin Ryde really good. One of the things he said that really resonated with me was, ‘your self is the instrument of your leadership’.”   

“While other professions have tools they use to get the job done – such as a chef’s knife or a surgeon’s scalpel, as a leader it’s you that is the instrument.  To be the best leader you can be, you need to focus on you. While that sounds simple, there is a lot to unpack and to include in your own leadership practice.” 

Mr Ryde said that self-knowledge and self-mastery are the tools of good leadership. 

“Leaders need to know what their self is capable of, what it does when it is under pressure, what are its blind spots, what depletes and what restores its energy. For example, if you understand you are the kind of leader who instinctively leaps in to solve problems, you may want to think about waiting,” he said. 

“It is also important to understand what it is that you uniquely bring to leadership and remember that the things leaders do cast a long shadow.” 

The EFP program focuses on modes of leadership that move away from ‘command and control’ and emphasise leadership that is done with and through others, and skills that bring out cooperation and collaboration. 

The program encourages participants to share their personal leadership experiences in a creative and collaborative environment, and gives them tools and ideas to apply when they return to work, as well as opportunities for self-reflection.  

Participants learn from a cast of renowned academics and senior public sector practitioners from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world, in a program designed to build a greater understanding of themselves and the environment they work in, and to help them take the next step in their career. 

“The 2024 EFP will feature a focus on the digital transformation of government, including visits to tech companies, and the chance to think more deeply about how the fundamentals of government are being changed by technology,” Mr Ryde said.

“We will be continuing our exploration of different lenses on leadership, such as e.g. Inclusive Leadership with Laura Liswood, Social Identity Leadership with Alex Haslem and Myth-Busting Management Ideas with Todd Bridgman.” 

Other guest faculty include: Australian Public Service departmental secretaries Natalie James and Jim Betts, institutional culture expert Dr Alastair Stark, and Aotearoa New Zealand public servants Raj Nahna, and Paul James. 

The 2024 program is organised around four cross cutting themes, which Mr Ryde said shaped the work of leaders in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

• Leadership in Response to Electoral Change (anticipating, preparing for, and leading through electoral shifts at home and abroad) 
• Digital Transformation (from cyber security and data analytics to Artificial Intelligence and disruptive technologies) 
• International Volatility (from the global spectre of war to diplomatic tensions in the region) 
• First Nations Leadership (taking stock of public service engagement with indigenous perspectives and models of leadership) 

Mr McDonald said that doing the EFP had given him more confidence, as well as some tools and language that he can use in his role. 

“I also feel I’ve got permission to articulate some of the leadership skills to my own leadership team, and share those ideas with them because it’s tested stuff that works in the real world.” 

Applications for the 2024 online Executive Fellows Program are now open. For more information about the program, click here or email programs_team@anzsog.edu.au. 

The EFP will commence with an online orientation session on 24 October 2024 (3 hours), followed by two intensive in-person five-day modules held in Wellington and Melbourne from 11-22 November.