
Towards Strategic Leadership
Learn to lead in a dynamic environment.
Price
$28,622.55 (incl. GST)
Location
Melbourne
Duration
4-day residential and 4 x online consolidation modules (blended)
Dates
22 September - 13 November, 2025 (see details below for more information).
Overview
Public sector leaders today face unprecedented challenges within a complex and evolving political landscape. They must balance the demands of day-to-day responsibilities with the ability to maintain a clear, long-term vision.
Towards Strategic Leadership (TSL) is a high impact program designed to help senior public servants enhance their strategic capabilities. Delivered in a blended format and tailored to minimise disruptions to your responsibilities and schedule, it will equip you with tools for leading with greater purpose, judgment and strategic insight – while also providing space to reflect on and challenge existing assumptions about your leadership style, role and organisation.
By the end of the program, you’ll experience a tangible boost in both confidence and capabilities that comes from knowing how to identify key strategic issues amid the noise of daily pressures, and critically, how to take meaningful action.
Information Session
If you missed the TSL 2025 information session, here (link) is the recording where we explored key details and outcomes of the program, with insight into how the program equips learners with the tools and mindsets for greater success.

Talk to us: Book a 1:1 Consultation
We’re here to answer any questions you might have about our programs. You can book directly into our calendars for a 1:1 consultation to discuss your learning requirements.
Who is it for?
This leadership development program is designed for you if you are:
- a senior public sector professional.
- moving (or planning to move) from tactical to strategic leadership roles.
Learning outcomes
Towards Strategic Leadership aims to give you a renewed strategic outlook, political astuteness, personal resilience and the capacity to reflect, collaborate, lead and learn continuously.
Throughout this public sector leadership course, you will:
- identify personal and institutional strengths and weaknesses
- explore public sector leadership themes including your role in your organisation and community, technical vs adaptive challenges, authority vs leadership and collaborative work
- examine your personal leadership style
- practice reflective and strategic thinking
- develop tools to identify strategically urgent priorities
- explore the factors influencing public institutions’ capacity to adapt
- develop a network of high performing leaders and stay connected via our Alumni Program.
Faculty
Robbie Macpherson – Managing Director, Adaptable Leadership
Guest speakers will include:
- Dr Jill Charker – Deputy Coordinator General for Resilience and Recovery, National Emergency Management Agency
- Thea Snow – Associate Director, Centre for Public Impact ANZ
- Paul ‘t Hart – Professor, Utrecht University
- Dr Chris Sarra – Former Director-General for Department of Seniors, Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Queensland Government
Key People
Format
The TSL leadership development program is delivered in a blended format across four modules:
- Orientation – Online
- Module 1: Four days, face-to-face residential
- Module 2: One day, online
- Module 3: One day, online
- Module 4: One day, online
- Module 5: One day, online
TSL is run under Chatham House Rule to create an environment of trust where complex problems can be resolved. The spirit of Chatham House Rule: share the information you receive, but do not reveal the identity of who said it.
This leadership course harnesses the knowledge and experience of all participants who, as professional peers, share a common language and a commitment to public service. Participants are co-contributors and integral to its success.
Date, time, location
Program delivery, 2025
- Orientation: 22 September, 1:30pm – 2:30pm (AEST), Online via Zoom
- Module 1: 7–10 October, 9:00am – 5:00pm (AEST), Melbourne
- Module 2: 20 October, 1:30pm – 5:00pm (AEST), Online via Zoom
- Module 3: 30 October 1:30pm – 5:00pm (AEST), Online via Zoom
- Module 4: 3 November, 1:30pm – 5:00pm (AEST), Online
- Module 5: 13 November, 1:30pm – 5:00pm(AEST), Online
Fee
$28,622.55 (inc. GST)
Please note:
- Students are responsible for their own travel, some meals, and accommodation to and from the residential.
- If a student has been nominated by a sponsoring agency or government, that sponsor must cover program costs, including tuition fees and program materials.
- Participants may enter into a salary sacrifice arrangement with their employer to attend the program. The participant’s employer will be billed the program fee. This will be discussed on a case-by-case basis with the applicant’s sponsoring agency.
More information
Want an insider’s perspective?
Hear from one of our TSL alums. To arrange an introduction, please get in contact with us here.