Transitioning to a leadership role is one of the toughest steps in a public sector career, requiring a mindset that is comfortable with uncertainty and can focus on the bigger picture.
ANZSOG’s new Foundations of Public Leadership (FPL) program is a unique immersive learning experience, which will offer strategies and practical skills to accelerate participants’ shift to becoming leaders that enable others and shape the purpose of their organisations.
These include: techniques for reflection and self-management, handling difficult conversations, change management, and an evidence-based framework for building and maintaining successful collaborations.
FPL, as with other ANZSOG programs, is designed around the real challenges that modern public sector leaders are dealing with and is led by people with practical experience helping them thrive in complex environments.
From technical expertise to connecting people
The FPL program is directed by Dr Paul Atkins, an organisational psychologist with 30 years experience working with leaders, who spoke recently at an information session for potential FPL participants, saying:
“My number one priority is that you're going to develop skills and capabilities that you can use immediately on leaving the program, or even during the program, and that will make a difference for you.”
“I’ve worked over many years with people in public sector leadership positions, and I know that your roles are going to be really consequential. You're going to have an impact on many, maybe even millions of people – so it really matters how you lead.”
“Leadership is a behaviour, which is about motivating people to tackle tough challenges together. It’s not that we leave our technical expertise behind; it's just that we're moving into a space where it's much more about building coalitions, connecting people and thinking about that bigger picture.”
As well as Dr Atkins, FPL co-presenter Dr Jill Charker brings diverse leadership experience to the program, having held multiple deputy secretary positions in the Commonwealth Government, and worked as a senior consultant at McKinsey, as well as holding a Ph.D. in psychology
Practical skills for adaptive leadership in complex environments
Dr Atkins said the public sector environment was becoming increasingly complex and leaders needed to become used to working without knowing all the answers – or even all the questions.
“In many of our adaptive, strategic contexts we're not really sure what the problem is - or many people have different definitions of what the problem is – and you may be required to lead with necessarily having the experience or the authority.”
He said that the program would address the nature of power and the construct of adaptive leadership - a notion of flexible, fluid leadership that helps manage complex adaptive challenges rather than simple technical challenges.
“We'll be talking about having powerful conversations, difficult conversations, and some really practical tools and techniques for managing those conversations in a constructive way,” he said.
“We'll also talk a bit about psychological flexibility. How do you manage personally in the face of increasing pressure and stress? That’s a key part of our program because you can't be effective in the outside world if you're in turmoil internally.”
“We're also going to introduce a bit of content around systems thinking and critical thinking. That’s partly due to my concerns about how AI is being used and how it is undermining critical thinking in some spaces.
A major part of the FPL program is about exploring principles for collaboration. Dr Atkins will take participants through a set of eight core design principles he has developed that are based on research and aim to stop blockages in collaboration.
Participants become more comfortable with change and uncertainty
Duncan McLaggan, from the City of Auckland, was a participant in the 2024 Emerging Leaders Program (a precursor to FPL, which was also directed by Dr Atkins), and said it gave him practical tools as deepening his understanding of the right mindset and psychology for leadership.
“I came out with a stronger feeling of maturity in my role and an added level of professionalism. I felt better able to deal with some of the tensions that come with a leadership role – striking a balance between relationships with your own team and the outcomes that the organisation is looking for.”
“I got a lot of tools that I go back to quite frequently when I’m faced with a particularly thorny issue or challenge. I became more comfortable with sitting in the uncertainty of organisations and the change that is inevitable within them.”
In 2026, FPL will be delivered across two cohorts, one in March and one in September. The program will consist of an orientation session, followed by an intensive three-day workshop in either Melbourne or Sydney respectively.
This will be followed by two online follow-up sessions which Dr Atkins said would be “an opportunity for participants to reflect on and share the results of your experimentation.”
Foundations of Public Leadership is recommended for public servants moving into leadership roles at APS5 to EL1 or equivalent. Dates for the 2026 deliveries are below:
23 March – 27 April (intensive in Melbourne) — Applications closing soon
1 September – 1 October (intensive in Sydney)
Additional details are available on the ANZSOG website or you can contact engage@anzsog.edu.au for more information. ANZSOG’s Learner Services team are also also available for a one-on-one conversation about whether FPL is the right fit for you or your organisation.