By Nicole Murphy Lead, APS Leadership Edge, Leadership & Graduate Development I APS Academy
Great leadership often comes down to knowing you're not alone in the challenges you face. That's a key lesson from the 1,700+ EL2s who have taken part in APS Leadership Edge.
Participants are calling the program a game-changer, helping them reinvigorate their passion for leadership, embed integrity into their team culture, and learn practical strategies from their peers across the service. The results are showing up in employee census scores and praise from senior executives.
But the success of this model isn't stopping at the EL2 level. A new, tailored program—APS Management Edge—is being developed for APS6 and EL1 team leaders.
Over 1,700 Australian Public Service (APS) leaders have strengthened their leadership capabilities through APS Leadership Edge since the program launched in September 2023. That's more than 10% of all EL2 officers in the APS.
The initiative is an outcome of the APS Reform agenda and responds to the Hierarchy and Classification review. Using cohort-based social learning, the APS Academy has been able to develop and deliver effective leadership development at scale.
Making a measurable impact
APS Leadership Edge is contributing to improved immediate supervisor scores in the past two APS employee censuses and is receiving praise from SES officers who manage participating EL2s. But what do participants themselves say they've gained? We asked several past and current participants about their experience.
What EL2 leaders are learning
Building connections and peer learning
"I was able to understand that other EL2s were experiencing similar challenges to me, and to see great ideas from colleagues who have overcome them. So many people have clever things that they do in their teams that I've since adopted!"
Strengthening team culture and integrity
"I learnt how to embed integrity within the cultural DNA of my team and create psychological safety to support a pro-integrity environment. I've identified my current strengths and development areas in key adaptive leadership capabilities."
Connecting values to practice
"The APS values can sometimes feel like broad, abstract statements. The self-paced format and opportunities for reflection helped me link these values to my daily responsibilities."
Innovative learning approaches
"I work with Learning and Development in my agency. The Leadership Edge course opened my eyes to what's possible with asynchronous platforms and lifted my capability immediately and unexpectedly."
Impact on leadership practice
Participants report that the program has changed how they lead:
"Learning from different perspectives has been beneficial in three key ways: it's shaped my own leadership awareness, sparked creativity for new approaches with my team, and made me more thoughtful about the leaders and leadership around me."
One participant's learning extended well beyond the program itself, "We nominated to be part of the Comcare/Curtin University trial on good work design after I participated. It was run by one of my staff and provided insights for psychological safety in the workplace. We continue to use this in our team, our branch, and are now sharing the benefits across our organisation."
Building confidence
For both new and experienced leaders, the program offers valuable development:
"APS Leadership Edge helped me identify my current strengths, giving me more confidence in the EL2 role, and new strategies for areas I'm less strong in and how to deal with a range of workplace issues."
"I've been in leadership for a long time, and I really enjoyed taking time to reconnect with my leadership thinking through each module. The program has reignited my passion for leadership and reinvigorated my thinking."
Looking ahead: APS Leadership Edge in 2026
APS Leadership Edge will return in 2026. We're currently finalising how the initiative will run based on learnings from this year and how to best deliver for the needs of the service. Announcements will be made next month. Email the team enquiry to stay informed about APS Leadership Edge.
New program: APS Management Edge
Keep an eye out for APS Management Edge, a new initiative that will take the effective APS Leadership Edge model and tailor it for APS team leaders at APS6 and EL1 levels. It will debut in 2026.
Email the Edge team to receive updates about APS Management Edge.
