The Women UNLIMITED Leadership Summit will be addressed by many notable leaders, including former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, from 18 — 21 August. Photo: Supplied.
SES Band 1 Leadership Development Program
Date: 4 August — 11 November
Time: 9 am — 4:30 pm
Duration: Seven sessions of varying lengths and delivery modes
Location: Hybrid
Email: https://apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au/user_login
The SES Band 1 Leadership Development Program strengthens the leadership capability of experienced senior executives across the broader APS, to effectively deliver on their key accountabilities.
Band 1 executives play a critical role in setting the strategic direction of their group, building a positive and high-performing workplace culture, and making significant decisions on individual policies and courses for which they are directly accountable to government. This program includes a project component that will actively support the integration of APS reform objectives.
This content has been provided by the APS Academy, and is suitable for SES Band 1 and those long-term acting in the role for more than 12 months.
QLD Public Sector AO7-8 Leading and Managing Change
Date: 4 — 5 August
Time: 9 am — 4:30 pm
Location: Online
Email: [email protected]
Overview
Lead your team through change with clarity, resilience and a shared vision.
- Strengthen your leadership skills to manage change across teams and projects.
- Create a supportive environment to help your team stay focused during transitions.
- Learn how to inspire resilience and engagement during times of uncertainty.
- Develop strategies to drive successful and sustainable change.
Trainer Michael Collins is one of the region’s leading talents. Michael is a leadership and change expert with more than 25 years of experience in roles across Australia, New Zealand and Asia. He has held executive positions within the Australian Defence Force and at Coca-Cola Amatil.
As a trusted adviser, thought leader and seasoned practitioner in leadership assessment and development, Michael combines practical experience with academic insight. His credentials include an MBA and a PhD in neurocognitive leadership, allowing him to blend hands-on experience with scholarly expertise in his advisory and leadership roles.
MasterCraft Series — SRW Scholars — Applying academic theory to the realities of APS work
Date: 5 August
Time: 11 am — noon
Duration: One one-hour face-to-screen session
Location: Virtual
Email: https://apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au/user_login
Public servants use frameworks and mental models every day — often without labelling them as ‘’theory’’. At the same time, much of academia revolves explicitly around the development of ‘’theory’’ but often in ways that feel distant from the immediate concerns of government. Too often, insights from the ivory tower and the realities of government craft are disconnected.
This masterclass explores how academic theory, including Indigenous research methodologies, can inform government craft. Drawing on real policy challenges facing government, the session will show how theory can be applied in ways that are useful for APS staff working across portfolios.
This content is suitable for all staff.
VIC SES-Level Strategic Leadership for Outcome Delivery
Date: 5 — 6 August
Time: 9 am — 4:30 pm
Location: Cliftons Melbourne
Email: [email protected]
Overview
Critical strategic leadership and complex management skills for current and emerging SES-level leaders.
- Lead with impact through a clear understanding of executive expectations and values.
- Make high-stakes decisions with confidence and strategic insight.
- Navigate complex organisational and policy challenges proactively.
- Develop a strategic action plan to drive results and influence outcomes.
From policing the streets to coaching leaders across industries, trainer Richard Farrelly brings more than 27 years of frontline experience to his work in leadership and culture. Having led teams in high-stakes environments, he knows what it takes to build trust, shape values and drive meaningful change.
At Victoria Police, he modernised organisational values and facilitated leadership programs for more than 4000 employees. Today, Richard works with leaders to strengthen communication, shift mindsets and uncover the untapped potential within teams. He has a talent for turning everyday challenges into catalysts for growth.
Emerging Leaders & Managers Toolkit
Date: 11 — 12 August
Time: 9 am — 4:30 pm
Location: Adelaide
Email: [email protected]
Overview
Unlock your full potential and transform into a high-performing leader.
- Develop essential management and leadership skills.
- Master effective and influential communication.
- Enhance problem-solving and decision-making.
- Learn practical tools and strategies to achieve results.
APS6 to EL1: Managing Performance & Difficult Conversations
Date: 11 — 12 August
Time: 9 am — 4:30 pm
Location: Cliftons Canberra
Email: [email protected]
Overview
Essential communication and conflict-resolution skills to effectively and proactively manage performance.
- Understand the risks of employee disengagement and learn to identify its signs.
- Deliver performance feedback that is proactive, effective and actionable.
- Prepare for and navigate tough conversations with the right tools.
- Adopt essential skills for resolving conflicts constructively and positively.
Trainer Liz Stephens is an experienced coach and trainer, with an extensive career in the public service. Following her successful command tenure at the 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Liz established Ripple Impact, drawing on her experiences to help others be their best selves. In her ‘’day job’’, Lieutenant Colonel Stephens is a facilitator, coach and mentor at the Australian Command and Staff Course.
Neurodiversity at Work: A Practical Workshop for Leaders & Managers
Date: Until 13 August
Time: 9:30 am — 4:30 pm
Location: In-person and online
Email: [email protected]
Moving from awareness to action, create more inclusive, psychologically safe and effective workplaces. Learn how to create environments for neurodiversity to thrive. The number of people who identify as neurodiverse or have been diagnosed as neurodivergent is rapidly increasing, and it’s highly likely that neurodivergent people are on your team.
So why is an awareness of neurodiversity and the ability to lead neuroinclusive teams so important for managers and leaders? Because with it, managers and people leaders can tap into individual team members’ strengths and preferences so that they feel safe and included and can perform at their best. And when everyone is at their best, you have a high-performing team.
This workshop moves beyond introductory awareness to focus on real-world leadership practice. Participants will build a deeper understanding of neurodiversity in workplace settings and learn practical strategies to create psychologically safe, high-performing teams.
Facilitator Callie Elward-Barrett has been a senior leader in the public service, non-profit and private sectors. She started her professional life as a police officer in England and then in South Australia.
Strategic Thinking & Advanced Problem-Solving
Date: 18 — 19 August
Time: 9 am — 4:30 pm
Location: Cliftons Brisbane
Email: [email protected]
Overview
Master strategic thinking, empower teams, and conquer complex challenges.
- Apply outcome-driven models to make strategic decisions.
- Use advanced problem-solving techniques to tackle real-world challenges.
- Build confidence as a leader to support others in finding solutions.
- Overcome common roadblocks to resolve complex problems.
Trainer Martin Brooker, a distinguished veteran with 37 years of service in the Royal Australian Navy, boasts a career marked by command at sea and operational excellence in the Middle East, Afghanistan and the Pacific.
Specialising in personal and organisational change, Martin draws on his rich leadership experiences and culture change initiatives.
EL1 & EL2 Strategic Thinking & Advanced Problem-Solving Workshop
Date: 18 — 19 August
Time: 9 am — 4:30 pm
Location: Cliftons Canberra
Email: [email protected]
Overview
Master strategic thinking, empower teams, and conquer complex challenges.
- Apply practical outcome-driven models for strategic decision-making.
- Explore a systematic approach for problem analysis and strategy formulation.
- Understand your role as an executive leader in empowering others to address challenges.
- Overcome common roadblocks to resolve complex problems.
Trainer Dr Karen Whittingham is one of Australia’s leading executive management development specialists, having worked with thousands of executives to transition them into senior leadership roles quickly and effectively.
She teaches organisational psychology at UNSW and works with ASX-listed companies and large public sector organisations to drive engagement, inclusion and performance.
The Women UNLIMITED Leadership Summit
Date: 18 — 21 August
Time: 9 am — 4:50 pm
Location: In person & online
Email: [email protected]
Women UNLIMITED is where leaders step out of the noise, reconnect with what matters, and return ready to lead with grounded courage. We are leading in a time of sustained pressure, complexity and change. Across industries, leadership now demands results in conditions defined by uncertainty — balancing growth with risk, navigating constant disruption, and sustaining performance as expectations continue to rise.
Women UNLIMITED creates the space to lead in exactly this context. In 2026, this landmark summit brings together leaders working through ambiguity and disruption. Eight summits are being held in six cities over two days, with more than 200 speakers.
It is headlined by the 40th prime minister of New Zealand, Dame Jacinda Ardern, and features voices who have led with clarity, empathy and courage under pressure, making high-stakes decisions when the path forward is uncertain.
Other speakers include Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Susan Coyle; Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate, Abigail Bradshaw; Chief of Personnel, Australian Army, Lieutenant General Natasha Fox; and Secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services, Jaala Hinchliffe.
The focus is practical and immediate: staying steady through sustained disruption, rebuilding momentum in stretched systems, and making confident decisions with incomplete information — while strengthening clarity, resilience and direction in leadership practice.
