Delivering a Leadership Development Program to Strengthen People Leadership Capability Across a Local Government Authority.
Building confidence, consistency and connection at a critical layer of leadership within a complex public sector environment.
The Brief
Future Leadership™ was engaged by a local government authority to design and deliver a targeted leadership development program for coordinators and people leaders. The engagement followed an earlier, targeted program delivered for the Senior Leadership Team and was designed to strengthen leadership capability at the coordinator level while improving connection across leadership layers.
Improvement in Performance
Studies show that executives who receive coaching report a 70% improvement in work performance, according to the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Lower Turnover Rate
Organisations with effective leadership development programs have a 30% lower turnover rate among employees, as leadership development fosters employee engagement and loyalty.
Reference: Harvard Business Review, "The Impact of Leadership Development on Employee Engagement" (2017)
Companies report Enhanced Leadership Skills
85% of companies report an improvement in leadership capabilities as a direct result of implementing leadership development programs, leading to better decision-making and team management.
Reference: Deloitte, "Global Human Capital Trends" (2019)
Higher Return on Investment (ROI)
Leadership development programs yield an average return on investment (ROI) of 6 times the cost of the program, reflecting the significant value they add to the organization.
Reference: Korn Ferry, "The Real ROI of Leadership Development" (2018)
The Process
Future Leadership designed Axis, a tailored leadership development program grounded in the organisation’s context, leadership priorities and public sector realities.
Key steps included:
• Discovery and diagnostics: Engagement with senior stakeholders and key contributors to understand the organisational context, leadership challenges and expectations placed on coordinators.
• Program co-design: Development of a structured leadership program aligned to public sector leadership demands, organisational values and the practical, day-to-day challenges faced by coordinator-level leaders.
• Program delivery: Delivered through leader-led facilitated workshops and applied learning activities, enabling participants to reflect on their leadership approach, build self-awareness and practise new skills in role.
• Evaluation and reflection: Collection of participant feedback and reflections to assess relevance, confidence uplift and practical application of learning in the workplace.
The Advisory Team's Impact Across Clients Through Survey Feedback
9.7% Increase in Self Awareness
Individuals’ awareness of motives, values, strengths and development needs
7.7% Increase in Motivation
Individuals’ motivation to apply learning, insight and further develop
13.5% Increase in Confidence
Individuals’ confidence in their abilities and impact as a leader
12.3% Increase in Role Clarity
Individuals’ clarity around success factors associated with their role
The Outcome
The program delivered a clear uplift in leadership confidence, connection and capability across the coordinator cohort. Participants reported greater clarity around leadership expectations, improved self-awareness and increased confidence in leading people through change, complexity and operational pressures.
The organisation benefited from a more consistent leadership language and strengthened capability at a critical layer of its leadership structure. This contributed to improved engagement, more effective people leadership practices and stronger alignment with organisational values across teams.
