The 2021 Future Leaders Summit: Resilience, Digital Networks and Leadership, presented by the 2021 IPAA ACT Future Leaders Committee, brought together future and senior leaders to interrogate and workshop tips and strategies around major themes identified by future leaders in the ACT’s public sector.

Held on 26 November 2021, and attended by over 180 APS6 to EL1 equivalent staff, this virtually-held program featured an opening keynote, two masterclasses and a panel session.

Below are podcasts taken directly from each of the Summit sessions. Please note that the participative nature of the online event doesn’t always translate cleanly into a podcast format, however we hope you enjoy the conversations and countless takeaways that the Summit delivered.

SESSION 1: Keynote Presentation | Forging Relationships

Catherine Rule, Director General, Community Services Directorate at the ACT Government speaks about her leadership career journey and the importance of creating strong and genuine relationships with an ecosystem of stakeholders.

SESSION 2: Masterclass #1 | Deloitte presents Resilience, Wellbeing and Burnout

For the first part of the session, Masterclass facilitator Lizzie Nichols, Senior Manager at Deloitte, is joined by Paula Allen, Global Leader, Research and Total Wellbeing at LifeWorks. They discuss the key insights and findings from a recent LifeWorks and Deloitte Canada report on wellbeing and resilience in senior leaders, during post pandemic workplace recovery.

Lizzie then leads a panel discussion with Andrew Colvin APM OAM Partner, Financial Advisory, Former National Coordinator, National Bushfire Recovery Agency, and Former Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police and Kirsten Watson, Partner, Human Capital, Deloitte and Former Chief People Officer, Transport for NSW. They speak candidly about their own crucible moments and personal journeys with resilience and burnout.

SESSION 3: Masterclass #2 | Networking in the Digital Era

Belinda Casson, Assistant Secretary, Human Resources Branch at the Department of Finance and Rachael Jackson, Chief Operating Officer at the National Indigenous Australians Agency, consider the challenges of developing and maintaining networks digitally, and provide tips and techniques for overcoming these challenges.

SESSION 4: Panel Discussion | Leadership at all Levels

This session, facilitated by Future Leaders Committee member Brock Phyland, and featuring panellists Dr Damian West, Deputy Director-General, Workforce Capability and Governance at the ACT Government, and veteran Future Leaders Committee members Megan Aponte-Payne and Deanne Allan, workshops the perennial theme of leadership at all levels. The discussion examines the importance of an egalitarian ideas culture and considers ways senior leaders, and leaders at all levels in their career, can properly empower and get the best out of the crucial junior leaders and peers.