Reflections on a leadership development program for Queensland public sector managers

Abstract

For many years now, leadership development programs have been designed and implemented for public and private sector leaders around the world. While their focus and purpose can and does differ, they have been identified as an important means by which leaders can develop skills and competencies required to manage new, challenging and complex work environments. This article discusses a leadership development program for Queensland public sector senior managers. It reports on findings from semi-structured interviews with fifteen participants who constituted the first cohort to participate in the program and a follow up focus group interview with seven of the original fifteen participants some four years after the first interview. One of the key findings from the study is that participants continue to attribute considerable personal development and managerial growth to what was perceived as a life-changing program.