We caught up with one of this year's Emerging Leaders Program participants, Kim Gregory, WHS Coordinator, District Council of Grant to find out how she is enjoying the program so far. 

What made you sign up for the Emerging Leaders Program?

In my role as WHS Coordinator I am required to work with every person across the organisation, from trainees to the CEO, along with many external stakeholders. I really wanted to develop my ability to work with diverse groups of people and understand how my personality can work with other types of personalities to achieve effective and positive outcomes.

Increasing my understanding of leadership concepts and practices and integrating them into my workplace would also help me provide a positive approach to WHS. I was very excited read the ELP Prospectus for 2024. It will provide confidence and professional development in all areas of leadership, all relevant in my role.

What was your biggest takeaway from the opening retreat?

The first thing I noticed was what an amazing group of local government professionals I am undertaking this program with! I really enjoyed the sessions and information delivered by the presenters. The activities really were fun and left me with the revelation that we have a lot more in common with people than we realise.

We caught up with one of the 2023 Emerging Leaders Program participants, Jake Dean, Media Officer, City of Onkaparinga to find out how he enjoyed the program. 

What made you sign up for the Emerging Leaders Program?

My interest in doing the program was sparked when I filled in for my team leader a few times while he was on leave and I felt like I needed more development in this area, having not had direct reports before. I was also entering my fifth year in local government, so I felt like it was time to expand my knowledge and skills and make more connections across the sector.

What was your biggest takeaway from the program?

I found the results of, and the discussion around, our Team Management Profiles really illuminating. I was initially sceptical of what my questionnaire responses would reveal about me and my preferred style of working, but I found that it taught me a lot about myself and the areas I need to work harder on. It also made me realise a good team is one that has people with a diverse group of working styles, rather than everyone sharing the same traits. I also need to surround myself with a Creator Innovator 24/7!

What advice would you give to someone considering doing the Emerging Leaders Program?

I’d say there’s never a perfect time to do it, so give it a go. I’ve got two young kids and, like all of us, work can get stressful—especially when you’re trying to juggle all the other things—so a year earlier I’d turned down an opportunity to apply. Then, last year when I was on the fence again, I realised I could always come up with an excuse not to do it, so I just decided to go for it. While the program workload can be demanding, you’ll learn a lot about yourself and maybe even make some lifelong friends!

We caught up with one of this year's Emerging Leaders Program participants, Shraddha Dhungel, Infrastructure Engineer, Mount Barker District Council to find out how she enjoyed the program. 

What made you sign up for the Emerging Leaders Program?

Having started this graduate job less than two years ago, I am very early on in my career and am still shaping myself professionally and my leadership style. Although I have a while to go before I take on a leadership position, I believe it’s never too early to learn good leadership habits. I wanted to dig deeper within myself and learn what it takes to be a good leader – hence I signed up for the program.  

A recent module focused on 'Sustainability’ – what were some of your takeaways from this module?

It was a great module, the presentation from City of Mitcham regarding their power grid was a very interesting topic and definitely something that all of the councils should be thinking moving forward. It wasn’t just the actual initiative itself – it was all the back end thinking, planning and convincing council to go with the idea that was really impressive. 

What was your biggest take away from the program?

The biggest takeaway for me was the different TMS profiles for people in a workplace - how to relate/work with them best and also understanding how this relates to other people’s perception of me. This program really helped me get out of my comfort zone, and made me more mindful about of the different collaboration techniques required when working with different people to get the best possible outcome. 

What advice would you give to someone considering doing the Emerging Leaders Program?

Be open to different ways of thinking and doing things, and definitely get out of your comfort zone and do things the way you normally wouldn’t do it. 

We caught up with one of this year's Emerging Leaders Program participants, Paul Minks, Senior Procurement and Fleet Officer, Alexandrina Council to find out how he is enjoying the program so far. 

What made you sign up for the Emerging Leaders Program?

The Emerging Leaders Program is a well-respected and highly sought after experience. I wanted to sign up to represent Alexandrina Council in this program to connect and collaborate with likeminded from across the sector. 

A recent module focused on 'Media and Engagement’ – what were some of your takeaways from this module?

The key takeaway from this module was understanding the benefit of having a great communications team and governance system that understand social media platforms. Be on the front foot and keep up to date with what is reported, most times the media only republish existing media reports.

We caught up with one of this year's Emerging Leaders Program participants, Meegan Barrett, Team Leader Library and Volunteers at City of Burnside to find out how she is enjoying the program so far. 

What made you sign up for the Emerging Leaders Program?

I’ve been in my current Team Leader role for over four years, and with the City of Burnside for 20 years this year. I seek out opportunities to learn more about myself and my role as a leader in the organisation. The program offered the balance of theory along with practical applications which appealed to me. While it had been more than 30 years since I was last at Uni, the thought of pushing myself out of my comfort zone was another reason I signed up.

A recent module focused on 'leading through change’ – what were some of your takeaways from this module?

The module on change was a day that went by too quickly! The day focussed on setting expectations, drivers for change, internal and external pressures and communication. The takeaways were many and included the practices of active listening and leading by example. We were all encouraged to embed our learnings into our everyday life within the first 24 hours by practicing active listening with our colleagues.

What are you most looking forward to as the program progresses?

The networking opportunities and relationships I have built have been my biggest takeaways at this point. I have met and connected with people from different councils from all over South Australia. I look forward to leveraging these connections in my role as a leader. I am also looking forward to celebrating the successful completion of our projects with the rest of the wonderful group.

We caught up with one of this year's Emerging Leaders Program participants, Egon Loh, Community Development Officer at Mount Barker District Council to find out how he is enjoying the program so far. 

What made you sign up for the Emerging Leaders Program?

I was new in the local government sector (less than a year), and I saw the Emerging Leaders Program as a great opportunity to understand and develop my leadership style, help me understand my strengths and weaknesses, and build valuable connections with fellow peers undertaking the program.

A recent module focused on the ‘Political Context’ – what were some of your takeaways from this module?

I was fascinated by Clinton Jury, Chief Executive Officer, LGA SA presentation about the complexity between the three tiers of government (local, state and federal), and I remembered the exact words Clinton said “the crossover between the three tiers is where the magic happens.”

Alison Hancock, Executive Manager, Mount Barker District Council, also shared about the uniqueness and different working relationships between the administration and the Elected Members, and their separation of roles is quintessential to how local government operates.

This module enabled me to gain a deeper appreciation of the intricacies of working in local government.

What are you most looking forward to as the program progresses?

I am looking forward to the last module of the program (Integration) where I will review the learnings and reflect on my personal growth over the past 5 months in the ELP and I am excited to apply them in my work area.

We caught up with one of this year's Emerging Leaders Program participants, Kat McAteer, Operational Excellence Business Partner at City of Onkaparinga to find out how she is enjoying the program so far. 

What made you sign up for the Emerging Leaders Program?

Participating in this program has been a long-term goal, I consider myself fortunate to have the opportunity to take part this year. It's the local government focus, collaboration opportunities with future leaders from other councils and exploring my leadership style that appealed to me. What makes this experience even more enriching is the practical, hands-on setting in which it takes place, with the invaluable support of LG Professionals SA and UniSA.

The program allows me to expand my knowledge of leadership concepts and practices, challenge my assumptions, explore innovative ways of thinking, and enhance my self-awareness and confidence. It also provides a networking environment with local government professionals, which facilitates not only real-life and tangible learning outcomes, but also offers a unique opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences.

A recent module focused on ‘A Rural Perspective’ – what were some of your takeaways from this module?

The rural module marked the beginning of our participant-led content, and it was exceptionally well-organised and thought-out. It provided us with a comprehensive view of the 'rural perspective,' emphasising both commonalities and differences compared to metropolitan councils. Reflecting on a full day of great content, I particularly enjoyed the site visit to Summit Sports Park and learning about the Gather Round. 

My personal favourite was the panel discussion with Ritu Datta and Nigel Morris, as it provided valuable insights and perspectives, with key takeaways related to the distinct employment opportunities that rural councils can offer and their willingness to explore alternative employment arrangements.

What are you most looking forward to as the program progresses?

I look forward to every module within the program, as well as our weekly project and module team meetings. Each interaction offers a new opportunity for learning, whether through formal lectures or our exchanges with one another. The content is consistently well-suited to local government and is directly applicable to both my professional responsibilities and my personal growth and leadership development.

We caught up with one of this year's Emerging Leaders Program participants, Jade Falco, Service Excellence Coordinator at EastWaste to find out how she is enjoying the program so far. 

What made you sign up for the Emerging Leaders Program?

I have been wanting to sign up for the Emerging Leaders Program for several years and was so happy when the opportunity presented to participate. What interested me about the program is that it is an in-person course, providing an opportunity to meet and work with other Local Government professionals. Also, the Prospectus indicated that there is a great balance of personal development type work i.e. exploring personal behaviours mixed with practical development type work i.e. learning about change management and improving workplace culture.

What was your biggest takeaway from the opening retreat?

I had a mix of excitement and nervousness going into the opening retreat and my biggest takeaway was the confidence boost that it gave me. It showed me that I can do hard things and that the more I push myself out of my comfort zone, the more I can achieve and grow. I also really enjoyed the sessions delivered by UniSA, particularly the topics on the second day regarding leadership, beliefs and values.

What are you most looking forward to as the program progresses?

I am really excited about working with my team to deliver an amazing module about Local Government Sustainability. I am also looking forward to expanding my knowledge, growing as an individual, and increasing my self-confidence throughout the program.

What was your biggest take away from the program?

I really felt that the program gave me a deeper understanding of how local government operates and what it really takes to be a leader when it comes to building a great culture and leading change. I am also thankful for the connections that were built along the way with other program participants. 

What advice would you give to someone considering undertaking the Emerging Leaders Program?

Just do it! You don’t need to have all the skills and knowledge to do this program. You will work with others that are also learning and will pick up the skills you need along the way.