People think of leadership as something only managers do – something senior staff are exclusively responsible for. Maybe even something you learn on the job once you take on a leadership role!
But in the Queensland Public Service, leadership is an expectation across all roles. When you’re applying for a position in public services, you will have to reference what are known as Leadership Competencies for Queensland (sometimes also called ‘LCQs’), demonstrating how your skills and experience align with them and the position.
While it might not sound like the most interesting part of the job search process, understanding how to identify and express these leadership skills is amazingly transferrable once you’ve developed them. Get your head around how to do this, and you’ve built an invaluable skill that lasts a lifetime, and you might even realise you’ve been a leader all along.
Key takeaways
In a rush? Here’s a quick rundown:
- There are three leadership competencies for jobs in the Queensland public sector: vision, results, and accountability
- Everyone applying for a public service role will have to demonstrate a level of leadership capability, regardless of whether they have a direct report or not
- It's essential to understand these competencies, as they're often directly used in selection criteria, and you'll be required to align your responses with them at multiple stages of the recruitment process
- There's plenty of support available to get you ready for your application and interview, from an entry-level position through to a senior leadership role!
What Are The Leadership Competencies for Queensland?
Even though you might envision an executive as being the key example of a leader, leadership skills are required in all streams of employment in the public service, from an individual contributor all the way through to a chief executive.
The three core competencies – Vision, Results, and Accountability – are the three areas of competency you’ll need to identify and demonstrate within your application.
Let’s break them down. Chances are you’re already demonstrating these in your everyday work or study without even realising it.
Understanding the Leadership Competencies Framework
Vision
This competency is all about applying your critical thinking skills to drive change and innovation, regardless of how complex the situation may be or where you are in the organisation.
Someone with great vision champions positive change, working collaboratively and inspiring others while earning strong support from colleagues along the way. Maybe there was a time you galvanised your team to take on a new process or responsibility, even if it seemed like too much of a challenge at first. Maybe you recognised that the old way of doing things in your area was hampering progress and leading to poor outcomes, and made a plan to engage your team in a new method of tackling tasks.
Ask yourself: When have I identified a problem, worked with others, and achieved an outcome that benefited more than just me?
Results
This is perhaps the most self-explanatory of all the Leadership Competencies for Queensland; ‘results’ is about your ability to get things done and deliver what’s needed. That could mean consistently providing great service, meeting key performance targets, or even finding better ways to support your team’s day-to-day work.
Someone who demonstrates this core competency delivers on organisational goals, adds value wherever they go, and knows when to pivot to ensure that positive trajectory.
Maybe you were working in an underperforming team – how did you engage others to strive for better outcomes? How did you work as a driving force to build better results?
Accountability
This core competency is all about taking responsibility for your actions, showing a deep commitment to transparency and ethical principles. It’s about building trust-enriched relationships and maintaining them by acting with sustained integrity.
Someone who demonstrates accountability admits when they’ve made a mistake and works hard to address the underlying issue. Others trust them to do so, and that makes them highly reliable and effective leaders at any level.
Maybe you were leading a project that encountered a fundamental challenge along the way – whether it was something in your control or otherwise, something that threatened to derail the progress (and morale) of the team. How did you take responsibility at that moment? How did you show your team that you were committed to them and your principles?
Tailoring Your Selection Criteria Response to Match Queensland’s Leadership Competencies
So, how do you create the most effective response to those selection criteria? How do you best demonstrate these leadership skills and demonstrate your ongoing dedication to your own leadership development?
While the leadership competencies for Queensland might not seem like the most thrilling reading material in the world, you're going to have to familiarise yourself with them. But don't worry – doing this is a skill that will sustain you over the entire course of your career in the public sector.
So, we’ll start you off with a hint: the key competencies in position descriptions you need to respond to (are in many cases) reproduced virtually unchanged from Queensland’s Leadership Competencies. The Leadership Competencies also provide examples of evidence that demonstrate your competencies under the heading ‘behavioural indicators’.
From there, all you need to do is think of your example that exhibits these behavioural indicators at the right level, and, using the “STAR” (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method, you’ve got the cheatsheet in your hands!
You might not want to start with the entire framework and work out STAR responses to all of them, but having strong experience in responding to all of them will be an incredible benefit in helping you break down job ads and respond to them in your cover letters and interviews.
How Criterial Can Help
Want more support in understanding the Leadership Competencies for Queensland? Want to realise your own leadership capability and articulate your skills to business leaders in the public service?
Our role at Criterial is to ensure you understand all the jargon and know what’s really being said, so you can really express what it is you need to impress the selection panel. It’s not about having a number of canned responses pre-written for you; it’s about getting that deep confidence and that strong grasp of your material.
The most direct way you can build that confidence (and build your success) is to get started with our flagship course, How to Write Selection Criterion Course. It’s available online for you to complete in your own time, at your own pace.
In the course, you’ll learn:
- How to read and understand a Queensland Government position description.
- How to spot the key words in a selection criterion, as well as how to use them in your response.
- The STAR / SAO models that you'll be expected to use in your response, and how to apply them.
- How to write selection criteria responses to help you win interviews.
- What the selection process is like for the panel, and how you can make yourself the most appealing candidate for an interview
You can get started with a free preview – available right now.
Not sure if that’s your ideal starting point? There’s more support available. We offer a complete range of courses as well as one-on-one coaching (both online and in-person).
Bringing It All Together In Your Application
Leadership competencies are about more than just this singular leadership framework. Understanding that framework is essential to demonstrating your personal qualities for any Queensland Government job you ever want to apply for.
It might seem daunting or complicated, and you might not even think of yourself as having any kind of leadership capability at present! But once you start and once you recognise the patterns, you’re on your way to a successful application.
Want to gain confidence in effective leadership and in your applications?
We’re here for you at Criterial. Browse our full range of courses designed to help you land the public sector job you’re chasing.
Book your free, 15-minute conversation to get some direction on your next steps.
