Shifting mindsets for a future-ready public sector
2025 Chief Executive and Emerging Leader Breakfast
How does the public sector stay relevant? How does a sector bound by bureaucracy, process and legislation stay ahead of the curve and be responsive to global trends and community expectations.
No small challenge.
At the Chief Executive and Emerging Leader Breakfast on 28th of May, these were the very challenges addressed by our expert Michael McQueen, a leading trend forecaster, business strategist, and author.
For our audience of over 500 senior and emerging leaders from across the public purpose landscape in Queensland, we asked Michael to explore how leaders can help to ensure the sector stays relevant and builds momentum in a rapidly evolving landscape.
What Michael delivered was an exploration into three key mindsets that, if applied, can help to enable future readiness in public sector organisations.
1. Think tides, not waves
Some changes are more than just a passing trend. They embed lasting change. They twist the dial on how we work, interact, communicate, and relate.
Waves roll in and recede at a fast rate. Tides however, move silently and usually without our conscious awareness. Michael argues that so do the trends that have a lasting impact on the public sector.
As Michael plainly put it, “You cannot jump at every fad, every wave that comes along. If you’ve been in the public sector for more than six minutes, you might have noticed a few fads over the years. Those waves that you’ve been told are the ‘next big thing’! And then a year later, whatever came of that? Nothing ever came of that. It was a wave, but what are the tides?”
Michael offered Generative AI and generational shifts (which he explored through Gen Z) as significant tides for sector leaders to pay conscious attention to.
2. Think curiosity, not certainty
Habits and certainty give us a sense of safety and comfort. If we know what to expect, there is nothing to fear, right?
Michael challenged us to see a certainty mindset as obsolete in an ever-changing world. He said: “How do we think curiosity, not certainty? I get it, in a time when things are rapidly changing there is often this instinctive desire in all of us to cling to what we know – what feels certain, what’s proven, what’s predictable. And while that might feel like the most safe thing to do, can I suggest it is also the most risky, the most dangerous thing to do right now.”
Being curious is a challenge for leaders working in complex public environments. Michael suggested that what we often label as change resistance is, in fact, fear of loss – and he explored how leaders can use this knowledge.
3. Think progress, not precedent
In the public sector, processes and practices ensure integrity, probity and fairness. But habitual thinking can hold back innovation.
Michael compared the future-readiness mindset to the mindset of a gardener: “Some things we may need to prune away from the past, if you are going to be more progress than precedent focused. These aren’t bad things, they’re not bad initiatives, they’re not bad programs. They’re things that are still working, still effective… And sometimes gearing up for the future is not just getting rid of dead wood, it’s actually getting rid of things that are good but they’re not the best in terms of where you need to grow.”
What are people saying about this event?
Big thanks to IPAA Queensland for hosting such a sharp, energising event. Left the room with ideas still buzzing and had some great follow-up conversations back at the office.
Andy Anastasi, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services
This morning, I had the pleasure of attending the IPAA Queensland Chief Executive and Emerging Leaders Breakfast — connecting with like-minded leaders from local government, state and federal agencies, and industry partners. Delivering people-centric outcomes is challenging as it is. But with rapid technological advancement and increasing societal disengagement, the role of leadership in public administration has never been more critical.
Sai Wai Yan, Queensland Department of Education
It was an energising event filled with thought-provoking ideas, especially from keynote speaker Michael McQueen, who delivered an exceptional presentation.
Angela Masson, Department of Housing, Local Government, Planning and Public Works
A standout message from keynote speaker Michael McQueen was the importance of proactively anticipating, embracing, and adapting to change to stay relevant and successful… The panel discussions were equally insightful, following this theme and with thoughtful perspectives on embracing the perspectives of our Gen Z colleagues.
Kirsty Smith, Holding Redlich
What really stood out was the optimism and ambition in the room. Emerging leaders who are curious, connected, and ready to shape the future.
Slaven Drinovac, Coaching Centre
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Thank you to our event partners
About the Chief Executives and Emerging Leaders Breakfast
IPAA Queensland’s annual and hugely popular signature event, the Chief Executives and Emerging Leaders Breakfast, is hosted annually at Brisbane’s iconic City Hall.
This renowned event provides a perfect opportunity for chief and senior executives from across the Queensland public purpose sector to invest in the talent of the future and recognise young professionals in their organisation.