Case Studies
At Define Potential we care about relationships and results.
The following case studies share outcomes of previous programs.
CASE STUDY #1
Building Leadership Capability in a Technical Workforce
Medium government agency; 3-year contract; 197 participants; 12 cohorts
In many organisations, leadership roles are a natural progression for high-performing technical experts who often haven’t had the opportunity to build the people and leadership capabilities their new roles demand.
“Great course to get me thinking about my behaviours and be honest about my motivations and reactions.”
Define Potential was proud to partner with an Australian Government Agency in co-designing a fundamental leadership program to help these emerging leaders thrive in their more complex leadership roles.
The DP Approach
We designed a blended learning journey anchored in our Three C’s Methodology:
Collaborate: co-designed sessions and documentation reviews ensuring alignment with the agency’s strategy, leadership framework, and workforce demographics.
Craft: A customised program was created using a modular structure with both horizontal (skills) and vertical (mindset) development. It also had to be practical and scalable across a geographically dispersed team.
Cultivate: provided full project management, ongoing evaluations, and active engagement with stakeholders through kick-off meetings, check-ins, and conclusion reports.
The final product
Providing a mix of virtual and in-person workshops depending on need and location, the modular program covered:
Emerge: Self-awareness, authentic and transformational leadership
Enable: Servant leadership, influencing, negotiation and difficult conversations; collaboration and communication skills
Elevate: Strategic and adaptive leadership; Leading through complexity and change.
The program was delivered over 4 days, in 2-day blocks, 6 weeks apart.
Learning modes included:
- Pre- and post-program confidence and competence self-assessment
- eLearning content (videos, podcasts, articles)
- Virtual and in-person workshops
- Individual leadership experiments
- DiSC Management profiles
- Dedicated peer learning
- Guest speaker sessions from within the organisation
Why it worked
Tailored to the specific needs of the participants, this program emphasised real-world application of leadership skills and fostered ownership and alignment with internal goals. Participants reported an average 30% increase in confidence and 24% increase in competence on completion of the program.
CASE STUDY #2
Confident and Courageous Leaders
Large government department; 3-year contract; 246 participants; 12 cohorts
Delivered across a 15-week period, modules were interspersed with small group coaching. Our team also worked with the client to refine the focus of the program after the first 6 cohorts, increasing the emphasis on individual development, effective communication and supporting high performance.
“The sessions have made me a more confident leader, and it has been invaluable to share our experiences with our peers in a trusting, supportive environment.”
Recognising the changing nature of leadership in a hybrid world, one large government department recognised the need to strengthen leadership capability within its APS6 and EL1 cohort: technically strong professionals who require greater support to lead hybrid teams, build resilience, and step into leadership with confidence.
Define Potential was engaged to co-design and deliver this program designed to improve participants’ ability to lead hybrid teams, communicate effectively, lead with confidence, and demonstrate courage and support inclusive behaviour
The DP Approach
Working closely with the client, we designed a blended learning journey aligned with our Three C’s Methodology:
Collaborate: co-designed sessions with the client ensuring alignment with the strategy and leadership framework.
Craft: A customised 6-module program was created that was supported by coaching, peer learning, self-reflection and practical experiments.
Cultivate: provided full project management, ongoing evaluations, and active engagement with stakeholders through kick-off meetings, check-ins, and conclusion reports.
The final product
Delivered through a mix of virtual and in-person workshops depending on individual cohort needs, this emerging leader program sought to drive real behavioural change through a combination of:
- topical modules
- behavioural amplifiers
- progress ‘pulses’ to measure
- behavioural change
- action-based learning experiments
- self-reflection activities
- Peer coaching
- SES guest speakers
Why it worked
The engaging and practical design of the program, combined with strong facilitation and expert guidance provided participants with an ‘holistic’ leadership learning experience. Because the program was closely aligned to the department’s strategies and frameworks, participants had a more positive experience – quickly applying their learning as they could clearly see how it connected to their work.
CASE STUDY #3
Women in Leadership
Mentoring Program
Multiple cross-government agencies; 2 years,
124 mentoring pairs
Despite progress in diversity, inclusion an equal opportunity, women in some fields continue to face challenges navigating traditionally masculine workplace cultures, a shortage of visible female role models and persistent discriminatory behaviours.
“The whole program was sensational. I will be encouraging my fellow peers to join this journey and experience.”
Define Potential proudly partnered with a Women’s mentoring program with a long-standing history to deliver a revitalised mentoring experience that provided a structured, evidence-based approach that created safe spaces for open dialogue, countered systemic barriers, and empowered participants to build visibility and influence.
The DP Approach
We designed, delivered, and continued to update a detailed mentoring program to meet the organisation’s unique leadership and cultural needs: a blended learning journey anchored in the three C’s Methodology: Collaborate, Craft and Cultivate.
Sessions aligned with the overarching strategy and framework of the program, and following capability reviews and key stakeholder meetings, we created a new, fully customised mentoring and learning experience.
The final product
Mentoring programs are, by their nature, driven by participants, and the series of four workshops we created delivered topical anchor points that encouraged participants’ drive for ongoing discussion and meaningful connection. Participants committed to entering a mentoring relationship, supported by the following program elements:
Workshops:
- Program launch
- Navigating a complex environment
- Maximising impact
- Program finale
Beyond the Workshops:
- DiSC profile
- Individual check-ins
- Network group sessions
- Regular mentor/mentee meetings
Why it worked
The clear structure and support provided by our team - shown through the balance of workshops, check-ins, and networking – created an engaging and meaningful networking and learning experience for both mentees and their mentors. The thoughtful matching of mentors/mentees enabled lasting connections, and participants reported various tangible impacts.
CASE STUDY #4
Supporting the High Performers
Medium Government Agency; 2 years, 34 participants (3 cohorts)
The ability to keep high performing staff can be a challenge for many organisations, as their skills are often in demand. One medium size government agency wanted to combat this by investing in its high performers: people who are technically strong but need to boost non-technical leadership skills. Workforce pressures, digital transformation, and high mobility made building future-ready leaders a key priority.
“I feel more confident that I can take on more responsibility and push to further my career.”
“This has been the best talent program I have participated in.”
Define Potential was engaged to design and deliver an 8-month program to identified ASP5 – EL2 staff members that delivered measurable outcomes, including enhanced leadership capability, confidence, and retention, all while reinforcing the values of respect, integrity, and excellence.
The DP Approach
Collaborating with the client, we designed and delivered a tailored Talent Program focused on developing and keeping high performing staff; a blended learning journey anchored in our Three C’s methodology: Collaborate, Craft, and Cultivate.
Our team linked all activities in the program to the organisation’s Core Capability Framework and best-practice leadership research. This gave participants practical learning experiences while fostering connections and the ability to coach and develop others.
The final product
Over 8 months, participants explored a range of leadership themes and experiences both in structured workshop environments and through supplementary activities such as individual coaching, monthly webinars, a Hackathon, and self-paced development.
The workshops covered the following key topics:
- Program launch
- Navigating a complex environment
- Maximising impact
- Program finale
Why it worked
The engaging and practical design of the program incorporating a variety of learning modes – diagnostics, workshops, coaching, stretch activities – combined with creating a safe space for personal growth and experimentation, resulted in measurable growth in confidence, self-awareness, and leadership capability. It also fostered stronger connections within the organisation, opening avenues for collaboration and communication.
Participants reported a 10% increase in leadership confidence and 20% increase in self-evaluation of leadership capability across the cohorts.
CASE STUDY #5
360º Feedback Program
Large government Agency; 2 years
90 Senior Leaders
Great leaders don’t guess – they get the full picture. 360º feedback delivers clarity and currency from every angle. A large APS agency sought to give their senior executives this level of clarity as the first aspect of a formal SES talent program.
Define Potential was engaged to deliver a 360º feedback tool and debrief process aligned to the APS VICEED and DRIVE frameworks and APS values. The process focused on building capability in line with the APS Performance Leadership Framework.
The DP Approach
We collaborated closely with the client to deliver a process that was innovative and ‘light touch,’ recognising that business-as-usual needed to continue while this program of work was undertaken.
Leveraging our own proprietary 360º tool and a detailed project plan, our team drove the project from set-up to delivery – setting clear milestones, managing risks and communications and tracking completion of questionnaires throughout. We provided ongoing troubleshooting and support as well as managing the debrief and coaching sessions to ensure insights were understood and acted on.
The final product
Over two years, 90 SES officers completed this process, which saw participants receiving their 360 results in small peer coaching sessions of up to 5 people from within the same work group. Group reporting and individual coaching were provided to support this process and anonymity of raters and psychological safety of participants was supported.
To reinforce leadership accountability and support ongoing commitment to development, summarised reports were provided to line managers and the Secretary in separate sessions. The purpose was to provide visibility of current strengths and emerging capability needs. Line managers received executive summary feedback on their staff via one hour briefing sessions, and the Secretary received a manager briefing on all SES staff, along with a cohort level report (which separated SES levels and Divisions).
The Impact
88% of participants found the process beneficial for their ongoing professional development. Majority showed that being debriefed as a group provided unexpected value, as their colleagues were able to provide supporting context and perspective to the feedback they received. Line Managers also commented on the process, with the briefing sessions enabling them to provide “‘extremely valuable, real-time, contextual assistance, support and advice’ in a way that will help them to better guide conversations.