Accelerator
Short Courses

Stand-alone modules that explore the most popular parts of the full course.

MEETA GANDHI

RICK GOLDRING

Director of Communications, Diversity & Inclusion, Town of East Gwillimbury, ON

Former Mayor Burlington, ON

JOY CRAMER

CEO Southern Chiefs and Former DM, MB

Overview

Become the best leader you can be.

Man working at desk

Inside Public Sector Leadership Accelerators showcase conversations between current and former public sector leaders, politicians, academics, and media experts focusing on a single-topic learning module from the Full Course, plus bonus material. Hearing these powerful stories and lived experiences from Master Mentors helps leaders better understand and navigate the unwritten rules of Canadian public sector leadership and build your political acumen.

Designed for experienced and emerging public sector leaders in Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments, our alumni feel more inspired, confident, and effective after taking the course.

Accelerators

Single-topic learning modules.

Situational Awareness

Strategic agility and anticipation.


  • Two sessions

  • 2.5 hours total

  • Resource room access

  • Bonus session - Intro to Political Acumen

Mentors share how they learned to anticipate and recognize the impact of political, bureaucratic or cultural themes that can have a direct or indirect impact on the ability to carry out the mandate.

Session 1

  • ALLAN SECKEL - Former DAG and DM to the Premier, BC

  • BOB DE FAYE - Former DM Aboriginal Affairs, BC

  • DAPHNE MEREDITH - Former Federal DM

Session 2

  • JOY CRAMER - CEO Southern Chiefs and Former DM, MB

  • THERESA OSWALD - Former Provincial Politician, MB NDP

  • LYNDA TARRAS - Former Public Service Agency Head, BC

Culture, Conflict & Controversy

The search for common ground.


  • Two sessions

  • 3 hours total

  • Resource room access

  • Bonus session - Intro to Political Acumen

Master Mentors share their ideas and opinions about navigating interpersonal conflict between colleagues, managing long standing disagreements, anticipating conflicts and the importance of psychological safety.

Session 1

  • JAMES RIDGE - Former CAO & City Manager Burlington, ON

  • ALISON PAINE - Mediator & Conflict Resolution Expert Former ADM, BC

  • GAIL STEPHENS - Former CAO Winnipeg and City Manager Victoria

Session 2

  • JOY CRAMER - CEO Southern Chiefs and Former DM, MB

  • GEORGE ABBOTT - Former Politician BC Liberals

New to Government

The not-so-basic guide to working in the public sector.


  • Four sessions

  • 4 hours total

  • Resource room access

  • Bonus session - Intro to Political Acumen

Master Mentors share stories and tips on executive roles, going from election to operational reality, and navigating the halls of government.

These panel conversations are designed to make your entry into the public sector from the private sector much easier and may even spare you some costly mistakes.

Session 1

  • JAN SANDERSON - Former DM Children and Youth, MB

  • SCOTT THOMPSON - Former CEO IPAC & Provincial DM, ON and YK

  • DR DAVID ZUSSMAN - Public Administration Professor, University of Victoria and University of Ottawa

Session 2

  • THERESA OSWALD - Former Provincial Politician, MB NDP

  • CHIS TRUMPY - Former DM Finance, BC

  • JANICE BAKER - CAO, Peel Region, ON

Session 3

  • MARGARET BIGGS - Former President CIDA and Professor in Global Public Policy, Queen’s University ON

  • GEORGE ABBOTT - Former Politician BC Liberals

  • RICHARD DICERNI - Former Federal & Provincial DM, AB & ON

Session 4

  • Dr. JARED WESLEY - ‘Pracademic’, University of Alberta

  • Dr. PETER CONSTANTINOU - ‘Pracademic’ York University, ON


Speaking Truth to Power
Political Presence.

  • Two sessions

  • 2.75 hours total

  • Resource room access

  • Bonus session - Intro to Political Acumen

Mentors explore how you can tell your superiors that, in your professional opinion, the options to achieve their goals are slim or costly. In other words, how do you tell them what they don’t want to hear, but what they need to know.

Session 1

  • CAROL BELLRINGER - Former Auditor General, BC and MB

  • JAMES MOORE - Former Federal Politician, Conservatives

  • CASSIE DOYLE - Former Federal & Provincial DM, BC


Session 2

  • GEORGE ABBOTT - Former Politician BC Liberals

  • GAIL STEPHENS - Former CAO Winnipeg and City Manager Victoria

  • DAPHNE MEREDITH - Former Federal DM


Issues Management, Media & Public Engagement
The inside and outside story.

  • Two sessions

  • 3 hours total

  • Resource room access

  • Bonus session - Intro to Political Acumen

Mentors share their perspectives on how leaders in government (federal, provincial and municipal) can manage issues in a 24/7 news cycle including advice on working with traditional media & social media, and the evolution of public engagement today. ​

Session 1

  • LYNDA TARRAS - Former Public Service Agency Head, BC

  • WAYNE WOUTERS - Former Clerk of the Privy Council

  • TRISH MANDEWO - City Councilor City of Coquitlam, BC


Session 2

  • MEETA GANDHI - Director of Communication, Diversity & Inclusion, Town of East Gwillimbury, ON

  • BRIAN LAMBIE - Strategic Communications Expert, ON

  • RICK GOLDRING - Former Mayor of Burlington, ON

Features

Each Accelerator includes

3-4 on-demand
mentor discussions

Unlimited access to resource room learning materials for 6 months

An executive coaching
tip sheet

Access lessons via video or audio so you can learn while you’re on the go

Course delivery style

A conversational approach to learning that’s available via video or audio.

Who the accelerators are for

Inside Public Sector Leadership is designed for emerging and established leaders who work in, or with, public sector organisations, giving participants the tools and the confidence to do their job better.

Aspiring
Leaders

Continuous learners and leaders looking for opportunities to develop and grow in thier career.

Emerging leader

New to
Government

Leaders transitioning from the private sector to the public sector. Understand the differences and pivot your style for greater impact.

Man sitting on desk

Management
Team Leaders

Experienced leaders looking for a program that they can use to upskill and develop their leadership team.

Consultants &
Coaches

Consultants and coaches who need to understand the mechanics of government decision making so they can better support public sector organisations and employees.

Man in blue shirt
  • "Making a mid-career change into the public service requires learning a unique culture that doesn't have parallels in the private sector and leaves one with a lot of questions. This program goes a long way towards answering many of them, even ones you would never have thought of asking."

    Assistant Deputy Minister

  • "Some of the lessons were easy for me based on my experience . . .but some really helped fill in the Swiss Cheese Gaps in my knowledge."

    Assistant Deputy Minister

  • "It is a rare opportunity to access such a well-structured series on leadership in the public service, not just the theory we see in typical programs, but the practical and exciting/gritty reality of what public service leadership is really about."

    David Morhart
    Former Deputy Minister

Our alumni

Learn to navigate the unwritten rules of public sector leadership.