Presentation (20 minutes) – maximum of TWO speakers per presentation TAFE Directors Australia Convention 2026

Leadership as Practice: Embedding Capability and Culture in a Learning Organisation (132127)

Cheryl Wilson 1 , Tamara Cousins 1
  1. Melbourne Polytechnic, Fairfield, VICTORIA, Australia

At Melbourne Polytechnic (MP), we implement a holistic approach to developing leadership capability.  Recognising the power of TAFE lies in its people, we developed MP’s contextualised Leadership Capability Standards (LCS) that describe the knowledge, skills and attributes of effective leaders. The Standards reinforce our commitment to quality leadership and promote a shared language and understanding of what constitutes effective leadership at MP.  They are closely aligned to our organisational strategy, values and vision, and informed by best practice and current research.

We believe leadership is not a position, but a practice inherent in all roles. Every person has the potential to influence student outcomes through the way they lead learning, relationships and culture.

To enhance leadership influence at MP we have designed, delivered and evaluated a suite of professional learning that equips our people to lead for success.  These include:

  • Tailored and differentiated leadership development program for senior leaders, middle managers, education leaders, and aspiring leaders;
  • Leader as Coach to build coaching capability;
  • Becoming an Effective Mentor to strengthen mentoring practice;
  • Individualised leadership coaching and mentoring.

Together, these programs have strengthened the skills and professional identity of our workforce as leaders within a learning organisation. While the original focus was capability uplift, the broader impact has been cultural; fostering trust, collaboration and shared accountability for continuous improvement.

In this interactive workshop participants will:

  • Explore a framework for workforce leadership development
  • Gain practical strategies to design initiatives that build capability and culture across all roles
  • Reflect on their own organisational context to identify opportunities for impact.

The workshop facilitators are qualified coaches and highly experienced leaders across multiple educational sectors. Cheryl holds a Master of Education (Leadership & Management), whilst Tamara holds a Master of Education and a Diploma of Vocational Education & Training. 

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