Leadership Lens: Building trust in the public sector
Building an innovative public sector starts with leaders who invest in their people and unlock the full potential of the workforce to shape South Australia’s future, writes the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment, Erma Ranieri.
Leadership in the public sector is underpinned by integrity and accountability, where public value and delivering services to the community are the primary goals.
Leadership is not left to chance or reserved for a selected few but is actively cultivated as a core element of public sector culture. It’s not just about vision – it is about stewardship. It’s not just about influence – but about accountability. It’s not just about outcomes – but about how those outcomes are achieved.
The South Australian Leadership Academy (SALA), led by my office, aims to deliver value to the South Australian community through the development of purposeful, responsive and inspiring public sector leaders. SALA also strives to advance strategic thinking and decision-making, drive uplift in leadership capability across the sector, and assist in leading change and navigating reform.
As well as upholding the public sector values of service, professionalism, trust, respect, collaboration & engagement, honesty & integrity, courage & tenacity, and sustainability, public sector leaders must adopt a “we” mindset, fostering shared decision-making and inclusion and a “people-first” approach.
The real test of leadership, however, is not whether these values are articulated – it is whether they are upheld under pressure, in complex and evolving environments that can be shaped by political cycles, community expectations, and competing stakeholder demands.
It is in these moments when real leadership is on display – when psychologically safe, inclusive and ethical environments are developed, when dissenting views are able to be safely raised, when long-term public value is prioritised, when integrity is upheld, when collaboration is strengthened, and when challenges are met with innovative solutions. That means choosing honesty, openness and authenticity that helps to build trust, which is a foundation of public leadership.
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In what can be a challenging environment, it’s also important that collective leadership fosters clarity of purpose to increase engagement, improve productivity and build resilience. Purpose and passion introduce meaning, and we’re prepared to go the extra mile if we understand the “why” of our work, not just the “what”.
Leadership in today’s public sector also requires the ability to bring together a workforce spanning five generations – each shaped by different experiences, expectations and approaches to work.
Effective leadership recognises that diversity in perspective is not a challenge but a strength. By nurturing a culture grounded in respect, safety and inclusion, we create environments where people feel valued, heard and able to fully contribute, ultimately driving stronger, more sustainable outcomes. When you’re genuinely prepared to pay attention to others, to connect into someone else’s story, and to know what inspires them, that translates into real outcomes. Together with a preparedness to show your own vulnerabilities and the result is a more resilient, adaptable and cohesive workplace culture.
In a public sector environment where resources are finite and demands ever-present, leadership must also shift from measuring success in effort to measuring success through outcomes and focusing on the work that delivers for the community that we serve.
Flexibility is central to this shift, not as an exception, but as a strategic enabler. When appropriately balanced, flexibility enables people to work at their best. For leaders, this requires trust, clarity and open dialogue, where expectations are clear and conversations are anchored in shared accountability. In doing so, the public sector strengthens its position as an employer of choice, recognising that high performance and wellbeing are not competing priorities but mutually reinforcing outcomes.
The South Australian public sector has built exceptionally strong foundations, but leadership is not a static state. We need to continue to invest in leadership as a long-term capability, ensuring programs are linked to real-world application and accountability. The rise of artificial intelligence provides a good example. As the pace of change accelerates, the need for adaptive, values-led leadership becomes even more pronounced.
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Programs like those delivered through the South Australian Leadership Academy play a critical role in ensuring leaders are equipped not just with technical awareness, but with the judgement and confidence to manage change at scale. In this environment, leadership requires a shift from certainty to curiosity. This includes the willingness to ask questions, to seek diverse perspectives, and to acknowledge that some of what will be critical to navigating this next phase is not yet known. The same expectations apply – stewardship of resources, ethical decision-making, collaboration across agencies, and a relentless focus on public value. What changes is the context in which those expectations are exercised. Whether navigating complexity, leading change, or embracing innovation, the core responsibility remains the same – to act in the best interests of the community, with integrity, purpose and trust at the centre of every decision.
Leaders can look to the future, including the opportunities and the challenges that present, positively – as together we advance, inspire and deliver.
Appointed on 1 July 2014, Commissioner for Public Sector Employment Erma Ranieri works passionately towards creating a world leading public sector that serves South Australians well, does what it says it will do, and to which every public servant is proud to belong.
With the role of the public sector being to serve and support South Australia to thrive, Erma leads sector-wide reform to modernise the public sector and continue to build on its value and service to the South Australian community.
Erma has worked for more than 30 years to help organisations optimise productivity and employee wellbeing. She was named a 2014 Telstra Business Woman of the Year as SA Winner of the Telstra Community and Government Award for her role in leading transformational change throughout the public sector.
With a key focus on diversity and gender equality in leadership as business imperatives for the public sector, Erma continues to challenge cultural and structural barriers to drive innovative, collaborative and connected services for the community.
Leadership Lens is a monthly column produced alongside the Leaders Institute of South Australia. Click here to read the series.
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