Anchor Your Pitch in APS Priorities
Whenever I coach EL2 candidates, we start by mapping their impact to the priorities listed in the APS Integrated Leadership System. This ensures your story lands with panels expecting strategic thinking, results focus, and stakeholder engagement evidence.
Priority Mapping Steps
- Identify the enterprise outcome or reform agenda you advanced.
- Collect artefacts—briefings, ministerial submissions, or program dashboards—that prove movement.
- Distil each artefact into a headline metric and a leadership behaviour.
I often draw a simple quadrant on a whiteboard to align outcomes, behaviours, risks, and lessons, making the rehearsal more tactile and memorable.
Structure Your Story into Three Segments
The most convincing EL2 pitches I have seen follow a tight three-segment structure. I use the format below to help candidates balance policy depth with accessible storytelling for mixed panels.
Segment 1: Strategic Hook
- Open with the APS priority or reform agenda you directly support.
- Highlight the risk or opportunity in one crisp sentence.
- Name the stakeholders you coordinated to progress the agenda.
Segment 2: Leadership Proof
- Explain how you mobilised EL1s and multidisciplinary teams.
- Share governance structures and decision cadence you established.
- Quantify benefits using budget, policy reach, or community outcomes.
Segment 3: Forward View
- Describe the next reform milestone and what you need authorised.
- Outline risk mitigations and lessons that inform future delivery.
- Invite the panel to engage through a specific collaboration request.
Evidence Leadership with Data and Narratives
EL2 panels expect data, but they also want the story behind the numbers. I pair dashboards with first-hand anecdotes from stakeholder briefings or crisis stand-ups to show how decisions were made. The APS Reform Priorities emphasise transparency and collaboration, so weave those values into your commentary.
Evidence Sources
- Program performance reports and financial acquittals.
- Community feedback, complaints data, or service metrics.
- Lessons learned summaries from post-implementation reviews.
I keep a rolling “impact diary” with time stamps and stakeholder quotes so candidates can surface real-time examples during the pitch Q&A.
Rehearse Delivery with Panel Dynamics in Mind
Mastery comes from rehearsal under pressure. I run mock panels with fellow SES leaders and rotate curve-ball questions about integrity, resourcing, and change fatigue. This aligns with the APS Academy emphasis on adaptive leadership training.
Rehearsal Checklist
- Time the pitch to four minutes with one minute buffer for emphasis.
- Practice transitions between data-heavy slides and narrative beats.
- Prepare concise responses for remuneration, mobility, and capability uplift questions.
After rehearsal, debrief in writing so the improvements feed back into your selection criteria responses and resume.
FAQs
How long should an EL2 pitch run?
Keep it to five minutes or less, covering strategic hook, leadership proof, and forward view with clear time boxes.
What evidence resonates with EL2 selection panels?
Panels respond to quantified outcomes, stakeholder testimonials, and alignment with the APS Integrated Leadership System capabilities.
How do I manage nerves during an EL2 pitch?
Use a storyboard with keywords instead of a script, rehearse with a mentor, and practise pause techniques to control pace.
Next Steps
Turn your EL2 pitch storyboard into complete application collateral by pairing it with a free resume review and booking an executive coaching session for mock panels.
