How Do You Know If You’re Ready for EL1?

Many APS employees spend time wondering whether they are ready for an EL1 opportunity. The question often emerges after several years at the APS6 level, after completing a challenging project, following positive performance feedback or when an acting opportunity becomes available.

Readiness can feel difficult to assess because there is rarely a single moment when someone suddenly becomes an EL1. Professional growth tends to occur gradually through a series of experiences that expand a person’s perspective, strengthen their judgement and increase their confidence in navigating complexity.

The people who progress successfully into EL1 roles often describe a period where they began thinking differently about their work, their colleagues and the organisation around them. Their focus expanded beyond their own responsibilities and towards the broader outcomes their team, branch or agency was trying to achieve. They became increasingly interested in how decisions were made, how priorities were balanced and how leaders created the conditions for others to perform at their best.

For many APS employees, readiness for EL1 develops long before they decide to submit an application.

Your Perspective Has Expanded Beyond Your Immediate Responsibilities

APS6 employees are frequently recognised for the quality of their work, their technical expertise and their ability to deliver results. These capabilities continue to be important at EL1, while leadership responsibilities often require a broader perspective that considers organisational priorities, stakeholder interests, competing demands and longer-term outcomes.

Many people discover that they are becoming ready for EL1 when they begin paying attention to questions that extend beyond their own workload. They become curious about why particular decisions are made, how risks are managed, how resources are allocated and how different parts of the organisation work together to achieve outcomes.

This broader perspective often develops naturally through experience. A project that requires collaboration across multiple teams, a piece of work that attracts executive attention or an opportunity to represent a team in stakeholder discussions can all contribute to a deeper understanding of the wider organisational environment.

People Seek Out Your Judgement

One indicator that often goes unnoticed is the degree to which others seek your advice, perspective and judgement.

Colleagues begin asking for your input on complex issues. Managers involve you in discussions that require careful consideration. Stakeholders approach you because they trust your understanding of the work and your ability to navigate competing interests.

These experiences provide valuable opportunities to develop leadership capability because they require more than technical expertise. They involve listening carefully, weighing different perspectives, exercising judgement and helping others move forward with confidence.

Over time, these responsibilities help build the leadership capability that organisations look for in EL1 employees.

You Are Creating Outcomes Through Other People

As careers progress, success becomes increasingly connected to the ability to support and influence others.

Many APS6 employees develop this capability through mentoring colleagues, coordinating projects, supporting new team members, leading working groups or building relationships across organisational boundaries. These experiences strengthen communication skills, stakeholder management and the ability to create alignment around shared objectives.

The capacity to achieve outcomes through collaboration becomes increasingly important because many organisational challenges require multiple people, teams and stakeholders to work together effectively.

People who are developing readiness for EL1 often find themselves contributing to outcomes that are larger than any individual piece of work.

Acting Opportunities Can Accelerate Development

An acting EL1 opportunity can provide one of the richest leadership development experiences available within the APS.

The value extends well beyond determining whether promotion is the right next step. Acting opportunities create a deeper appreciation of the responsibilities associated with leadership and provide practical experience in areas that may previously have been observed from a distance.

Many people gain a greater understanding of how priorities are balanced when resources are limited, how leaders navigate competing stakeholder expectations and how decisions are made when multiple considerations need to be taken into account simultaneously.

This perspective often strengthens performance when employees return to their APS6 role. They develop a better understanding of what their managers are trying to achieve, communicate more effectively, anticipate issues earlier and contribute more strategically to discussions and decision making.

Acting opportunities also create valuable examples that can be used in future applications and interviews. Leadership stories grounded in real experience often provide richer evidence because they demonstrate how capability has been applied in practice. Experiences that begin with “When I was acting in an EL1 role…” provide concrete examples of leadership, judgement, communication and stakeholder engagement that can be difficult to obtain elsewhere.

Areas That Are Frequently Overlooked

Many people focus their development efforts on becoming more knowledgeable, more efficient and more technically capable. These areas remain important throughout a career, while several other aspects of leadership development often receive less attention.

Developing others is one example. Employees who support colleagues, share knowledge and contribute to team capability are building leadership skills that become increasingly valuable at higher classifications.

Organisational awareness is another area that deserves attention. Understanding how decisions are influenced, how priorities are established and how different parts of an agency interact can significantly strengthen leadership effectiveness.

Feedback also plays an important role in professional growth. People who actively seek feedback often gain a clearer understanding of how others experience their leadership and identify opportunities that may otherwise remain hidden.

Why the Move to EL1 Can Be Worthwhile

An EL1 role creates opportunities to contribute in different ways, expand professional influence and develop leadership capability. Many employees value the opportunity to lead teams, support the development of others, contribute to strategic discussions and play a greater role in shaping organisational outcomes.

The transition also encourages growth. New responsibilities, broader perspectives and increased complexity create learning opportunities that strengthen confidence, judgement and self-awareness over time.

Even for people who are not actively pursuing promotion, developing the capabilities associated with EL1 can improve performance, increase influence and create new opportunities for contribution within the organisation.

Preparing for the Next Stage of Your Career

Developing readiness for EL1 is best viewed as an ongoing process rather than a destination. Leadership capability grows through experience, reflection, feedback and a willingness to step into situations that stretch existing skills and perspectives.

For those preparing for APS recruitment and promotion processes, my book The APS Recruitment Game provides practical insights into how recruitment decisions are made, what selection panels are looking for and how applicants can present their experience effectively.

Choose the right support for your career stage

My coaching supports APS employees who are preparing for acting opportunities, considering promotion pathways, navigating leadership transitions or seeking to strengthen their leadership capability. Coaching provides dedicated space to reflect on challenges, identify development opportunities and build confidence for the next stage of a career.

The question of readiness often creates valuable reflection because it encourages people to consider the capabilities they are developing today and the contribution they want to make in the future. The experiences, relationships and leadership opportunities that support readiness for EL1 can strengthen performance and career satisfaction regardless of when the next opportunity arises.