Section A
By profession, I am a lawyer. I am fortunate to be employed in the public service and work within a
national team comprising some of Australia’s most respected lawyers. My professional supervisor,
Brooke, is someone who displays leadership in her roles as senior executive lawyer, director of the
Perth and Darwin offices, and supervisor to junior lawyers. While a new starter, Brooke guided me in
the areas of practice management, building client relationships, and advice writing, which were
fundamental to my role. Brooke has led my development through a structured performance plan, which
is used to record goals and discuss feedback in my current role, and as a facilitator for career
conversations. Most recently, Brooke has advocated for my involvement in challenging legal matters in
the national interest and encouraged me to complete a secondment in another agency to gain a variety
of experience on different matters and projects.
I have observed Brooke to exhibit a transformative approach to leadership, which is an approach reliant
on the leader’s ability to influence others to assist and transform followers to achieve their goals. (1)
Transformational leadership may be characterised by factors including the idealised influence of the
leader who acts as a role model for followers, inspirational motivation and the communication of high
expectations to followers, the stimulation of followers to be creative and innovative in reaching their
goals, and the consideration of the individual needs of followers. (2) Consistent with the results of
numerous studies which have found that female leaders were more transformational than male leaders
due to stronger social and emotional skills which contribute to charisma, Brooke presents as a self-
confident and moral individual who has confidence, and particularly during times where I am lacking in
confidence, in my ability to meet the goals that are set for me. (3) As a mentee, I have great respect for
Brooke and would like to follow a similar path to a prominent position in the future. Brooke has been a
continued source of inspirational motivation for me, as we have had many encouraging conversations
that have made me feel valued and integral to the team at times when I have felt low. During those
times, Brooke allowed me to express my feelings and needs for greater challenges and worked with me
to develop goals to meet them. This is best demonstrated through her facilitation of a secondment,
which has empowered me to branch out into areas of law beyond what I thought I could achieve, and
develop my legal, people and business skills. Lastly, under a transformational leadership style, I have
gained a renewed and increased sense of confidence, job satisfaction and motivation to work for the
betterment of my own future and that of my workplace.
Section B
While my role as a lawyer requires me to be very self-directed in my work and manage my own
caseload, there are many opportunities to work as part of a team and be a leader. For example, in my
current position I encourage collaboration and participation through the facilitation of lunchtime “Brew
and Stew” sessions which provides lawyers with an opportunity to meet in an informal setting and
discuss complex legal concepts, share experiences, and learn from each other. Additionally, I am
passionate about fostering a safe work environment that prioritises the development of junior staff, and
so am involved in designing and running training for new starters. In the future, I would like to continue
with these goals of directing and supporting others to achieve their individual goals and the goals of the
team, although doing so in a way that is best suited to their individual needs.
As a lawyer in the public service, my work presents a unique opportunity to employ legal expertise,
dedicated client service and relationships, involvement in matters of national significance, and
collaboration in an inclusion environment where everyone’s contribution is valued. Given the variation in
my work, I would apply a situational leadership style to effectively influence the different types of people
I work with. Situational leadership is composed of directive and supportive dimensions, that are applied
in varying degrees based upon a particular situation and needs of the followers. (4) Directive
, behaviours include providing direction and setting goals, while supportive behaviours include providing
social and emotional support through communication, and effective leadership balances these
dimensions according to the situation. (1) The balance of these dimensions can be classified into the
following categories: (4)
1. Style 1 (S1) – high directive – low supportive
2. Style 2 (S2) – high directive – high supportive
3. Style 3 (S3) – high supportive – low directive
4. Style 4 (S4) – low supportive – low directive
There are several ways in which I would incorporate situational leadership into my work. For example,
before delivering training to new starters or conducting “Brew and Stew” sessions, I would firstly assess
follower competence and commitment by surveying which topics should be covered during these
sessions and when, or alternatively considering followers’ experience as an indicator of competence
and level of knowledge in circumstances where I am unable to conduct follower self-rated
assessments. (5) Based on the results, I would then design the sessions to suit the learning style of
followers and lead them in a collaborative way to improve relationships and increase job satisfaction,
trust and respect. (6) As follower competence grows over time, I would aim to shift my leadership style
from one that is directed and facilitated by myself (i.e., style 2) to one in which I offer less input and
social support (i.e., style 4), to empower followers to have greater influence and control over the design
and running of these sessions. Ideally, follower competence and commitment would be assessed on a
regular basis to ensure that the most appropriate situational leadership style is applied at any given
time, particularly having regard to the fact that follower demographics are likely to change and evolve
over time.
Another way in which I would aim to demonstrate situational leadership in my current work is through
my relationship with my legal assistant, who manages my administrative business. This relationship is
representative of situational leadership, as it is characterised by the giving of instructions and fostering
a positive relationship that encourages my legal assistant to perform at her best. In particular, I would
use a high supportive style that includes giving praise and allowing my legal assistant to have day-to-
day control over how she accomplishes the tasks that are set for her. This fosters a relationship based
on mutual trust and respect, creates a positive working environment, and increases job satisfaction.
To be an effective situational leader, I must take specific actions to develop my ability to lead. The
unique demanding and changing of my work means that I must be decisive in my actions, sensitive to
varying situations, and conscious of the interests of my colleagues. The specific actions that I would like
to take include making a greater effort to form a positive working relationship with followers. This is
because followers are unequivocally intrinsic in the leadership process, and equal to leaders. (7)
However, particularly during times of elevated stress at work, it has been easy to sometimes forget to
place due value on followers as their contribution greatly affects and supports my ability to perform well
as a leader. To foster cooperation in the future, I would like to deliver more praise that encourages
followers to be devoted to reach their goals enthusiastically, and facilitate a two-way conversation in
which followers can provide feedback so that I may better adapt my leadership style to meet their
needs.
Another action I would like to take is to develop the ability to cautiously consider all possibilities. This
would be beneficial as in my work I am responsible for conducting appropriate inquiry into legal issues,
applying the correct law to each situation, and providing advice that has legal merit. Situational
awareness is critical as clients depend on lawyers to be conscious of all legal arguments as a way of
ensuring informed decision-making. To develop this skill, I would commit to learning more about the
current evolution of the status of the law and the details surrounding it so I may then be able to apply it
appropriately to analogous situations when providing advice and presenting arguments in court. In my
By profession, I am a lawyer. I am fortunate to be employed in the public service and work within a
national team comprising some of Australia’s most respected lawyers. My professional supervisor,
Brooke, is someone who displays leadership in her roles as senior executive lawyer, director of the
Perth and Darwin offices, and supervisor to junior lawyers. While a new starter, Brooke guided me in
the areas of practice management, building client relationships, and advice writing, which were
fundamental to my role. Brooke has led my development through a structured performance plan, which
is used to record goals and discuss feedback in my current role, and as a facilitator for career
conversations. Most recently, Brooke has advocated for my involvement in challenging legal matters in
the national interest and encouraged me to complete a secondment in another agency to gain a variety
of experience on different matters and projects.
I have observed Brooke to exhibit a transformative approach to leadership, which is an approach reliant
on the leader’s ability to influence others to assist and transform followers to achieve their goals. (1)
Transformational leadership may be characterised by factors including the idealised influence of the
leader who acts as a role model for followers, inspirational motivation and the communication of high
expectations to followers, the stimulation of followers to be creative and innovative in reaching their
goals, and the consideration of the individual needs of followers. (2) Consistent with the results of
numerous studies which have found that female leaders were more transformational than male leaders
due to stronger social and emotional skills which contribute to charisma, Brooke presents as a self-
confident and moral individual who has confidence, and particularly during times where I am lacking in
confidence, in my ability to meet the goals that are set for me. (3) As a mentee, I have great respect for
Brooke and would like to follow a similar path to a prominent position in the future. Brooke has been a
continued source of inspirational motivation for me, as we have had many encouraging conversations
that have made me feel valued and integral to the team at times when I have felt low. During those
times, Brooke allowed me to express my feelings and needs for greater challenges and worked with me
to develop goals to meet them. This is best demonstrated through her facilitation of a secondment,
which has empowered me to branch out into areas of law beyond what I thought I could achieve, and
develop my legal, people and business skills. Lastly, under a transformational leadership style, I have
gained a renewed and increased sense of confidence, job satisfaction and motivation to work for the
betterment of my own future and that of my workplace.
Section B
While my role as a lawyer requires me to be very self-directed in my work and manage my own
caseload, there are many opportunities to work as part of a team and be a leader. For example, in my
current position I encourage collaboration and participation through the facilitation of lunchtime “Brew
and Stew” sessions which provides lawyers with an opportunity to meet in an informal setting and
discuss complex legal concepts, share experiences, and learn from each other. Additionally, I am
passionate about fostering a safe work environment that prioritises the development of junior staff, and
so am involved in designing and running training for new starters. In the future, I would like to continue
with these goals of directing and supporting others to achieve their individual goals and the goals of the
team, although doing so in a way that is best suited to their individual needs.
As a lawyer in the public service, my work presents a unique opportunity to employ legal expertise,
dedicated client service and relationships, involvement in matters of national significance, and
collaboration in an inclusion environment where everyone’s contribution is valued. Given the variation in
my work, I would apply a situational leadership style to effectively influence the different types of people
I work with. Situational leadership is composed of directive and supportive dimensions, that are applied
in varying degrees based upon a particular situation and needs of the followers. (4) Directive
, behaviours include providing direction and setting goals, while supportive behaviours include providing
social and emotional support through communication, and effective leadership balances these
dimensions according to the situation. (1) The balance of these dimensions can be classified into the
following categories: (4)
1. Style 1 (S1) – high directive – low supportive
2. Style 2 (S2) – high directive – high supportive
3. Style 3 (S3) – high supportive – low directive
4. Style 4 (S4) – low supportive – low directive
There are several ways in which I would incorporate situational leadership into my work. For example,
before delivering training to new starters or conducting “Brew and Stew” sessions, I would firstly assess
follower competence and commitment by surveying which topics should be covered during these
sessions and when, or alternatively considering followers’ experience as an indicator of competence
and level of knowledge in circumstances where I am unable to conduct follower self-rated
assessments. (5) Based on the results, I would then design the sessions to suit the learning style of
followers and lead them in a collaborative way to improve relationships and increase job satisfaction,
trust and respect. (6) As follower competence grows over time, I would aim to shift my leadership style
from one that is directed and facilitated by myself (i.e., style 2) to one in which I offer less input and
social support (i.e., style 4), to empower followers to have greater influence and control over the design
and running of these sessions. Ideally, follower competence and commitment would be assessed on a
regular basis to ensure that the most appropriate situational leadership style is applied at any given
time, particularly having regard to the fact that follower demographics are likely to change and evolve
over time.
Another way in which I would aim to demonstrate situational leadership in my current work is through
my relationship with my legal assistant, who manages my administrative business. This relationship is
representative of situational leadership, as it is characterised by the giving of instructions and fostering
a positive relationship that encourages my legal assistant to perform at her best. In particular, I would
use a high supportive style that includes giving praise and allowing my legal assistant to have day-to-
day control over how she accomplishes the tasks that are set for her. This fosters a relationship based
on mutual trust and respect, creates a positive working environment, and increases job satisfaction.
To be an effective situational leader, I must take specific actions to develop my ability to lead. The
unique demanding and changing of my work means that I must be decisive in my actions, sensitive to
varying situations, and conscious of the interests of my colleagues. The specific actions that I would like
to take include making a greater effort to form a positive working relationship with followers. This is
because followers are unequivocally intrinsic in the leadership process, and equal to leaders. (7)
However, particularly during times of elevated stress at work, it has been easy to sometimes forget to
place due value on followers as their contribution greatly affects and supports my ability to perform well
as a leader. To foster cooperation in the future, I would like to deliver more praise that encourages
followers to be devoted to reach their goals enthusiastically, and facilitate a two-way conversation in
which followers can provide feedback so that I may better adapt my leadership style to meet their
needs.
Another action I would like to take is to develop the ability to cautiously consider all possibilities. This
would be beneficial as in my work I am responsible for conducting appropriate inquiry into legal issues,
applying the correct law to each situation, and providing advice that has legal merit. Situational
awareness is critical as clients depend on lawyers to be conscious of all legal arguments as a way of
ensuring informed decision-making. To develop this skill, I would commit to learning more about the
current evolution of the status of the law and the details surrounding it so I may then be able to apply it
appropriately to analogous situations when providing advice and presenting arguments in court. In my
