CITY OF port phillip
Councillor induction training
Executive leadership and high-performing team
OrganisationAL Profile
The City of Port Phillip City is a dynamic local government authority situated along Melbourne’s iconic bayside, encompassing diverse suburbs such as St Kilda, Elwood, Port Melbourne, and South Melbourne. Spanning approximately 20 square kilometres, the City is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, thriving arts scene, vibrant beachside lifestyle, and strong community connections.
The Council is dedicated to delivering inclusive, sustainable services that promote community health, environmental stewardship, and social equity. Guided by values of community first, accountability and working together, the City of Port Phillip actively supports innovation, community engagement, and strategic partnerships to build a resilient, creative, and welcoming city that meets the needs of its diverse and dynamic population.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The City of Port Phillip engaged the Australian Leadership Academy (ALA) to design and deliver a bespoke executive leadership and high-performing team program as part of the mandatory induction training for mayors, deputy mayors, and councillors. Aligned with the Working Together in Council framework, the program supported councillors in developing a shared understanding of their roles, responsibilities, and how they work together as a collective leadership body.
At the heart of the program was the co-creation of a Team Charter, which enabled councillors to share their reasons for standing for council, articulate personal values, and establish clear group expectations. The program emphasised building effective relationships, both within the councillor group and with senior staff, while encouraging open discussion of preferences to navigate differences, resolve disputes, and communicate decisions transparently to the community.
By focusing on the foundations of high-performing teams, councillors developed a collective vision for the future of their group. Grounded in trust, healthy conflict, commitment, accountability, and collective results, the program helped set a strong cultural tone from the outset reinforcing the importance of leadership that is collaborative, values-driven, and aligned in purpose.
City of Port Phillip Councillors
councillor induction training
program outcomes:
Leading with Personal Responsibility
Councillors embraced a strong sense of personal responsibility in their leadership roles, committing to lead with integrity and accountability to both the team and the community. This approach fosters a culture of trust, reliability, and ethical governance—core foundations for effective, values-driven public service.Team Charter
Councillors co-developed a team charter to provide a unified foundation for how they will work together throughout the council term. This collaborative process helped clarify key focus areas for achievement, the importance of leading with ‘why’—understanding and communicating the purpose behind decisions—and the role of strong relationships in effective governance.Values-Based Leadership
Through open dialogue and reflection, councillors surfaced a strong set of shared values—integrity, collaboration, fairness, consistency and transparency. These values reinforce a shared identity and purpose, strengthening cohesion and a commitment to ethical leadership in service of the community.Leading with Impactful Relationships
The program emphasised the critical role of building and maintaining strong, respectful relationships as the foundation for effective governance. Councillors explored the importance of clear and impactful communication, placing strong emphasis on active listening, powerful questions, and open-mindedness—vital capabilities for fostering inclusive, constructive dialogue within the team and in meaningful engagement with the broader community.Collective Results and Performance
Councillors acknowledged their shared responsibility in achieving outcomes that reflect the needs and aspirations of the community. The program the importance of aligning individual contributions with collective goals and modelling behaviours that drive high performance.
“in the service of a high-performimg team cultutre”
Councillor Delegate Feedback
“the importance
of leading
with our
shared values”
Councillor Delegate Feedback
