In the public sector, we’re trained to scan the horizon: New policy challenges. Political cycles. Economic trends. Resourcing needs.
We’re used to a working environment where advisors give advice, decision makers decide, implementers implement. That’s just how it works, right?
But lately, it feels like the old certainties are gone.
Geopolitical and economic forces are challenging what we long took for granted. Things that used to happen out there in the world are starting to feel closer to home.
And for many public sector leaders, something unsettling is happening beneath the surface.
A realisation that their career – the one they thought was stable, values-aligned, and relatively secure – may be more exposed than they ever imagined.
Not because they did anything wrong. But because geopolitics, economics, and political priorities shifted.
So today I want to ask you a simple but powerful question:
If forces outside your control changed your role tomorrow, how prepared would you be?
In this episode, we’ll talk about how to take back agency over your career BEFORE you’re forced to react.
How Public Sector Leaders Take Agency Over Their Careers
Over the past months, I’ve spoken with several public sector leaders and policy professionals who are deeply unsettled.
Some are watching restructures unfold across their organisations. Others are seeing funding disappear. The political winds are blowing strong. Ways of working are changing, and changing fast.
In international development, health, climate change, and gender equity work, this has been especially stark.
But it feels like NOTHING is certain any more, in any field.
When funding is pulled back or withdrawn completely, the impact doesn’t stop at your organisation. It ripples outward.
Alongside concerns for affected communities, who may lose access to vaccines, healthcare, or climate protection, there’s another worry that’s harder to say out loud:
What does this mean for my job?
For my career?
For my life?
Many public sector leaders are grappling with something they never expected to question: the assumption of job security.
The public sector has typically represented stability and predictability. A long-term career path. A place to contribute meaningfully, without the volatility of other sectors.
But in the current climate, that assumption no longer holds in the same way.
And this is where I want to gently challenge you: Don’t wait to be caught out!
Because when change is forced on you, your options narrow. You’re more likely to take whatever role pays the bills – rather than choosing what truly fits.
What I’m inviting you to do instead is this: Take agency over your career NOW.
Not because something bad will definitely happen.
But because having a plan gives you CHOICE. And choice gives you POWER. And AGENCY over your own life.
Public Sector Leaders Facing A Cliff Edge
Imagine for a moment you’re moving towards the edge of a cliff.
If you wait until you’re standing at the edge, redundancy letter in hand, you’re scrambling. You’re reacting. You’re in survival mode.
But if you start earlier, you get to ‘build your wings’ while you’re still on solid ground.
And here’s the key: Those wings don’t just help if you’re pushed.
They also give you the confidence to jump, deliberately, if you discover a future that excites you more than the one you’re in now.
What does “building your wings” actually involve?
It starts with making space to ask yourself some deep questions.
- How do you want to evolve your contribution to the world?
- What kinds of problems do you want to be working now – and in future?
- What environment helps you do your best work?
- What are your non-negotiables?
This is why I often start with clarifying must-haves and deal-breakers with my clients. It’s a grounding first step. It helps you move from vague anxiety to practical clarity.
This is what I do with my clients in the 90 minute Jumpstart session.
From there, you can begin exploring alternatives, without pressure. Coming up with ideas AND testing them. Talking to people in adjacent fields that exciting you. Imagining futures you may never have given yourself permission to consider.
The goal isn’t to panic. And it’s certainly not to abandon your values or your commitment to public service. It’s to avoid complacency.
Because right now, the public sector is not as insulated from global and political forces as it once was.
And the leaders who will navigate this period with the most confidence are not the ones who assume they’ll be safe. But the ones who prepare thoughtfully.
So if there’s one thing I hope you take away from today, it’s this:
Take control of your career BEFORE circumstances force your hand.
Have ideas in the drawer.
Have options you’ve explored.
Have a sense of direction that’s aligned with who you are now – and how you want to evolve in future.
That way, whatever happens externally, you’re not powerless.
You’re ready.
Until next time: Make space, rediscover YOU, and then take action.