Executive Learning

The Canada School of Public Service offers programs, courses, events and a personalized support exclusively dedicated to executives in the public service (from new to seasoned executives), to help them foster innovation, encourage collaboration and deliver real results for Canadians. These learning opportunities are practice-oriented in the workplace and draw on experienced leaders and experts in leadership, innovation and decision-making.

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EXecuTALK: Be the Leader Everyone Wants to Work For

Video 32 mins

Retired assistant deputy minister Pablo Sobrino discusses how leaders can create meaningful and effective employee engagement in the workplace to increase innovation, productivity and performance. This EXecuTALK will help leaders be more aware of their own behaviours when managing and mobilizing employees in a time of crisis—a good way to ensure motivation and open channels while deploying services and personnel to initiatives that protect Canadians.
EXecuTALK: Public Service Renewal: An Act of Intelligent Risk Taking

Video 36 mins

It is important to take intelligent risks and make sound decisions in a time of crisis. In this EXecuTALK, Patrick Borbey, President of the Public Service Commission, talks about how his organization is embracing intelligent risk taking and innovation in staffing to support public service renewal. You will gain specific insight into how to take risks when a limited amount of information is provided in a national and global context.
Best Advice Executive Series: Daniel Watson on Leadership Behaviours

Video 5 mins

Deputy Minister Daniel Watson shares his foundational principles for dealing with situations that are beyond one’s control.
EXecuTALK: A special event - Building and Maintaining a Culture of Inclusion

Video 1 hr 30 mins

Yazmine Laroche, Deputy Minister, Office of Public Service Accessibility, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat moderates a panel discussion with Valerie Gideon, Associate Deputy Minister, Indigenous Services Canada, Paule-Anny Pierre, Executive Director, Centre on Diversity and Inclusion, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, and Jacqueline Rigg, Chief Executive Officer, Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada who share insights and advice on how to enact meaningful change towards a culture of inclusion in the federal public service.
Finding Opportunities in Challenging Times

Resource 1 hr 30 mins

Developed as a tool for executives during the COVID-19 pandemic, this resource provides a step-by-step guide to having meaningful conversations to help employees navigate constructively in a challenging situation.
Finding the Right Work-Life Balance

Resource 1 hour

This simple and powerful coaching tool will help achieve the right work-life balance.
Leading in Uncertainty: Using Uncertainty to Create the Future

Job Aid 30 mins

This tool will help leaders reflect on their changing environment and support team engagement towards designing the future state.

Leading in Uncertainty: Using the VUCA Approach

This quick reference tool provides tips for leading in uncertainty using the VUCA approach.

Tags: Job aid; Executive Learning; Leadership; Executives; Team; Remote Work; Uncertainty; Agile; Executives

Finding the Right Work-Life Balance

This simple and powerful coaching tool will help achieve the right work-life balance.

Tags: Podcast; Executive learning; Executive Learning; Leadership; Executives; Work-Life Balance; Stress; Coaching; Worksheet; Executives

Episode 3: How to Survive as an Executive: Leading with Calm and Authenticity

You love your job as an executive, but it's not always easy. You do your best to balance your personal life with your professional role. When stress arises, you strive to remain calm and behave in an authentic way while staying open to the world.

Tags: Podcast; Executive learning; Executive Learning; Leadership; Executives; Relationship; Identity; Stress; Authentic; Work-Life Balance; Podcast; Executives

Episode 2: How to Survive as an Executive: The 3 Cs of Networking – Create, Connect and Contribute

Networking. Intimidating and dreaded by many, this professional activity is vital to increasing your knowledge and maintaining your relationships

Tags: Podcast; Executive learning; "EN: Executive Learning; Leadership; Team; Executives; Communication; Network; Networking; Connect; Relationship; Podcast; Executives


Episode 1: How to Survive as an Executive: Leading Remotely in a Crisis

The Government of Canada pivoted quickly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From coast to coast to coast, executives led their teams in transitioning to home offices while continuing to serve Canadians and adapt to the national lockdown
Tags: Podcast; Executive learning; Executive Learning; COVID-19; Leadership; Team; Remote Work; Executives; Communication; Podcast; Executives

Best Advice Executive Series - Deputy Minister Daniel Watson

Deputy Minister Daniel Watson shares some key practical elements to support executives when advising senior leaders.

Tags: Video; Executive Learning; Leadership; Best Advice; Executives.


EXecuTALK: Be the Leader Everyone Wants to Work For with Pablo Sobrino

Designed for executives, EXecuTALKs are short webcast events designed to provide fast knowledge-sharing and learning to the executive community from the comfort of a desktop or mobile device. They feature engaging leaders sharing their expertise and direct executive experience on timely subjects that affect their peers.

Tags: Video; Executive Learning; ExecuTALK, Leader; Leadership; Decision Making; Experience; Executives.

EXecuTALK: Public Service Renewal: An Act of Intelligent Risk Taking with Patrick Borbey

Designed for executives, EXecuTALKs are short webcast events designed to provide fast knowledge-sharing and learning to the executive community from the comfort of a desktop or mobile device. They feature engaging leaders sharing their expertise and direct executive experience on timely subjects that affect their peers.

Tags: Video; Executive Learning; ExecuTALK, Leader; Leadership; Decision Making; Experience; Executives.

Guide to meaningful conversations: A coaching approach

Developed as a tool for executives during the COVID-19 pandemic, this resource provides a step-by-step guide to having meaningful conversations to help employees navigate constructively in a challenging situation. Inspired by the GROW model of coaching and mentoring, the approach aims to:   

  • better understand how each employee is dealing with the challenging situation  

  • identify strategies to maintain a work-life balance  

  • explore as a team how to work most effectively during this period 

Tags: Executive Learning; COVID-19; Leadership; Team; Guide; Remote Work; Executives.