Developing Government Leaders to Meet Today’s Challenges

Government teams face constantly evolving challenges. To meet these challenges, public servants need a professional development program that provides them with fundamental leadership principles and practical, up-to-date leadership tools. Designed specifically for the leaders in state and local government, the EXPSL program is an immersive program that places fellows in cohorts to enable new networking and learning opportunities.

Full cohorts: By sending 25 participants from your state or locality, you can tailor the speakers and content and integrate high-impact group projects. For an extra cost, we can also deliver the program in person in your location or in our Washington, D.C., space, and on an alternative schedule. For more information, contact Jennifer Benbow at jbenbow@ourpublicservice.org or (202)495-3339.

1. Program Structure

• Cohort-based learning: Fellows are placed in cohorts of up to 30 government leaders led by an experienced executive coach.  
• Virtual sessions: EXPSL consists of five, multi-day sessions spread across the year. Each of our five sessions are three days, providing fellows with an immersive experience that leaves ample time to digest program content and build lasting relationships. Multi-week breaks between sessions enable fellows to reflect on program content, apply lessons on the job and identify real-life challenges to workshop in the future.
• Two one-on-one coaching sessions: Fellows also receive two individual, one-hour sessions with their executive coach. During this time, fellows use a 360 leadership assessment tool to delve deeper into their leadership development needs.

2. Leadership Content

• EXPSL aligns with the Public Service Leadership Model, the standard for effective government leadership. The model outlines the core values of government service—stewardship of public trust and commitment to public good—along with four key competencies that all 21^st century leaders need: becoming self-aware, engaging others, leading change and achieving results. 
• Sessions focus on the specific capabilities public servants need to advance their careers, emphasizing hands-on practice of those skills.  
• Fellows who complete the program in full can receive a certification of completion of learning hours.

3. Program Components

• Coursework
  • The EXPSL program uses various learning tools—including simulations and case studies, facilitated discussions, readings and videos, leadership assessments, and hands-on activities—to achieve each session’s learning objectives. To ensure the program offers the highest quality experience, we continually refresh our educational materials. Our lessons reflect the latest knowledge and best practices, and our case studies examine how government employees confront modern challenges. We use evaluation tools to measure learning and adapt the program to fellows’ needs.
• Guest Speakers
  • The EXPSL program brings in guest speakers that enable participants to connect classroom lessons to real-world situations. These experiences offer participants a behind-the-scenes look at innovative leaders and organizations from the public, private, nonprofit and academic sectors. By engaging with these leaders directly, EXPSL fellows make new connections and witness leadership in action.  
• Impact Projects
  • EXPSL participants apply course concepts to create a results-driven, action-learning project that aims to tackle a complex issue relevant to their work. Throughout the program, fellows work with their program coaches and a peer support group to see projects through from start to finish. Key tasks include defining outcomes, finding sponsors, building buy-in, creating deliverables and more.  
• Coaching
  • Coaching and feedback is a critical element of leadership development. That is why fellows receive targeted, individualized support from our team of executive coaches, including two hours of one-on-one executive coaching sessions. 
• Networking
  • Throughout the program, fellows participate in cohort and cross-cohort activities, as well as program-wide networking events to build relationships with peers across government. By joining a community of leaders from different governments and departments, fellows gain ongoing learning and professional development opportunities that continue after graduation. These activities and opportunities support individual leaders in their career journeys, enabling more impact in government and helps government work more effectively.

Session Details

The program consists of five virtual sessions over the course of 9 months. Each session occurs approximately every two months and is three days long.

The program includes a two-hour virtual orientation session.

During the year-long program, fellows remain in their full-time jobs. Fellows also devote up to three hours per week to their impact projects and session pre-work. Fellows are expected to attend all sessions, so applicants should review the class schedule and confirm their availability before applying for the program. Exceptions are made for family and work-related emergencies.

Once accepted into the program, each fellow will be assigned to a cohort led by an executive coach.

Each fellow will also attend a mandatory two-hour virtual orientation session on Sept. 3, 2025, conducted via Zoom for Government.  

All sessions will be conducted via Zoom for Government.

“It truly has impacted how I approach my job. Every day, there is some kind of conflict in my work, and the lessons I learned from the program around leading change and leading people, handling difficult situations and resolving challenges, that’s something I apply every day. It really has made me think about different approaches to problems and has helped me immensely.”

—Program Graduate of EIG (which EXPSL is based on)