For decades, the unwritten rule for senior public servants has been simple: be seen, not heard.
Three years ago, Mike Kaiser told this show it isn't risky to be yourself online, as long as you know where the line is. Since then he has moved from the Queensland Public Service to head up the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water - one of the most scrutinised portfolios in the country - yet he hasn't changed how he shows up.
So we tested it.
For the first time on the show, host Roger Christie runs Propel's Trust Diagnostic over a returning guest, and walks Mike through what the evidence shows: behaviours that run slightly ahead of what he signals; a story that's consistent whether you meet him in person, read his posts or ask AI; effort that focuses more other people's conversations than his own; and a line on contestable departmental issues that - across every post analysed - he never crossed.
Mike reflects on why he writes every word himself, why being too revered is dangerous for any leader, and why a completely risk-averse approach means giving up the very benefits that make engagement worthwhile. He and Roger also discuss the risks that come with success, including what happens when one leader becomes the voice for everything, and how learning from successful principles is far more effective than creating carbon copies online.
In closing, Mike puts a challenge to the sector that, realistically, travels well beyond Canberra. On the old rule that public servants should be seen and not heard, he says: "I don't think that ethos anymore suits a modern public service."
If you lead in the public sector, or advise someone who does, this conversation is rich with evidence and examples that will help take the sector forward.
TIMESTAMPS
04:02 - Why being too revered is dangerous for any leader
07:06 - What Propel's Trust Diagnostic revealed
10:52 - The person you meet is the person doing the work
13:50 - The empty quadrant: knowing where the line is
16:10 - Why defaulting to silence isn't the safe option
18:55 - Act your way into new ways of thinking
20:23 - The risk of becoming all things to all people
26:24 - Seen but not heard? A debate worth having.
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