Leadership at AO level
What Leadership looks like at AO (Administrative Officer): reliable delivery of your own work, clear communication and helpful teamwork on everyday tasks, demonstrated through setting direction, inspiring others and taking responsibility.
Assessors look for: evidence that you give clear direction, model the right behaviours and take ownership at a complexity that matches AO.
Example statement
SIn my role I noticed a piece of work that needed a clearer link to wider priorities. Left unchanged, it was creating avoidable rework and distracting colleagues from higher-priority tasks that mattered to our service users.
TI was asked to take practical action so we improved the immediate problem while staying aligned with what the team was measured on.
AI clarified what 'good' looked like with my manager and one colleague who saw the impact daily. I gathered a week of simple evidence (volumes, error notes or user comments) and proposed a small change that showed setting direction, inspiring others and taking responsibility. I tested the change with two people first, wrote a short how-to so others could follow it, and checked after a fortnight whether the original problem had eased. When something did not work, I adjusted the steps rather than abandoning the improvement. I checked progress against the measures we had agreed and adjusted the plan when leading indicators moved. I kept a short decision log so others could see why we chose this path and what we had ruled out. I briefed the people doing the work in plain language, including what would stop as well as what would start. I made sure the result could be evidenced with MI or feedback rather than relying on assertion alone.
RThe change reduced repeat contacts and freed time for priority work. My manager asked me to share the approach at the next team meeting.
Use this as a model, not a script. This is an original example written for this site. Adapt the structure to your own experience. Copying it word for word risks plagiarism and will not reflect your evidence.
Why this matches AO
- Shows evidence that you give clear direction, model the right behaviours and take ownership.
- Uses specific actions and a clear result rather than vague claims.
- Pitched at AO expectations: reliable delivery of your own work, clear communication and helpful teamwork on everyday tasks.
Writing tips for this grade
- Keep STAR; raise the complexity of your Action for AO.
- Avoid confusing this behaviour with other elements. Working Together alone: leadership includes direction and accountability, not only collaboration.
- Check the advert for the exact word or character limit (often 250 words).