Leadership at every grade: AA to SCS expectations

Leadership looks different at every grade of the Civil Service, from an AO organising colleagues on a busy shift to a permanent secretary setting direction for thousands. This guide compares the expectations at each level so you can pitch your example correctly.

Why the same behaviour changes by grade

Success Profiles uses one behaviour name, Leadership, but a different level descriptor at each grade. The thread that connects them is constant: visible direction, support for others, fairness and helping teams achieve goals. What grows is the scope, the people you lead through, and how long your example should span.

Pitching the level correctly is half the battle. An impressive story at the wrong level still underperforms, because assessors score against the descriptor for the advertised grade.

A useful rule of thumb: your example should sit at the scale your new role expects. If you would lead nobody directly, show leadership of moments and people around you. If you would lead leaders, your story must contain them.

Leadership at AA to EO

At AA and AO there is no expectation of management. Assessors want enthusiasm and direction in your immediate work: supporting colleagues, acting fairly, and stepping up when the team needs someone to organise the moment. Buddying a nervous new starter or coordinating a shop floor through a launch are classic territory.

At EO the expectation shifts to organising other people's work deliberately. You might rebuild a rota, coordinate volunteers for an event, or run a small project. The marker of EO is that others followed your plan because you gave them one, supported them, and checked progress fairly.

For example, an AO statement might cover a single busy weekend, while an EO statement usually spans several weeks of organising the same group of people towards a goal.

Leadership at HEO and SEO

At HEO you lead a small team or project day to day: briefings, workload, feedback, and keeping people going through pressure. Assessors look for the people side explicitly: a colleague you developed, a struggle you noticed, breaks you protected.

At SEO the lens widens to the whole team over months. You are expected to improve how the team works, not just run it: redesigning a failing routine, building an inclusive culture, developing team members, and showing your changes lasted. One busy week will not carry an SEO statement.

Leadership at Grade 7, Grade 6 and SCS

At Grade 7 you lead through other leaders, often through change: setting direction from strategy, supporting team leaders, and being honest about uncertainty. At Grade 6 you set vision for a broad area and shape culture across boundaries, frequently influencing people you do not manage. At the Senior Civil Service level, leadership is system-wide: whole departments or cross-government programmes, sustained over years, with deliberate building of future leaders.

Notice what does not appear at any level: charisma, job titles, or being the loudest voice in the room. The descriptors reward clarity, fairness and consistency.

Where to go next

See the level descriptors in full on the Leadership framework guide, then read a worked statement at your grade, such as our Leadership HEO example. Still choosing your story? The finding examples guide will help.