THIS LEADING CHANGE ECQ HAS BEEN MODIFIED AND IS ONLY A PARTIAL STORY. EACH SES CANDIDATE HAS A DIFFERENT STORY TO TELL WITH DIVERSE COMPETENCIES EXPLAINING THEIR INDIVIDUAL EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS. NO TWO LEADING CHANGE ECQ STORIES ARE THE SAME.
Throughout my nearly three decades of federal, military, and private-industry leadership roles, I have learned to create and implement forward-thinking organizational visions and plans. A prime example took place in 2024 in my role as the Chief Technology Officer at XXXX. At the time, the Enterprise Lifecycle Management Tool (LMT) required a higher level of data protection for mission-critical information and national security systems. Internally, this was not a high-priority initiative, but externally, I was under intense pressure to help deliver a $4.3B electronic health record (EHR) modernization system. My vision was to improve the system’s security posture and reduce the risk of security breaches that could compromise the broader agency mission.
I developed a strategic plan that involved several steps. I first had to conduct a security assessment of the LMT to identify any gaps in existing security controls and determine additional measures needed to meet the higher requirements. I then developed a security plan outlining security controls and measures needed to meet those requirements. This would mean upgrading hardware and software, access controls and firewalls, and intrusion detection systems. Next, I applied my honed written communication capabilities to draft and present my plan of action to the Acquisition Strategy Panel for review and approval. In a novel move, my plan included two additional enhancements designed to improve performance and enhance the user experience…
This Leading Change ECQ example goes on to describe how this executive demonstrated flexibility and resilience by establishing manual and procedural workarounds as the agency onboarded the new system over the course of eight months. Under this executive’s leadership, the LMT was modernized and allowed for more than 10 times greater data storage. Additionally, the initiative drove a 75% reduction to the administrative burden. thereby optimizing workforce management.
ECQ stands for Executive Core Qualifications. There are five ECQs required to qualify for the Senior Executive Service:
Candidates must prove they have these executive leadership qualifications to flourish in the culture of the federal government, which prioritizes teamwork and customer service. You must demonstrate a background that produces results. ECQs offer you a chance to tell your story in a longer, more engaging way than you can in just a resume.
Each ECQ should be targeted to explain why you display the quality in question. For Leading Change, you must demonstrate a way you brought innovation to your department or position. Your example should incorporate creativity, strategic thinking and resilience in the face of internal resistance to your plan.
Your application will be measured on how effectively you illustrate your ability to enact change in an organization. The Leading Change ECQ should show flexibility and external awareness of how your actions impact those around you.
Our Leading Change ECQ example offers a succinct summary of experience balanced with personality. A few technical things to keep in mind about the ECQ:
Creating an effective ECQ that will impress the hiring authority and the Qualification Review Board (QRB) at Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is your goal. You need to strike a tone executive in scope. Be clear and concise, and create an interesting story for your accomplishments. If you are struggling with your ECQs, SES Writers (CareerPro Global, Inc.) can assist you. We have aided more than 5,000 people applying for federal jobs, as well as federal agencies with their Leading Change ECQs. Read over our example to see what yours should sound like and get in touch with us to discuss your ECQs and see how we can improve it. Get support from our experts with our ECQ editing services, or take our online ECQ courses to master the art of ECQ writing!
We will provide a no-cost career consult to determine the type of resume and level of composition and presentation. Then we will relay a customized quote based on your requirements and goals. Finally, with your agreement, we will assign one of our Master Senior Executive Writers to work with you in developing your presentation.
