The December 2018 Forum was held on Ngunnawal country at Old Parliament House, Canberra. The Forum grew with more than 78 Delegates attending in 2018, representing all ten jurisdictions across Australia and New Zealand. The goal of the 2018 Forum was to strengthen the network of Indigenous public servants and to build on 2017 discussions, with a focus on outcomes and action.

A key theme that emerged from the Forum was the need for public service agencies to invest more thoughtfully in leadership development for Indigenous staff to ensure they succeed in non-Indigenous institutions. The Forum was considered an avenue where leadership, coaching and mentoring opportunities could be developed for Indigenous public servants.

In addition to discussing ways to succeed through western models of leadership, delegates also turned their minds to the unique leadership approaches and qualities they had as Indigenous peoples. Communication, relationship-building, courage, kindness and excellence were all considered central to Indigenous leadership.