Beyond competencies: a CBT-informed approach to leadership development in the public sector

Purpose This paper examines a developmental gap in competency-led public-sector leadership: leaders may know expected behaviours yet find them less accessible under pressure. It considers a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-informed response centred on interpretation, regulation and behavioural choice. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual Viewpoint synthesises selected scholarship on public leadership and competencies, leadership cognition, emotion regulation, reflexivity and coaching psychology. These literatures are integrated with practice-informed reflection to develop Reframe. Regulate. Lead. as one structured response to the competency-access problem. Findings Cognition, appraisal and affect are established influences on leadership behaviour, but their implications are not always integrated into practitioner-facing public-sector development. Leadership development should therefore address interpretation, regulation and purposeful behavioural choice alongside observable competence. Research limitations/implications The framework is conceptual and has not been empirically validated. Future research should test its mechanisms, feasibility, contextual and cultural applicability and comparative value alongside other coaching and reflective-development approaches. Practical implications Reframe. Regulate. Lead. may support self-reflection, executive coaching, reflective supervision and post-incident review, with appropriate facilitator competence and clear boundaries from clinical treatment. Social implications If empirically supported, more reflective and proportionate leadership may contribute to conditions associated with psychological safety, fairness, learning and institutional trust. Originality/value The paper does not claim cognition or emotion as new to leadership research. Its contribution is an integrative, practitioner-oriented public-sector framework that operationalises how established competencies may become less accessible under pressure.