As 2025 draws to a close, we're looking back at some of the most popular stories shared on Apolitical this year. You published an incredible 377 articles, sharing insights on the world of government with public servants in over 160+ countries.

But what truly struck a chord? What topics cut through the noise and captured the attention of public servants worldwide?

We loved learning from you on everything from leadership and policymaking, to climate and, biggest of all, AI.

Here are the top 10 stories public servants loved this year.

1. How to write prompts to get favourable answers from Copilot by Iwin Nayak, Senior Manager, Cabinet Office, Canada

If, like many public servants, you’ve been using Copilot to save time this year, this article is for you. In the most popular read of 2025, Iwin Nayak provides some great tips on using Copilot to make your work in government as efficient and impactful as possible.

2. 5 AI Tools Helping Civil Servants Do More With Less by Sandra Naranjo Bautista, CEO, Better Govs

There are so many ways public servants used AI to help lessen the workload this year. From speeding up research to breaking down complicated documents to using AI to translate into multiple languages at once, Sandra shares her recommended tools for doing more with less.

3. A Briefing Mindset: Understand, Translate, Convince by Taki Sarantakis, President, Canada School of Public Service, Canada

Briefings are crucial to influencing decision-makers and advancing your career. Luckily, Taki Sarantakis has laid out the three key things you need to deliver a fantastic briefing.

4. 10 things to look forward to in the next 10 years by Isabel Serval, Foresight strategist, The Futuring Alliance, UK

The modern world and the pace of change can feel overwhelming, especially for public servants who are at the centre of it all. This inspirational list is a reminder to be excited about the future.

5. Talk Doesn't Cook Rice: Why Communication Alone Won't Drive Change by Alexandre Bayard, Lead Change Management Advisor, Canada Revenue Agency, Canada

Leaders often reach for their communication toolkit when facing resistance to change. Alexandre Bayard uses behavioural science to explore how to move quickly from words to action – building support, breaking down barriers and creating immediate value.

6. Rethinking Civil Service Value in the Age of AI by Nicola Reynolds, Deputy Director, Ministry of Justice, UK

Generative AI is not just a new tool; it’s a catalyst for rethinking how public servants work, what they value and how they serve. Read Nicola Reynold’s thoughts on how AI could transform civil service work.

7. Shifting from a Fixed to a Growth Mindset in Public Service by Iwin Nayak, Senior Manager, Cabinet Office, Canada

It’s easy to fall into a static mindset — one that avoids challenge out of fear of making mistakes. This article outlines how to move from this way of thinking to a mindset that embraces learning, adaptability and resilience in government work.

8. DeepSeek: Critical Implications for Government Work by Steve Collins, Senior Application Developer, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), Australia

Evidently, AI was a big topic worldwide this year. So, when China announced its ChatGPT competitor, DeepSeek, it made waves. Have a read of Steve Collins’ reflections and cautions from the time.

9. Being a Quiet Leader by Paul Carter, HR Business Partner, Home Office, UK

Are you more of an introvert, but aspire to lead? These reflections outline how the traits of introversion can be invaluable to leadership. Even if you’re a bit quieter than most, don’t let it stop you.

10. How to Fail Fast: A Leadership Lesson for Success by Pavitra Raja, Lead — World Economic Forum, Geneva, Switzerland

Many public servants, especially those in leadership positions, are afraid of failure. But letting go of this fear can allow you to test ideas quickly and find out what works – and what doesn’t. This article by Pavitra Raja will show you how to embrace failing.

Have your own story to share? Now’s a great time to start working on your first article of 2026. Write, proofread, copy, paste and click submit. It’s just that easy.

Top 5 articles by Apolitical in 2025:

With insights from your contributions, the team at Apolitical have been writing articles this year, too. Here are the tips and tricks public servants enjoyed most:

  1. What happened when Australia encouraged public servants to use generative AI
  2. Five Copilot hacks every public servant should know
  3. Game-changing Excel hacks you didn’t know you needed
  4. Don’t bore the minister: writing tricks for public servants
  5. How to Save Hours on Email with AI

Top 5 Policy reads of 2025:

One of the biggest topics on Apolitical? Policy. Here’s what you had to say about this critical government function in 2025.

  1. Witchcraft and Leadership by Almero Oosthuizen, Clinical Service Improvement and Strategy Western Cape Department of Health, South Africa
  2. What makes a policy effective? by Mark Sutherland, Director, Policy Management Office, Provincial Health Services Authority, Canada
  3. Introducing the Digital Transformation Archetypes by Pia Andrews, Serial Government Transformer, Australia
  4. A reward idea to boost happiness and productivity by Naufal Virindra, National Civil Service Agency of Indonesia, Indonesia
  5. Polycrisis, conformity, and future sight by Danielle Pierre, Graduate Research Assistant, The Cultural Policy Hub

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