Last autumn, recruitment specialists Penna, ran an online survey of unitary and county council chief executives asking, among other topical questions, what are the key attributes to be successful in the role.

The characteristic of resilience came top of the list of desirable traits.  One round table participant said resilience definitely was the key factor, given the crippling fatigue workloads are placing on chiefs.

‘It’s incredibly tiring; it’s just a continual grind for chief executives,’ the panellist said. ‘Resilience is having the skin of a rhino, it’s absolutely critical,’ they added.