Leadership, good and bad, is rarely out of the spotlight. Be that Gareth Southgate bringing together a team of footballers, the performance of our national politicians, or a sad example of historic leadership in local government exposed as a shocking failure. As we emerge from the pandemic, leaders of all public sector organisations are facing challenges both new and old.

At the same time we are hearing the desire from many to take on senior roles dwindling. The conversations Solace has with other public sector leadership academies all point to increasing challenges in filling senior positions across the public sector, and local government is no different. It’s worth pausing to ask what we will need from the leaders of the future.