Over Christmas I watched an intriguing documentary about the ‘rock star' entrepreneur Richard Branson. In between the family festivities I also indulged in watching the season of Star Trek movies.

The two may not appear to have much in common and little of relevance local authorities  but The Undiscovered Country introduced the concept of a shapeshifter and the Richard Branson story told us something important about leadership. Shapeshifting and a particular style of leadership may well be the future for local authorities.