With the COVID-19 pandemic rewriting the rules of upheaval in modern times, Dawn Faulkner discusses how the sector can bounce back and the new leadership psychology necessary to do so

Local government has long identified resilience as an essential skill for effective 21st century leadership – the mental and physical toughness not just to sustain focus but the capacity to recover quickly from adversity. Though the sector could not have predicted the current scenario in which resilience would be so tested, we have seen this quality demonstrated by local authority leaders in abundance.

As leadership get to grips with the web of complex issues now presenting, at a relentless pace, the legacy of their response will stretch beyond local, regional and even national boundaries and will be felt on a global scale.