In most cases, chiefs of staff in Government and Higher Education have at least a Bachelor’s degree, while 95 per cent of respondents without a degree work in the private sector.

A series of questions were designed to tease out the perceived validity of being a career chief of staff. Until recently, probably because of its prevalence in military and political contexts, it has been seen as a transitional role: one that lasts for a few years at most before the person moves upwards into another leadership role, most commonly in operations or strategy. But we were interested in whether respondents could see themselves continuing in this important and interesting – but typically understated – role.