She has shown resilience, but has too strong a sense that she is right

Most people, given the pressures that Theresa May finds herself under, would have given up by now. She has been battered on all sides: by the opposition, by the EU and by her own MPS. And yet she ploughs on regardless, seemingly unstoppable in the face of adversity.

Many have praised, albeit reluctantly, her resilience – a psychological concept, which has four characteristics. It is certainly the case that she is showing strong signs of all four.

First, her sense of purpose. She said from Day One that “Brexit Means Brexit” and she has not wavered from that position – although I must admit I found that statement in conflict with her claim that she voted Remain.

Secondly, she has demonstrated some adaptability in her position and in relation to the various stakeholders, by trying to square the proverbial political circle of Remainers, Brexiteers and EU political leaders.

Thirdly, she has shown a fairly high degree of self-confidence, given the incessant attacks she is encountering from all sides of the Brexit divide.

Finally, to be resilient requires a social support network to help one sustain the stresses and strains in difficult times, which I believe she has in her husband, close friends and allies.

So, formally, she ticks all the resilience boxes. But is that enough to survive and thrive?

Where she may come unstuck is in not having been quite flexible or adaptable enough to get out of the hole she dug at the beginning of her reign – the unwavering view that Brexit is inevitable. Had she said: “I will attempt to get the best deal I can, given the Referendum result,” she may have been able to finesse a range of options. She could then have been considered an honest broker, enabling other stakeholders some ownership in the decision-making process.

The Prime Minister has demonstrated many of the characteristics of resilience but, in the end, it is about achieving your objectives. It may be that, for her, even if her Brexit deal is not realised, she would feel she has done her best, but the outside world may not see it that way. Her career is obviously very important to her, so not getting the result that she has strongly promoted may create difficulties in the medium term.

Yes, she is psychologically resilient in many respects, but perhaps having too strong a sense that her view is the right and only one may have adverse consequences for her career and personally. Having a strong sense of purpose is an integral part of a resilient personality, but you also then need to compensate by being more adaptable and flexible – it’s a fine balance. We will see if she has the right balance in the weeks ahead.