Doing the hard thing: Heather Rabbatts

Why it's worth doing the hard thing in life with Dame Commander Heather Rabbatts. Heather was the first woman to be appointed a director of the FA and she was also chief executive of Millwall football club, but her incredible career transcends sport. She’s been a barrister, a BBC governor, the youngest ever chief executive of both Merton and Lambeth councils, Head of Education at Channel 4, a director of the Bank of England and much more besides. And this from a woman who underachieved at school. In this episode they talk about how choosing to do the hard things in life force you to grow as a person, although it is rarely comfortable. Heather argues knowing 'your why' is important, and making a positive difference is as good a reason as you can get. Heather explains how adversity is often formative, and why not giving in to fear is important. She explains how to thrive in big organisations, and the importance of being open to feedback and steering a fine line between being self-questioning and self-critical. Heather talks about the importance of building a 'safe harbour', and what that means, and why authenticity is crucial.