Leadership Foundation

Aurora Films

Aurora seeks to share experience and insight to support women considering, aspiring to, and in leadership roles. In 2017 we welcomed Harriet Minter, former Women in Leadership editor at the Guardian and founder of Proceed until Apprehended, and Steph McGovern, journalist and BBC presenter, to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing women in leadership in higher education and beyond. 

• Steph McGovern, Aurora contributor and BBC journalist
• Harriet Minter, Aurora contributor and journalist

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Steph McGovern on authenticity, mentorship, and realising your unique selling point.

There are so many brilliant women leaders out there...a lot of women don't realise how good they are.

Steph McGovern spoke at Aurora in Edinburgh in March 2017. She is a BBC presenter and leading business journalist. Here, Steph speaks to us about the challenges facing brilliant women leaders, unconscious bias, and the glass ceiling.

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My biggest strength is being normal and that's my unique selling point, as mad as that sounds, being a normal person and being authentic has got me my success

In Steph's second interview, she talks to us about the value of authenticity, not shying away from who you are but using this to go and acheive what it is that you want.

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The advice I would give my younger self is don't try and be the people you think you want to be, be yourself

Reflecting on the advice she would give her younger self, Steph tells us not to let anyone tell you can't be what you aspire to be, and the value of mentors and champions can make to opening up opportunities.

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Vijaya Nath in conversation with Harriet Minter

Vijaya Nath, director of leadership development, spoke with Harriet Minter, journalist and broadcaster, about women in leadership. Formerly editor of the Women in Leadership section of the Guardian, Harriet is a returning contributor to Aurora where she shares her personal leadership insights.

Over three interviews Vijaya and Harriet discuss the opportunities and challenges facing women leaders, both in higher education and around the world.

Part one

When we get a critical mass of women at the top in leadership roles, not only will we change how women and men behave with each other but actually we'll change how society works

Vijaya and Harriet discuss the under-representation of women leaders globally and how we can keep the conversation going, and how reaching a critical mass of women in leadership can, and will, change society.

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Part two

When we are living our true purpose, when we're doing the stuff that motivates and inspires us, we can move mountains and change the world around us

Vijaya and Harriet discuss Harriet's former role running the Women in Leadership section at the Guardian and her work on #ShePersisted, discovering her true purpose and motivation, and how to use these skills to overcome the things we can’t control.

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Part three

No one is ever going to value you more than you value your own seld so set that marker really, really high

Vijaya and Harriet discuss the challenges for women leaders in higher education, the importance of resilience and how to achieve this, and what advice Harriet would give her younger self.

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For more Aurora stories:

• watch our full range of participant films;
• read our participant case studies;
• read our institutional case studies.

More films about the Aurora programme will be released shortly.