46 mins: Own your hard

What you'll learn:

Jennifer Rose grew up in a low-income neighbourhood, left school at 15, walked into a job in the Post Office typing pool, where the welcome pack was 4 coloured pens and an ashtray (and a paycheque!) She’s now Head of Asset and Business Performance at Auckland Council, steering a procurement worth billions, and admits she sometimes looks in the mirror and wonders how she got there. She’s one of the most straight-up experts we’ve spoken to, and isn’t afraid of ‘bribing colleagues with baking.

💡 Own your hard: Every role comes with its own version of hard, and Jen’s view is that yours is yours to own. When something goes wrong, she ‘holds the bag’ and asks what she could’ve done differently (passing blame down the line just keeps the cycle going).

💡 You don’t have to be right: In male-dominated rooms, women sometimes feel that if they’re not right, they’re wrong. Jen would rather stay curious. Being open to challenge makes it easier to challenge others, including those more senior. She lays out the risks she sees and what to do if you get pushback.

💡 Give it five minutes: Jen’s all about action, and a 360 review once told her she moved so fast people weren’t coming with her. Even when a decision has to be made quickly, take 5 minutes to check the facts and think through what could go wrong (her team still says ‘hang on, we’re jumping to solutions’).

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