Diane Radley

Diane Radley

Current title Non-executive Director, Murray & Roberts Holdings Ltd, Transaction Capital Ltd, Base Resources Ltd (ASX); Trustee, DG Murray Trust Course at Wits Business School Master of Business Administration, 1995 A defining moment in my career When I was growing up I feared failure and the devastation I thought would ensue. I wanted to be perfect and felt any form of failure was letting me and other people down, particularly my mother who had made tremendous sacrifices in bringing up three children alone on a music teacher’s salary. In my final year at Rhodes University, I became overconfident having had an exemplary undergraduate academic track record. I failed my combined Honours and CTA but strangely enough, the world did not come to an end. I learnt from this hubris and did not fail any other subsequent exam, but did not stop failing in many other ways. Every time I failed I ensured I learnt from it and added skills developed through the process into my toolbox. This gave me the courage to take personal risks in order to grow and not step back from challenges and into security. The fear of failure is an inhibitor to growth and makes one risk-averse. Although this fear has not totally been eradicated, its reduced impact has released me to take a risk on myself as well as on others in order to grow and develop.

Similar Posts

  • Takeshi Kimura

    There is no doubt that applying to business school can be a very stressful undertaking. However, even after my graduation more than ten years ago, I can say Wits Business School was a great fit and special for me with quality time spent.

  • Odongo Kodongo

    Bali Island, Indonesia, was in its usual element in December 2013 – beautiful and tranquil with the warm Indian Ocean waters and hospitable local inhabitants blending seamlessly with the hot and humid weather. Yet, enjoying the warm Bali weather was only peripheral to my visit.

  • Thabo Mokwele

    WB Yeats said, “Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold,” which holds a harsh lesson for me. I took my radio broadcasting talent for granted. Because it came so easily, I began not to pay it attention and focused on what others considered important.

  • Jerry Mabena

    Two events forged my career path. When I was 29, I came up with a concept that I sold to my then employer, Telkom. I used to run the advertising and promotions department for Telkom when I started working on a plan to pitch selling advertising space on phone cards.