In this deeply moving episode, I’m joined by Viv Grant —former headteacher, author, and founder of Integrity Coaching.
In the first half, Viv shares her remarkable journey fromgrowing up as a child of the Windrush generation in London’s inner-city schoolsto becoming one of the youngest headteachers to turn around a failing primaryschool. Despite the school’s success, Viv speaks candidly about the personaltoll of leadership: the isolation, self-doubt, and relentless pressure so manyschool leaders experience behind the scenes. We discuss how these challengesinspired her to create Integrity Coaching, dedicated to supporting leaders sothey can flourish without losing themselves in the process.
In the second half, Viv opens up about the story behind herlatest book, Learning to Walk in the Dark. She reflects on navigatingthe profound uncertainty and fear that came with facing critical illness, andhow this experience deepened her understanding of vulnerability, faith, andresilience.
Throughout, Viv offers invaluable insights into theemotional landscape of leadership — and how, even in our darkest moments, wecan find hope, meaning, and connection.
Whether you’re a school leader, educator, or simply someonewho has faced life’s toughest challenges, this conversation is an invitation toexplore what it really means to lead, to heal, and to keep going when the wayahead feels uncertain
https://www.integritycoaching.co.uk/
https://www.integritycoaching.co.uk/learning-to-walk-in-the-dark/
