Gravitas is about presence, not pretence: lessons from Antoinette Dale Henderson

Empowering future leaders

As Newton tackles challenges across both suppliers and retailers, we’re in a unique position to bring the food and drink industry together to tackle key issues. One of those is diversity. At the moment, our leadership as an industry does not represent our all-important consumers. Three quarters (75%) of discretionary spend will be owned by women by 2028 (Nielsen), yet only a third (37%) of senior executive roles across the European retail and consumer goods industry are held by women (LEAD Network). 

That’s why we lead the Women in Food network, aiming to empower women to advance into leadership roles, helping close the gender gap and bring fresh thinking and challenge to the top. 

The Rising Stars programme is one key component of the network – a community of industry peers that meet regularly to take part in thought provoking industry discussions and upskill to become the future leaders they are meant to be. 

A key focus for the group this year has been developing leadership skills for the critical moments that matter, while also building lasting authority and influence over time. So, for our latest event, we heard from Antoinette Dale Henderson, executive coach and author of Power Up: The Smart Woman’s Guide to Unleashing Her Potential and Leading with Gravitas. 

This article explores why authentic leadership matters and shares Antoinette’s insights on developing influence today. 

Embracing vulnerability

“Before my TED Talk, I couldn’t feel my face,” Antoinette admits, smiling and pressing her cheeks to show the audience what she means. “Bright stage lights, cameras rolling, every word being recorded… All I could see was that big red dot,” she adds, referring to the famous TED stage. “I still get those moments in high pressure situations… but you have to learn how to work with it.”

The last thing you might expect from an executive coach who trains C-suite leaders is an admission that she too gets nervous presenting on stage. But that’s exactly who Antoinette Dale Henderson is: authentic and willing to be vulnerable in sharing her story to show others that they too can lead powerfully in their own personal way.

Gravitas as a leadership tool

As an executive coach, Antoinette kept hearing the question, especially from women: “How do I develop ‘gravitas’?” It was something they had been told to focus on if they wanted to progress, but without any steer or support on what that meant or how to achieve it. So, Antoinette developed her own frameworks rooted in powerful leadership insights to help people connect with a confidence built not on pretence but in presence.

“I have such empathy with everyone, particularly women, who you can see are holding back and operating with a fraction of themselves,” Antoinette tells us. “People can spend their whole careers not fully expressing themselves. Or not being heard. I want people to have permission to find their own way through.”

Tackling representation and overcoming hidden obstacles

“I looked into the industry data and a third of people in food and drink are female but only 8% of CEOs are women. If we want to address representation and allow the next generation of leaders to fulfill their potential, they need to look up and see someone like them succeeding.”

“We all know about the glass ceiling, but I also talk about ‘glass bricks’. These are the barriers that get in women’s way, like confidence, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, being a ‘good girl’. We can see our potential but can get in our own way. We need to overcome all those barriers.”

“A lot of it is about how you feel and how you embody your own gravitas,” says Antoinette. “I see gravitas as two words: ‘Gravis’ which is about feeling grounding and standing strong, and ‘vita’ meaning life energy.”

She has a really powerful piece of advice based on this analysis. “Ahead of high-stakes moments and even sitting at a desk ahead of a difficult conversation, plant your feet firmly and feel your body being grounded to the floor. Hold your arms up in a V, align your torso and take a few deep breaths. This is a very powerful way to connect with yourself. It’s like a shot of adrenaline.”

Authenticity in an AI-world

Commenting on the rise of machine learning Antoinette said: “A key component of gravitas is authenticity, which will become even more important as AI changes leadership. Not only will it clearly mark you out from a bot, but it will root you to more innovative and creative thinking, which is increasingly important.”

As the leadership landscape evolves, the Rising Stars group is committed to their own journey as well as empowering the next generation of leaders to lead with authenticity and purpose. By addressing barriers to leadership, and embracing our unique strengths, the group is helping create a future where diverse voices are heard. Leadership is not about fitting a mold, but about rising fully as yourself, and inspiring others to do the same.