227. How Clothes in My Essence Shape My Approach to Leading

In this episode of the Women Emerging Podcast, Julia Middleton sits down with Henrietta Bankole-Olusina to explore how one aspect of our essence—how we choose to show up—can reveal something much deeper about who we are.For Henrietta, clothes are never just clothes. Growing up in Nigeria, vibrant colours, textures and craftsmanship became part of how she expressed her identity. Yet after spending more than two decades in consulting, banking and financial services, she found herself dressing to fit into a world of blacks, greys and navy suits. The challenge wasn't her confidence or competence. It was learning how to remain true to herself while working within someone else's expectations.Together, Julia and Henrietta explore what it means to adapt without losing yourself, why authenticity isn't always about changing the outside, and how our greatest strengths often lie in the perspectives we bring rather than the clothes we wear. They discuss "leading in colour", finding "islands of advantage", balancing different parts of our essence and remembering where we come from, even as our careers take us into unfamiliar spaces.This is a conversation about identity, belonging and the quiet courage of bringing your whole perspective into the room—even when the room wasn't designed with you in mind.