“If you’re the boss, you can open the door and you’ll find all these people are behind it.” 

Speaking at the Creative Equals RISE conference in London today Sir Lenny Henry underlined the power of using leadership to lift others up. 

In a wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation  with Vanessa Kingori OBE, Managing Director, Technology, Media, Telecoms at Google, the comedian, author and broadcaster shared his views on on the power of authenticity, the importance of opening the door for others and how making room at the table is essential to creating work that connects with audiences. 

On top of his numerous acting and performing accolades, Henry’s varied career path included co-founding Comic Relief, which has run for over four decades. He also launched the Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity. His nonlinear career is an example of the importance of carving out your own path to success.

“For many years I was the only black person working at the BBC. I was the only black person in the room,” he shared. Being surrounded by people who didn’t look like him built his passion to bring others in and underlined the importance of being open to learn from the experiences of others.

“Surround yourself with smart people, don’t be scared to be in a room with smarter people than you”, Henry urged the audience. He shares that at the start of his career, he used to go into the dressing rooms of other comedians to ask questions about their sets. He would also test his routines on a focus group of his three best friends to get honest feedback and learn.

In business, he attributes learning from others and from his own experience has been the key to his success. “I’ve learnt over the years to anticipate problems rather than experience them,” says Henry, before joking: “I’ve been knocked down by a bus three times.” 

Actor Norman Beaton of Desmond’s was a key influence for Henry. He encouraged him to get out, read and go to the theatre to absorb his craft. Beaton was unafraid to speak out and lift others up. Henry has mirrored this ethos in his work with others. 

“When you’re the boss, you can do a lot,” he shares. While working on his own show, he was able to open the door for others. “If you’re the boss, you can open the door and you’ll find all these amazing people behind it.” 

He urges leaders to let people in and help them develop. Asking questions about who can be brought in to find new talent and look for spaces where there is opportunity. As a leader, it is possible to make that happen.  

Authenticity builds connection 

Henry’s first show ran when there were just four channels on TV. Now, the media landscape can feel like a maze for advertisers. Kingori asked Henry: “What makes a good channel?” to which he quipped: “Nobody knows!” 

He shares that children know what they like. While they are watching content on social media in the form of clips, they still see parts of linear television, but in different ways. “Gogglebox is a genius show,” he says. A show that taps into new ways of consuming content and that allows people to watch shows in part before they might commit to watching the entire series. 

Henry commends the social media landscape for its ability to build community based on people’s passions online. Yet, authenticity is crucial. “It only works if they really know what they are talking about,” he says. 

He points to Mo Gilligan as someone who built a career on authenticity. Gilligan started out creating his own sketches online, being his authentic self online and creating work based on what he found funny. He has been able to carve out his own success. 

Kingori added that the democratisation of media means ‘surprising stories are going really mainstream’. New narratives and older stories continue to make audiences feel seen live on through social media. Henry’s old sketches have resurged online and introduced new audiences to him. For brands, finding moments of authenticity to connect with audiences is key.

Henry shares that to do this, it matters who is at the table. “Be around people who will expand the conversation so you are learning all the time,” he says. Learning what other people's values are by making sure a varied group of people are at the table to get a varied range of opinions. “Know more about the people you are pitching to,” says Henry.

Photo Credit: Bronac McNeill

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