Sherene McHenry

The "People IQ" Expert

Sherene McHenry

The "People IQ" Expert

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Biography

Leadership, burnout, and mental health speaker Dr. Sherene McHenry transforms organizations through powerful, practical strategies. Known as The People IQ Expert®, she combines humor with evidence-based insights to help teams and leaders thrive in today's challenging business environment.

Born for the stage and armed with a teacher's heart from 18 ½ years as a graduate professor, Dr. McHenry brings her Ph.D. in Counseling and decades of experience to every presentation. She's lived through toxic workplaces and dysfunctional relationships, emerging with hard-won wisdom about what does and doesn’t work.

This combination of academic expertise and real-world experience allows her to address tough topics with both authority and empathy. A Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Dr. McHenry has spoken on three continents.

She's authored several influential books, including Navigate: Understanding the Five Types of People and Pick: Choose to Create a Life You Love. Her syndicated magazine column on workplace relationships reached professionals worldwide, and she's served as president of the Michigan National Speakers Association.

Every presentation delivers at least three life-changing strategies audiences can implement immediately. Her motto, "Give me an hour, and I'll give you skills that will work a lifetime," isn't just a promise – it's a proven outcome. By emboldening audiences to address what needs to be addressed, she helps leaders, teams, and organizations flourish.

Dr. McHenry holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration from Wingate University, a Master's of Education from The University of South Carolina, and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of Wyoming.

Whether speaking to corporate teams, healthcare professionals, or industry associations, she consistently delivers the perfect blend of evidence-based insights and practical applications that transform workplace relationships and drive organizational success.

Speaker Videos

How To Live a Life You Love

Speech Topics

Lead Smarter: Unleash Engagement with the 5 People Types

According to Gallup, only 33% of US employees report being actively engaged and committed to their work and workplace, 50% report being passively disengaged, and a terrifying 17% admit to being actively disengaged and trying to cause problems.

While it would be wonderful if everyone showed up, got along, and performed at the highest levels, Lackers, Slackers and Hackers exist and negatively impact organizational culture, engagement, and performance.

In this riveting talk based on her book Navigate: Understanding the Five Types of People, Dr. Sherene McHenry introduces a simple yet powerful framework for recognizing the five key people types that shape our workplaces.

Audiences will learn how to bring out the best in themselves and each other, halt disruptive behaviors before they destroy morale, and protect high performers from burnout.

This program is ideal for:

CEOs, senior executives, mid-level and emerging leaders who want to unleash the power of their teams and organizations.
Organizations and associations seeking high-impact keynotes or breakouts tailored to boost engagement and cultivate collaborative cultures.

Audiences will walk away with:

The ability to identify different personality types and their unique needs.
Practical strategies for adjusting their leadership style to effectively manage and motivate others.
Techniques to build trust, boost engagement, and maximize team performance.
An understanding of how to set themselves and others up for success—in and out of the workplace.

Beat Burnout: Strategies for Sustained Performance—No Matter What

The world is changing and people are being asked to do more and more with less and less—which means burnout is calling. How do we decrease stress, reclaim our energy, and thrive under pressure?

In this unexpectedly fun, lighthearted, and entertaining session, Dr. Sherene McHenry shares research-backed strategies designed to help stressed-out leaders and teams recharge their batteries, fill up their tanks, and weather any storm with energy, motivation, and focus.

Attendees will leave empowered with practical tools to prioritize self-care, find joy, and lead from a place of strength, so they can guide others to do the same.

This program is ideal for:

Frazzled leaders and teams who want to increase their capacity, resilience, and effectiveness at work.
Organizations and associations looking for impactful keynote and breakout presentations to help their members maintain momentum so they sustain their impact without burnout.

Audiences will walk away with:

Strategies to minimize self-inflicted stress.
Science-backed methods for regulating their emotions so they can build bandwidth and resilience.
The inspiration they need to lead by example and positively impact the people around them.
Practical tips to tap into moments of joy every day.

Solve Problems: How to Lead Crucial Conversations When Stakes Are High & Emotions Run Strong

While conflict is inevitable in organizations, it doesn’t need to be a barrier to success.

In this dynamic talk, Dr. Sherene McHenry shares the gold standard for skillfully navigating people problems with care and confidence, so audiences understand how to contribute to high-performing teams that hold each other accountable.

Her framework for crucial conversations empowers attendees to frame difficult interactions in a way that promotes understanding, maintains boundaries, and leads to deeper understanding.

Leaders will walk away empowered and equipped to step up, tackle problems, and lead even more effectively.

This program is ideal for:

Leaders and teams who want to improve how they collaborate and achieve goals together.
Organizations and associations seeking high-impact keynotes or breakouts tailored to address the unique challenges of today’s workplace dynamics.

Audiences will walk away with:

Techniques for framing crucial conversations to promote understanding.
Strategies for handling pushback while maintaining boundaries.
Approaches for addressing concerns and de-escalating conflict.
The confidence to initiate and lead difficult interactions.

Build Safety: How to Create Psychologically Safe Cultures Where People & Organizations Flourish

In today’s fast-paced, high-stress work environments, it’s critical that we build cultures where people feel safe, valued, and empowered to thrive.

In this eye-opening session, Dr. Sherene McHenry, CSP, shares proven strategies for identifying and addressing workplace bullies and covert disruptors who undermine and tear teams apart.

Attendees will learn to protect and promote psychological safety, build trust, and create cultures for the good of themselves, the good of their team, and the good of their organization.

This program is ideal for:

Leaders and teams who want to create safe and high-performance workplace cultures where everyone can thrive.
Organizations and associations seeking powerful keynotes or breakouts to equip people with strategies for fostering trust, open communication, and psychological safety at work.

Audiences will walk away with:

A clear definition of psychological safety and its importance at work.
Practical strategies for building cultures where everyone feels valued and encouraged to speak up.
Actionable ways to identify and manage disruptive behaviors.
An improved ability to facilitate open conversations that promote better collaboration.