Henna Pryor

In the modern era, the new psychology for creating new actions, influence, inspiration, and navigating through uncertainty has changed. We need to take a new approach to create new actions in our teammates and in ourselves, to persuade prospects, to have difficult conversations, and to maximize opportunities for partnership.

If you’ve ever found yourself facing resistance to your ideas – you’re not alone. Even when we have a great idea that will affect enormous change, we don’t always get the reaction – or action – we’re hoping for.

That’s because we spend the majority of our energy making our ideas and changes more compelling, more interesting, more attractive — pouring on the fuel — that we rarely discover the frictions that are working against us, and all humans have them.

In this interactive session, join 2x TEDx and Global Keynote Speaker, Author, and Workplace Performance Expert, Henna Pryor, to uncover and explore the 4 specific reasons why people resist change, and more importantly, concrete strategies to overcome them so we can move our ideas, initiatives, team members, prospects, and mission forward.

After this keynote, you’ll be able to:

• Shift away from problem-solving to a more valuable strategy
• Understand how being the “expert” is hurting your influence instead of helping
• Position your idea from several new angles that increase trust and get the green light you need for people to say yes

In an era dominated by digital ease and diminishing face-to-face interactions, our social skills are quietly eroding – hurting teamwork, innovation, and agility at work. Join Workplace Performance Expert Henna Pryor to discover why embracing “Good Awkward” moments is the surprising secret to navigating uncertainty, building resilient teams, and unlocking powerful human connection when it matters most.

Advances in technology have made it easy to avoid real – and sometimes difficult – human interaction. While texting, online ordering, and “swiping right” are convenient, we’re losing the skills of relating to others, building trust and connection, and enduring the critical friction and messiness we get from being in proximity to each other. This new reality is weakening our social muscles and slowly destroying our ability to have the conversations needed to connect at the highest level, take smart risks, and navigate today’s increasingly complicated world of work. Navigating uncertain times sounds obvious enough, but most of us have a hard time moving from wishful thinking to execution. Why? Because when we stumble through those moments, we feel awkward – and that awkwardness bumps up against our deep desire for others to approve of us and what we do. As it turns out, it’s what we improve in the face of these moments – often despite others’ judgment – that leads to the greatest growth.

Join world-renowned keynote speaker, Inc. Magazine columnist, and Workplace Performance Expert, Henna Pryor, to learn how embracing the Good Awkward is your secret weapon for skyrocketing teamwork, speaking up boldly and effectively, and strengthening your adversity muscle. Good Awkward helps you unlock your highest level of power and influence to navigate the world around you.

Audiences will leave feeling more confident, equipped to build stronger teams, and ready to lead to their highest potential, all wrapped in the laughter and relatability her audiences can’t get enough of. After this keynote, you’ll be able to: – Pinpoint the exact reason it’s been difficult to take risks and embrace change – and how to move past it – Use deliberate discomfort and strategic microstressors to rebuild our social and risk-taking muscles – Create a custom plan for collaborating, speaking up, sharing ideas, and being brave and change-ready whenever the chance arises

Yesterday’s excellence can be today’s biggest trap – especially as rapid disruption becomes the norm. In this dynamic keynote, Workplace Performance Expert Henna Pryor reveals why traditional approaches to success are holding teams back and introduces a groundbreaking toolkit that equips leaders to thrive amidst chaos, embracing uncertainty with clarity, courage, and the mindset of true innovators.

The old tools of success got us here. They won’t take us where we need to go next. Today’s top performers are grappling with a hidden paradox: the very excellence that built their reputation is quietly holding them back. In a world flooded with change – new rules, new tech, new expectations – clinging to what we’ve always done well is the fastest way to fall behind. In this provocative and energizing keynote, Henna Pryor, Workplace Performance Expert and 2x TEDx speaker, flips the script on what modern excellence really looks like. Through a mix of powerful storytelling, behavioral science, and mindset-shifting tools, she shows audiences how to train the mental and social muscles that fuel success in today’s disruptive world. We explore factors like mindset monkey wrenches, strategic discomfort, and the #1 tool everyone needs in a turbulent world: neutral thinking. With strategies that stick and stories you’ll still be thinking about weeks later, this keynote will help your team build the habits that matter most when everything’s in flux. After this session, you’ll know how to: – Recognize why excellence has become a hidden trap – and how to break free – Train your brain to stay clear-headed in chaos using tools like Neutral Thinking – Tap into small, repeatable “micro-risks” that grow innovation and courage = Build a mindset of resilience, creativity, and personal agency – on demand In times of disruption, the winners aren’t the ones who hold on tighter. They’re the ones who learn to let go faster, and leap forward with a new kind of excellence.

Your team’s biggest threat isn’t competition or lack of talent – it’s Social Muscle Atrophy, an invisible barrier slowly eroding trust, collaboration, and innovation. Based on her groundbreaking national research study, Henna Pryor introduces the Social Muscle Framework, empowering your leaders with the practical tools needed to proactively strengthen relationships, unlock team creativity, and future-proof performance.

We’ve never been connected – or more disconnected. Technology has made it effortless to reach anyone, anywhere, anytime… yet, 44% of workers describe their workplace relationships as “superficial,” and 1 in 3 employees would rather scrub a toilet than ask a colleague for help. So, the real question is: How can we feel as connected socially as we are technologically? In this high-energy, insightful, and first-of-its-kind keynote based on her pioneering national research study, Workplace Performance Expert Henna Pryor reveals what’s really holding teams back – and it’s not lack of skill, resources, or talent. It’s Social Muscle Atrophy (SMA) – a hidden performance killer that weakens trust, silos collaboration, and slows innovation. The good news? Social Muscle Strength (SMS) isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build. You’ll learn the Social Muscle Framework – an actionable, digestible, and easy-to-implement process that addresses the two key levers that unlock peak team performance: Design and Dimension. She’ll share how today’s top leaders are rethinking relationship-building, reengineering communication, and creating conditions where collaboration and innovation happen naturally, so teams can perform even better with the resources they already have. By the end of this keynote, you’ll be able to: – Recognize the early warning signs of Social Muscle Atrophy – and stop them before they derail your team – Implement the Social Muscle Framework to create smarter, faster, and stronger collaboration, communication, and innovation – Design systems that encourage trust, idea-sharing, and problem-solving in today’s modern world If you’re ready to future-proof your team’s ability to perform at the highest level – this is the keynote that will change the way you think about team success forever.

Contrary to popular fears, AI isn’t the enemy of human connection – it’s a powerful ally in strengthening it. Henna Pryor challenges assumptions by demonstrating how to intentionally leverage AI to deepen empathy, sharpen emotional intelligence, and create meaningful human interactions at scale, keeping your teams resiliently human in an increasingly automated world.

AI isn’t replacing your soft skills – it’s revealing how badly we need them. In a workplace racing toward automation, many worry AI will strip our interactions of humanity, flattening communication into transactional exchanges. But here’s the surprising flip: AI, when used intentionally, can become an unexpected ally in strengthening relationships. In this energizing keynote, Workplace Performance Expert Henna Pryor reveals how AI acts like a “prescription lens” that sharpens empathy, clarity, and emotional presence at work. Instead of letting automation dilute human connection, Henna shows leaders and teams how to wield AI as a tool to design connection – not just hope for it. Audiences will discover how to role-play tough conversations, catch blind spots in tone, personalize outreach at scale, and, most importantly, stay deliberately, courageously human in a high-tech world. After this keynote, you’ll be able to: – Use AI to prepare for high-stakes conversations with greater empathy and clarity – Spot and correct tone misfires before they derail trust – Personalize your communication at scale without losing authenticity – Strengthen your “human edge” to stand out in an AI-driven workplace Because in today’s workplace, the edge won’t go to the ones who automate the fastest – it’ll go to the ones who stay deeply human and use AI to prove it.

Influence isn’t about producing more noise – it’s about strategically cutting through it. In this compelling keynote, Henna Pryor shows how smart use of AI can dramatically amplify your persuasive power, enhancing trust, relevance, and emotional connection. Learn to use technology as your ultimate influence partner, shaping your message and overcoming resistance to achieve unprecedented impact.

AI can’t make you persuasive – but it can make you unstoppable. We’re living in an age of AI-generated noise: more emails, more pitches, more content… but we’ve known for years that more noise doesn’t equal more influence. Can we actually use technology to help? In this provocative keynote, Workplace Performance Expert Henna Pryor shows why real influence still comes down to trust, relevance, and emotional connection – and how AI (when used wisely) can amplify all three. Audiences will learn to harness AI as their ultimate persuasion partner: a backstage coach that sharpens messaging, flags emotional cues, role-plays pushback, and tailors outreach without losing our uniquely human edge. With her trademark blend of humor, sharp insight, and actionable tools, Henna empowers professionals with the cutting-edge techniques to rise above the noise, earn trust, spark buy-in, and influence even when they’re not in the room. After this keynote, you’ll be able to: – Use AI to sharpen and tailor your messaging for maximum impact – Identify and address emotional cues and hidden objections – Prepare for resistance and pushback with confidence – Balance authenticity with technology to build trust and spark buy-in Because in a world where anyone can automate a message, the real power lies with those who can make it matter.