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Heather R Younger J.D.  Topics

 

Caring Leaders Build A Magnetic Culture Screenshot 2025-02-21 at 4.32.26 PM

Heather's promise to your organization is to develop your leaders to move to the next level, set new standards of employee engagement, and create customer loyalty with a culture of belonging for all.

 

The Unshakable Leader

The Leadership Challenge That Turns Individual Growth into Enterprise Success

Self-leadership is the foundation of resilient, high-impact influence. It's what allows people to navigate uncertainty, bounce forward from setbacks, and model the kind of adaptability their teams need now more than ever.

In this transformative keynote based on her book, Heather R Younger empowers leaders to trade perfectionism for progress, fear for flexibility, and burnout for balance — without sacrificing performance. She’ll share actionable strategies to help leaders harness resilience as a competitive edge and unlock their full potential in the face of constant change.

And the results speak for themselves:

  • 90% of top-performing employees demonstrate high emotional resilience (Harvard Business Review)
  • Organizations that invest in leadership development see 2.4x higher revenue growth and 3x better retention (Deloitte)

Because when leaders lead themselves well — they elevate everyone around them.

Ideal for leaders and team members who:

  • Want to develop resilience strategies to fuel agility, adaptability, and sustainable success
  • Are navigating rapid change, uncertainty, or high-pressure environments and need a mental framework to thrive
  • Struggle with perfectionism and want to shift their mindset to prioritize progress over unattainable ideals
  • Are ready to step into greater ownership as a leader, by fostering a growth mindset and self-empowerment
  • Want to inspire teams to stay engaged, motivated, and high-performing—despite obstacles

The audience will walk away with:

  • The Self-Leadership Framework – A proven model to stay strong, flexible, and focused through change
  • Progress Over Perfection – A mindset shift to embrace growth, adaptability, and continuous improvement
  • A Self-Empowerment Toolkit – How to take control of your career trajectory and leadership influence
  • How to Foster a Culture of Resilience – Inspire teams to become adaptable, solution-oriented, and engaged
  • Emotional Agility & Decision-Making Mastery – Strengthen clarity, composure, and effectiveness under pressure

This keynote equips leaders to redefine challenges as opportunities, embrace change without fear, and step fully into their leadership power—turning personal growth into enterprise-wide success.


 

The High-Performance Culture Code

Where Compassion Ignites Engagement and Results

The leaders people remember most aren’t just smart — they care.

They create cultures where people feel seen, heard, and valued. And when leaders lead with care, it doesn’t just feel good — it delivers results.

In this powerful keynote backed by her book, Heather R Younger reveals how compassion, accountability, and a deep commitment to belonging fuel innovation, boost retention, and unlock peak performance. It’s a blueprint for building energized, high-performing teams — even in times of uncertainty and change.

Because here’s what the data shows:

  • Companies with high engagement and a culture of care outperform competitors by 23% in profitability and 18% in productivity (Gallup)

Perfect for leaders and teams who:

  • Want to build an agile workplace that attracts and keeps top talent
  • Are navigating change and looking to keep employees engaged and motivated
  • Believe well-being is a strategy, not a soft skill
  • Want to elevate their presence, emotional intelligence, and ability to inspire
  • Know leadership rooted in compassion, resilience, and purpose is the future

The audience will walk away with:

  • A High-Performance Culture Roadmap – Practical steps to create an engaged, results-driven workforce
  • Proven Strategies to Improve Employee Retention and Productivity – Reduce burnout, turnover, and disengagement
  • Tangible Actions to Drive Employee Motivation & Peak Performance – Unlock discretionary effort and build loyalty
  • Leadership Presence & Influence – Techniques to communicate with authenticity, empathy, and authority
  • The Power of Recognition & Coaching – How small, intentional actions drive long-term commitment and success

This keynote will ignite a culture shift where compassion and high performance are not at odds—but instead, the secret to lasting success - because when people feel cared for, they care more — about their work, their team, and your mission.


The Art of Active Listening:

The Key to Making Anyone Feel Valued and Engaged

Active listening is the doorway to increased belonging, loyalty, profitability and innovation. It is the difference between thinking we understand what people want and knowing what they want. 

For the last 12 years, Heather has reviewed over 25,000 employee engagement surveys as well as facilitated numerous listening sessions. She has distilled that knowledge into actionable insights that equip your people with the interpersonal skills they need to make others feel seen, heard, and valued in every interaction.

In this keynote, Heather introduces a new change model for organizational listening which she illustrates in five steps through an interactive experience. The audience will leave with:

  • The understanding of how to practice active listening with those who look to them for guidance
  • A listening process that will unlock valuable insights and deliver desired outcomes
  • The one success characteristic they need to reach their goals and create win-win scenarios at work

Perfect for: cultural change, interpersonal skills, workplace engagement

The Art of Active Listening - Printable Keynote Information 

 

Trusted By

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Heather R Younger J.D. Videos

Explore Heather’s videos below. She is on a mission to help leaders understand the power they possess to ensure people feel valued at work. Her customized presentations help audiences to shine by improving how they listen to, communicate with, and empower their employees.

Heather R Younger J.D.  Biography

About Heather 

Heather R Younger, J.D. is a trusted contributor to leading news outlets, like Forbes, Fast Company, Bloomberg, NBC and ABC and one of the world’s leading experts on Caring Leadership® and active listening at work. She is the visionary Founder and CEO of Employee Fanatix, a preeminent employee engagement and workplace culture consulting firm to Fortune 100 companies. Employee Fanatix Screenshot 2025-02-21 at 4.32.26 PM conducts annual research on workplace culture, relying on employee voices for what is relevant now, to help companies redefine their culture strategy. Heather has personally read over 30,000 employee surveys and facilitated over 100 employee focus groups, including her signature “Art of Active Listening Sessions.” 

With over 25 years of successfully managing teams, she has worked in customer experience, sales, and large account management for multi-million dollar accounts within multiple industries such as tech, staffing, healthcare, professional services, the public sector, and the financial sector. She's a renowned keynote speaker, drawing insights from current data and putting into practice what she teaches in her Caring Leadership Transformation Model™.

Heather’s strategies yield tangible business results, including heightened employee engagement, unwavering loyalty, seamless collaboration, and robust connectivity.  One of her clients, a leader at a bank, continues to win Top Workplace awards, and the feedback from employees is that they are connecting the dots and making employees feel informed and engaged. Another one of her clients, a leader at an oil and gas company, says employee feedback shows an increased sense of trust about voicing concerns without fear of negative consequences. This all results in better outcomes in our everyday work. 

Heather is a former practicing attorney turned award-winning leader in the area of Employee Engagement as recognized by Inspiring Workplaces, is a LinkedIn Learning course partner, 3-time best-selling author, TEDX speaker and host of the popular, Leadership with Heart podcast. She is also an Adjunct Organizational Leadership Professor at University College at Denver University.

Her accolades include being a best-selling author of three books: "The 7 Intuitive Laws of Employee Loyalty," a Forbes Must-Read List topper for HR professionals, "The Art of Caring Leadership," wherein she shines a spotlight on the radical potential of compassionate leadership, and her latest best-selling book, "The Art of Active Listening," through which she equips individuals with the interpersonal skills required to make others feel seen, heard, and valued.

Heather's personal journey, rooted in her challenging experiences growing up as the only child of an interfaith and interracial marriage and being excluded because of her race, fueled her unwavering determination to ensure that workplaces around the world make both employees and customers alike feel heard, valued and seen.

 

What Makes Heather Different?

REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE

Heather’s experience leading teams and building organizations is a valuable asset to you because she brings practical know-how and lessons learned that can be directly applied to your situation. Plus, participants love that she has been in their shoes and has practical insights they can use immediately.

DYNAMIC

If your group is a sales team kicking off a new program, a leadership audience looking for fresh perspective, or an all employee event, Heather leverages her unique capacity to navigate complex social dynamics in the workplace and achieve goals together through effective communication. 

INSPIRING

She creates opportunities for leaders, teams, and individuals to reframe adversity and empower change, championing positive transformation in workplaces, communities, and the world at large. Heather is unique in her ability to facilitate high level interactions between herself and the audience, which leads to the audience interacting with one another, enhancing their learning and building new relationships.

RELEVANT

Because of Heather’s unique commitment to leveraging current research findings, listening sessions, and employee feedback to close the gap between what employees need and leaders want, her content is fresh, relevant and applicable now.

RELATABLE

Audiences love Heather’s warmth and genuine nature, and she will love them right back. She doesn’t just talk about Caring Leadership®, but she seeks to embody it in every interaction. It’s common practice for Heather to spend time after an event talking with participants, signing books, taking photos, and listening to their hopes and dreams for a workplace where everyone feels heard, valued and understood.

RESULTS FOCUSED

Her strategies yield tangible business results, including heightened employee engagement, unwavering loyalty, seamless collaboration, and robust connectivity. 

 

Short BIO

Heather R Younger, J.D. is a trusted contributor to leading news outlets, like Forbes, Fast Company, Bloomberg, NBC and ABC and one of the world’s leading experts on Caring Leadership® and active listening at work. She is the visionary Founder and CEO of Employee Fanatix, a preeminent employee engagement and workplace culture consulting firm to Fortune 100 companies. Employee Fanatix conducts annual research on workplace culture, relying on employee voices for what is relevant now, to help companies redefine their culture strategy. Heather has personally read over 30,000 employee surveys and facilitated over 100 employee focus groups, including her signature “Art of Active Listening Sessions.” 

With over 25 years of successfully managing teams, she has worked in customer experience, sales, and large account management for multi-million dollar accounts and multiple industries such as tech, staffing, healthcare, professional services, the public sector, and the financial sector. She's a renowned keynote speaker, drawing insights from current data and putting into practice what she teaches in her Caring Leadership Transformation Model™.

Heather is an award-winning leader in the area of Employee Engagement as recognized by Inspiring Workplaces, is a LinkedIn Learning course partner, 3-time best-selling author, TEDX speaker, and the host of the popular, Leadership with Heart podcast.

 

Heather R Younger J.D.  Testimonials

Heather R. Younger is a beacon of caring leadership. Her authenticity, purpose, and energy make her a remarkable speaker and an even more remarkable leader.

Heather R. Younger demonstrates leadership qualities focused on care. Her approach to leadership emphasizes trust and empathy within organizations, setting her apart in environments where authentic connections may be lacking.

Her insights into the power of listening and understanding are transformative. She emphasizes the importance of valuing each individual's unique perspective and creating a culture where everyone feels heard and appreciated. This mindset not only enhances team dynamics but also drives organizational success.

Heather's authenticity shines through in every interaction. She leads with a sense of purpose that is contagious, motivating others to rise to their best selves. Her speeches are filled with energy and passion, leaving audiences not only informed but also invigorated to make a difference in their own leadership journeys."

Vice President, System and Transmission, Con Edison

If you're looking for a thought leader who can spark meaningful change in your organization, Heather Younger is the real deal – a true rockstar in her field.

I had the privilege of attending Heather Younger's presentation at the Mile High SHRM conference last Friday, and I was absolutely blown away. Heather is a dynamic speaker who combines powerful insights with practical wisdom in a way that immediately resonates with her audience.

Her presentation was not only engaging but genuinely transformative – the kind that makes you want to take action right away. Heather has a rare gift for connecting with her audience and delivering content that is both inspirational and applicable. Her expertise in leadership and employee experience shines through in everything she shares. I highly recommend following her work and implementing her strategies.
"

Human Resources Manager, GardaWorld

 

 

Heather R Younger J.D.  Photos

Heather R Younger J.D. Intro

Our next speaker is on a mission to transform the way we lead and connect at work. Heather R Younger is the author of 4 bestselling books, including The Art of Caring Leadership and The Art of Self-Leadership.

A leader of teams for over 20 years, and former attorney turned CEO, she helps organizations to create cultures where people feel seen, heard, and valued.

She brings grit, grace, and real-world insight into today’s workplace - fueled by her love of warm chocolate chip cookies. Please welcome, Heather R Younger!

NOTE TO PRODUCTION TEAM: please play the following intro and extro songs for Heather's walk-on and walk-off

Heather R Younger J.D. Technical Requirements

Heather R Younger’s Technical Requirements - Live Events

Heather’s presentation uses a heavy amount of images, all embedded into her Keynote deck that she runs from her Dell Inspiron 14 5000.  

**Due to the custom nature of her presentation, it is not possible to run the slides from another machine or provide them prior to the presentation.

Heather's requirements are as follows:

  • Prior to the presentation, a bottle of water with a screw cap
  • A 16.9 digital data projector, ideally with an HDMI connection
  • 3.5mm sound lead to play audio from her laptop
  • A fold-back screen (a monitor so Heather can see which slides are on-screen from anywhere on stage).
  • No lectern required - please allow for ease of movement on the entire stage
  • A Countryman or over the ear-type microphone is preferred to a lapel mic 
  • Three mic runners in the audience with handheld microphones for audience interaction
  • A bottle of water on stage
  • When the talk time is 1 hour and 15 minutes or more, Heather includes a fun group written visualization exercise for the attendees. A flip chart with some crayons/markers/stickers for each table (upon request)
  • Walk On Song: © owned by Heather R Younger - Intro Song - Make a Change Part 1
  • Walk Off Song: © owned by Heather R Younger - Extro Song - Make a Change-part 2
  • Heather will bring Blackmagic Video Assist (field recording device) to take a copy of the live video feed of the presentation. She can connect to your vision desk via HDMI or HD-SDI, assuming it is possible to loop out a signal from your cameras.
  • For the Culture of Listening talk, Heather will require a technical team to launch and help manage a Mentimeter poll at the beginning of her keynote. 

SOUND CHECK: Heather requires no more than 30 minutes. The sound check needs to occur within two (2) to three (3) hours of her presentation time.

RECORDING: Heather is happy to be video-taped; a separate Right of Use Agreement must be authorized by the Customer if they are taping her presentation.


Heather R Younger’s Technical Requirements - Virtual Events

  1. Customized Virtual Session – PRE-RECORDED

  • Heather will provide her pre-recorded session five (5) days in advance, as a 4K video file for the client to load into their meeting platform
  • The client will provide the meeting platform of their choice, invite their attendees and screen the pre-recorded video to participants
  • No technical rehearsal is necessary for the digital keynote product
  • Heather will join the virtual meeting for a moderated, live Q & A with participants 
  • After the session, Heather will provide a PDF summary of insights and a planning guide for next action steps
  1. Customized Virtual Session - LIVE

  • Heather will present with a green screen for a chroma-key broadcast where she appears seamlessly in front of animated video slides, or using a monochromatic warm background
  • A technical rehearsal is required prior to the event
  • The client will provide the meeting platform of their choice, invite their attendees and screen Heather live to participants
  • Her ATEM pro switcher allows her multi-camera setup to simply appear as a webcam to your conference platform
  • NOTE: Heather will not provide her slides in advance, as they have been custom-coded and are designed to work as visual aids only
  • After the session, Heather will provide a PDF summary of insights and a planning guide for next action steps

INSIDE HEATHER'S STUDIO 

  • Camera A: Logitech Brio 4K web camera 
  • Camera B: Canon EOS 250D / SL3 with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 III Lens
  • Blackmagic ATEM pro switcher and hardware streaming encoder
  • 3 Newer continuous LED location lights
  • Dell Inspiron 14 5000 Laptop (for slides)
  • Dell Inspiron Laptop (for accessing the platform)
  • Movo Photo WMX-1 Wireless Lavalier Microphone System (2.4 GHz)
  • Heather will bring Blackmagic Video Assist (field recording device) to take a copy of the live video feed of the presentation. She can connect to your vision desk via HDMI or HD-SDI, assuming it is possible to loop out a signal from your cameras.