Meet Cheryle

Meet Cheryle Hays The Human Potentialist™ — Leadership Keynote Speaker, Strategist, and Author

Using Courageous Curiosity™, I equip leaders to fix disengagement and burnout, rebuild accountable, trustworthy psychological safe cultures, and lead through and for change without burnout.

When leaders run my neuroscience-backed operating system, innovation, quality, and capacity, become by‑products—not extra projects.

Cheryle Hays is a leadership keynote speaker and the developer of Courageous Curiosity™, a leadership operating system that shifts leaders from reactive default to intentional design.

Cheryle Hays is the founder of InPower Strategists, LLC and creator of the R³ framework (Reflect, Reframe, Respond), and the in the moments that matter reset 3-2-1 RESPOND™.

Cheryle Hays is an Amazon Best-Selling co-author and has been recognized by the Smithsonian Institution for her work in leadership development.

Cheryle Hays’s flagship keynote, “The One Thing That Changes Everything,” is a leadership program for mid-level to C-suite audiences in complex, fast-moving organizations., and she is currently working on a new book, Courageous Curiosity: The One Thing That Changes Everything (coming in 2026).

Meet Cheryle Hays

Using Courageous Curiosity™, I equip leaders to fix disengagement and burnout, rebuild accountable, trustworthy psychological safe cultures, and lead through and for change without burnout.

When leaders run my neuroscience-backed operating system, innovation, quality, and capacity, become by‑products—not extra projects.

Cheryle Hays is a leadership keynote speaker and the developer of Courageous Curiosity™, a leadership operating system that shifts leaders from reactive default to intentional design.

Cheryle Hays is the founder of InPower Strategists, LLC and creator of the R³ framework (Reflect, Reframe, Respond), and the in the moments that matter reset 3-2-1 RESPOND™.

Cheryle Hays is an Amazon Best-Selling co-author and has been recognized by the Smithsonian Institution for her work in leadership development.

I didn’t set out to build a leadership framework. I set out to survive one.

My first leadership role came without a playbook. I was promoted above my own boss, handed a team, and left to figure it out. I didn’t. Not at first. I reacted, over-controlled, and made the kind of mistakes that come from leading on autopilot while pretending to lead on purpose.

What changed wasn’t a training program or a mentor. It was a moment of radical honesty: I was my own worst enemy. And once I could see that, I could do something about it.

That’s when Courageous Curiosity™ began — not as a framework, but as a practice. A way of interrupting the default and choosing a different response. I built it because I had to. And I’ve spent 25+ years refining it in real organizations with real leaders who are navigating exactly what you’re navigating.

Cheryle Hays - At a Glance

Title: The Human Potentialist™
Company: InPower Strategists, LLC
Credential: Amazon Best-Selling Co-Author, People Fusion (11 categories)
Recognized by the Smithsonian Institution
25+ years in technology and leadership (trailblazer in male-dominated industries)
EMBA, Texas Christian University
Framework: Courageous Curiosity™, powered by R³ (Reflect, Reframe, Respond)
Audiences: Mid-level leaders, C-suite executives, associations, corporate events
Industries: Technology, finance, manufacturing, insurance, legal, defense, healthcare
Available for: Keynotes, workshops, executive retreats, coaching
Book: Courageous Curiosity: The One Thing That Changes Everything — coming 2026
Based in Fort Worth, Texas — available nationally and internationally

My Big Why

My purpose is simple: change the world one leader at a time.

My purpose is to change the world one leader at a time — by giving leaders the operating system to stop being their own worst enemy and start leading the way they're already capable of leading.

I wrote the book I couldn’t find. I built the framework I needed but didn’t have. And I’ve spent decades in the rooms where leadership breaks down — at both levels — watching the same gap destroy the same potential.

Mid-level leaders need to be seen and equipped. CEOs need to understand and unlock them. I bridge that gap. Not by telling people what great leadership looks like, but by giving them the operating system to get there — from wherever they are right now.

Be In-Powered to Be Empowering.™

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Why Clients Choose Me

Bold. Insightful. Game-Changing. From Less Than to Limitless.

✓ She starts where traction actually begins — inside the leader — before prescribing what to do differently.

✓ She brings both sides of the gap. She's led from the middle, moved into the C-suite, and coached both levels for decades. She knows what each says about the other — and how to close the distance between them.

✓ Her frameworks aren't inspiration. They're tools. Courageous Curiosity™, R³, and 3-2-1 RESPOND™ are things leaders use the next day — not concepts they admire and forget.

My Values

InPowerment™:

You can't lead others well until you lead yourself first. Everything starts from within.

Courageous Curiosity™:

Asking the right questions and taking action takes both. Curiosity is the spark. Courage is the Oxygen. Together you get F.I.R.E.

Integrity:

Real talk. No theater, no fluff, no overpromising. What you see is what you get — and what you get is real.

Design, not Default:

Every leader has a choice. Autopilot or intention. She's here for the ones choosing intention.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cheryle

Where is Cheryle Hays based and does she travel to speak?

Cheryle is based in Fort Worth, Texas and speaks nationally and internationally. She is available for in-person keynotes, executive retreats, and events across the US and globally.

What is Cheryle Hays’s speaking fee?

Speaking fees vary based on event format, audience size, customization, and travel. Contact Cheryle directly to discuss availability and investment for your event.

Is Cheryle Hays available for media, podcast, or panel appearances?

Definitely Yes. Cheryle speaks regularly on leadership, Courageous Curiosity™, AI and human leadership, psychological safety, and the future of work. She is available for podcast interviews, panel discussions, media commentary, and thought leadership contributions.

Want to Know the Real Me?

Please Listen - this is as real as it gets

My convo with Engle Jones

Using who we are to make a difference in this world.

Create REAL Inclusion - Waking Up With Purpose

#12miniconvos

WAKING UP WITH PURPOSE

AT 4AM!

AND FIRED UP

A Personal Story

A short, personal journey of resilience, growth, and unlocking the champion within myself and my children. Through moments of struggle, triumph, and deep transformation, you’ll see how it's possible to foster resilience and unlock the potential in both yourself and those you lead or love.