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NSA Member
Professional Bio
Dr. Karen R. McDaniel is an author, keynote speaker, executive coach, leadership development consultant, and founder of Empowering Executives. For more than two decades, she has helped leaders across industries mitigate complexity, lead authentically, and create win-win outcomes for themselves, their teams, and their organizations.
Karen brings a rare combination of academic rigor and real-world leadership experience to her work. She holds a PhD in Organizational Behavior and spent over twenty years in higher education, teaching graduate-level courses in leadership development, organizational behavior, and business management. During that time, she earned multiple teaching and service awards, published in respected academic journals, and served in senior leadership roles, including department chair, graduate program director, and faculty athletics representative.
Credentials alone don’t define Karen’s work. What truly sets her apart is her ability to translate theory into practice, helping leaders apply self-awareness, communication, and courage in the moments that matter most.
Karen brings a rare combination of academic rigor and real-world leadership experience to her work. She holds a PhD in Organizational Behavior and spent over twenty years in higher education, teaching graduate-level courses in leadership development, organizational behavior, and business management. During that time, she earned multiple teaching and service awards, published in respected academic journals, and served in senior leadership roles, including department chair, graduate program director, and faculty athletics representative.
Credentials alone don’t define Karen’s work. What truly sets her apart is her ability to translate theory into practice, helping leaders apply self-awareness, communication, and courage in the moments that matter most.
NSA Member