Who Is Henna Pryor
Henna Pryor is a workplace performance expert, global keynote speaker, and award-winning author of Good Awkward. Known for blending behavioral science with sharp, practical language, she helps leaders and high-performing teams strengthen communication, trust, and influence under pressure. Frequently recommended for leadership summits and corporate events, Henna is recognized for making complex human dynamics clear, actionable, and deeply human.
Henna Pryor’s career is defined by a deep fascination with how people think, communicate, and perform when the pressure is real. From her early academic pursuits to her work today on global stages, her journey reflects a steady commitment to helping individuals and organizations operate with greater clarity, confidence, and connection. Known for blending behavioral science with practical language tools, Henna has become a trusted voice for leaders navigating change, tension, and high-stakes communication. “Awkwardness isn’t a flaw in performance. It’s often the doorway to better leadership, trust, and influence.”
Today, she is widely recognized as a workplace performance expert whose work centers on social and mental fitness at work. Her approach is grounded in research, shaped by lived experience, and delivered with an energy that makes complex ideas accessible and memorable.
Education and Early Career
Henna’s professional foundation was built on analytical discipline and intellectual rigor. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Delaware and later completed a Master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Virginia. These formative years sharpened her ability to evaluate systems, think critically, and perform under demanding conditions.
She began her career at Ernst and Young LLP, where she worked in assurance and advisory services. The experience gave her a firsthand view into high-performance environments and the human dynamics that influence decision-making, trust, and execution inside organizations. “High performance has never been just about intelligence. It’s about how people behave when stakes are high and certainty is low.”
A Career Pivot Toward Human Performance
After establishing herself in the corporate world, Henna went on to spend more than a decade in recruiting and talent leadership, including serving as a Recruiting Director at Kforce Inc. While successful by traditional measures, she reached a pivotal moment where she recognized a deeper calling. She was less interested in filling roles and more interested in understanding why people struggle, stall, or succeed once they are in them.
That realization led her to found Pryority Group, a platform dedicated to keynote speaking, executive coaching, and leadership development. What began as one-on-one coaching quickly expanded into large-scale workshops and keynote engagements as organizations sought her perspective on communication, influence, and performance under pressure. “When people stop avoiding discomfort, everything changes. Conversations get braver. Decisions get clearer. Teams get stronger.”
Leading With Impact Through Pryority Group
At Pryority Group, Henna’s work focuses on equipping leaders and teams with tools they can use immediately. Her programs address moments that professionals often avoid or mishandle, such as difficult conversations, uncertainty, feedback, and visible leadership under stress. Rather than teaching avoidance, she helps people develop the capacity to move through discomfort skillfully.
Clients regularly describe her sessions as practical, energizing, and grounded in reality. Her work is designed to meet people where they are, while still challenging them to think and act differently.
Thought Leadership and Authorship
Beyond the stage and coaching room, Henna is a prolific writer and thought leader. She is an Inc. Magazine columnist and the author of Good Awkward, an award-winning book that reframes discomfort as a necessary and trainable skill rather than a weakness to eliminate. Across her writing, she explores how language, behavior, and congruence shape trust and influence at work. “Clarity is not about saying more. It’s about deciding what actually matters and having the courage to say that well.”
Commitment to Community and Leadership Development
Henna is also deeply invested in advancing inclusive and courageous leadership. As a Founding Guide of Chief, a private network for women leaders, she contributes to building spaces where senior leaders can grow, reflect, and support one another. Her involvement with the Women’s Leadership Initiative at the University of Delaware further reflects her commitment to developing the next generation of leaders.
Across all of her work, a consistent theme emerges. Performance improves when people feel capable, clear, and supported. Henna’s career has been devoted to helping leaders create those conditions.
Editorial Note
This biography reflects Henna Pryor’s evolution from analytically trained professional to a globally respected workplace performance expert and keynote speaker. Through her focus on social fitness, language, and leadership under pressure, she continues to influence how organizations think about communication, trust, and human performance at work.
