Katie mccleary
CEO, co-owner
Katie McCleary is a visionary leader reshaping what it means to truly listen and connect in the modern world. As CEO and co-owner of LQ™: Listening Intelligence, she helps organizations harness the cognitive science of listening to fuel trust, innovation, and aligned action. With over 25 years of experience igniting leaders and teams, Katie equips professionals with practical tools to lead with clarity, communicate with purpose, and collaborate with lasting impact.
She’s the co-author of Bridge the Gap (McGraw Hill), named one of Inc. Magazine’s Top 3 Business Books of 2022, and praised by thought leaders like Daniel Pink and Amy Edmondson. A 3-time TEDx speaker with over 4 million views, Katie is endlessly curious about how humans make meaning and build perspectives. She hosts The Drive, a story-based leadership podcast with NPR affiliate CapRadio and the American Leadership Forum. Her insights have been featured in Forbes, Investor’s Business Daily, Fast Company, Shondaland, PBS, New York Post, ComputerWorld, and more than 100 other media outlets.
Katie’s clients range from Google and Kaiser Permanente to the U.S. Department of Education, California correctional institutions, billionaire CEOs, and classrooms of kids just learning how to hold a pen.
A changemaker at heart, she founded 916 Ink, an award-winning nonprofit that empowers youth to become authors of their own lives through writing and storytelling. She also teaches graduate-level leadership at Pacific University.
Katie’s work lives at the intersection of storytelling, consciousness, neuroscience, and leadership strategy. Whether she’s coaching executives, leading culture shifts, or guiding emerging leaders, Katie inspires people to listen deeply, speak with authenticity, and lead with purpose, vision, and heart.
Connect with her on LinkedIn.
She’s the co-author of Bridge the Gap (McGraw Hill), named one of Inc. Magazine’s Top 3 Business Books of 2022, and praised by thought leaders like Daniel Pink and Amy Edmondson. A 3-time TEDx speaker with over 4 million views, Katie is endlessly curious about how humans make meaning and build perspectives. She hosts The Drive, a story-based leadership podcast with NPR affiliate CapRadio and the American Leadership Forum. Her insights have been featured in Forbes, Investor’s Business Daily, Fast Company, Shondaland, PBS, New York Post, ComputerWorld, and more than 100 other media outlets.
Katie’s clients range from Google and Kaiser Permanente to the U.S. Department of Education, California correctional institutions, billionaire CEOs, and classrooms of kids just learning how to hold a pen.
A changemaker at heart, she founded 916 Ink, an award-winning nonprofit that empowers youth to become authors of their own lives through writing and storytelling. She also teaches graduate-level leadership at Pacific University.
Katie’s work lives at the intersection of storytelling, consciousness, neuroscience, and leadership strategy. Whether she’s coaching executives, leading culture shifts, or guiding emerging leaders, Katie inspires people to listen deeply, speak with authenticity, and lead with purpose, vision, and heart.
Connect with her on LinkedIn.