About Stacy
Hi, nice to meet you.
Work can be more than what we do — it’s how we make a difference.
Hi, I’m Stacy McCracken, a leadership strategist, speaker, and founder of Impact and Lead and The Hidden Innovators Group. I help leaders and organizations think bigger, lead smarter, and create lasting impact.
Stacy McCracken
Founder, CEO Impact & Lead
Founder, The Hidden Innovators Group
I’ve always believed work can be more than what we do — it’s how we make a difference.
As a leadership strategist, speaker, and innovation expert, I help people and organizations think bigger, lead smarter, and create lasting impact.
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I founded Impact and Lead to empower leaders and teams to turn potential into performance, challenges into opportunities, and ideas into measurable results. My work combines strategy, science, and storytelling to help leaders build clarity, trust, and momentum that lasts.​​​
The Journey
I began my career as an engineer at IBM, training engineers and maintenance teams on new software systems. From there, I spent nearly a decade with General Motors, leading a factory, designing lean systems, and managing field quality across Oklahoma, Texas, and Mexico.
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It was a crash course in leadership, resilience, and systems thinking — and in how to thrive when things go wrong (and they often did).
Later, I transitioned to high-tech with Motorola Semiconductor (now NXP), expanding my work in strategic planning, communication, and change management.
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Wanting to have a broader impact, I moved into higher education, serving in leadership roles at the University of Texas at Austin and Baylor University. There, I designed programs focused on leadership development, communication, and skill-building for working professionals.
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In 2024, I earned my Doctorate in Technology from Purdue University, where my research explored how growth mindset, curiosity, and innovative thinking intersect in working professionals. That work now shapes how I help leaders and organizations thrive in complexity and build the clarity and confidence to lead in the age of AI.
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To expand that mission, I founded The Hidden Innovators Group — a platform and community dedicated to uncovering untapped potential within organizations and individuals. Through leadership circles, think tanks, and experiential learning, The Hidden Innovators movement helps leaders challenge assumptions, rethink what’s possible, and accelerate innovation through mindset and culture.
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Together, Impact and Lead and The Hidden Innovators Group represent the heart of my work — equipping today’s leaders to think differently, act courageously, and shape what’s next.
How I Lead (and Learn)
As a certified Insights Discovery® practitioner and distributor, I don’t just teach the model — I live it.
My own blend of red and yellow energy fuels the optimism, drive, and connection I bring to every room. I lead with purpose, curiosity, and a bias for action — and I help others do the same.
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Whether facilitating a leadership retreat, coaching an executive, or guiding a team through change, I bring clarity, connection, and the right amount of challenge to spark real breakthroughs.
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Because I believe leadership and learning go hand in hand, I bring that same curiosity and energy everywhere I go — whether that’s a boardroom, a strategy session, or a café halfway across the world.
Beyond Work
Outside of consulting and training, I’m also a speaker and podcast host. Whether in a boardroom or behind a microphone, I’m most alive when helping people find clarity, courage, and connection in their work and life.
I’ve delivered keynote talks and custom workshops across the U.S. and abroad — helping teams ignite clarity, build trust, and turn strategy into execution.
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You can also find me co-hosting A Dash of Salt, where we explore leadership, growth, and the messy, meaningful moments in between.
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When I’m not working, you’ll find me traveling, reading, or walking with my talkative husky, Jaxon. I’m blessed with a wonderful husband, two incredible adult sons, and a passport full of stories from nearly 30 countries.
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Whether I’m in an airport or a café, I love striking up conversations and immersing myself in new cultures. I believe in curiosity, compassion, and the courage it takes to lead with both.
At the Crossroads
Clarity doesn't always mean certainty - sometimes it's about moving forward anyway.
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(And that's often where the best work begins)
What Fuels My Work
Quotes that remind me why I do what I do — and how I want to show up along the way.
These are the voices and values that remind me
why I lead the way I do.
"A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves."
- Eleanor Roosevelt
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"One person can make a difference, and everyone should try."
- John F. Kennedy
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"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great."
- Mark Twain
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"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson