Dr. Stephen McCray is a nationally recognized executive coach, leadership consultant, author, thought partner, and workplace communication and decision‑science specialist. Dr. McCray brings over thirty years of leadership in education, business, government, and nonprofit sectors helping leaders, from frontline managers to the C-suite, successfully navigate real-world challenges, optimizing human values leadership while maximizing results.
Dr. McCray draws upon a unique blend of hands-on, award-winning administrative success, organizational savvy, international perspective, and solution-centered coaching mastery, grounded in win-win communication strategies, reciprocal leadership, and Decision Science from the Harvard Kennedy School. Leadership is both an art and a science and the best at leadership craft a culture, and an inclusive decision architecture, that gives each player and the organization the best chance to be successful. For leaders in fast‑paced environments, executive coaching is a game changer in addressing delicate personnel and power dynamics, executing key deliverables, cultivating high‑performing teams, shaping work/life balance, and expanding vertical and horizontal partnerships. As an executive coach and mentor, Dr. McCray partners with leaders to build on strengths, and identify and convert blind spots into valued skillsets.
Recognizing that each client and context is unique, Dr. McCray draws on his extensive leadership background, and cross sector expertise to customize each coaching engagement. “Together we co-creatively explore and land upon high yield approaches to clarify issues, instill trust, promote upstream thinking, identify key strategies, manage complexity, and advocate, grow and protect what is important for the organizational ecosystem—all, in service of holding and informing a laser like focus on meeting and exceeding key performance goals and innovative mission outcomes”.
Named by Teacher Magazine as “one of the 50 best minds in education”, and author of Dynamic Equity: Lead Your Team Successfully through Extraordinary Racial Change, Dr. McCray is certified in Public Leadership and Decision Science at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is a Professional Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation and also serves as a Mentor Coach for the UC Davis Professional Coaching Program.
EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION
- Ed.D. Educational Leadership, Loyola Marymount University
- M. Ed. Administration and Policy Studies, University of California, Los Angeles
- B.A. Political Science, University of California, Santa Barbara
- Public Leadership and Decision Science, Harvard Kennedy School
- Professional Certified Coach, International Coaching Federation
- Professional Coaching for Life and Work, University of California, Davis
- Human Resources Management, Association of California School Administrators
WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY:
I listen. I am real. I care. Whether we are developing executive presence, navigating career transitions, or preparing for critical choice points, my deeply rooted commitment to high impact servant leadership at any level, ensures that each client is clear on their True North, and gains empowering insights, sustainable strategies, winning mindsets, and lasting solutions customized to meet their personal, and professional goals and aspirations.
FAVORITE LEADERSHIP QUOTE:
“ ‘Ninguem se libera ninguem, sò se libera em comunhão;’ No one achieves their highest potential on their own, it only happens in community” -Paulo Freire
