Program Details
Leading Through Change: Helping Leaders Show Up When Everything’s Shifting
Change is inevitable—but too often, leaders are equipped to manage the logistics, not the emotional and psychological transitions that follow. HR professionals are often the steady hands behind transformation, yet tasked with supporting leaders who resist change or unintentionally create friction. In this session, we’ll explore how HR can bridge the gap between change and transition—shaping narratives, coaching through resistance, and empowering leaders to guide teams through uncertainty with clarity and confidence.
Key Objectives
1. Uncover the Real Reasons Leaders Struggle with Change Explore how values, identity, and uncertainty drive resistance—and how to coach leaders to recognize and reframe their reactions. 2. Balance Resilience and Stability in Times of Change Equip leaders to model confidence without pretending to have all the answers—so their teams feel anchored, empowered, and willing to engage. 3. Coach Leaders Through the Emotional Journey of Change Provide HR professionals with a clear and human-centered approach to help leaders navigate the invisible transitions that often derail even well-planned change. 4. Activate HR’s Role as Trust-Builder and Story-Shaper Discover how HR can influence the change narrative, build advocacy, and create the conditions for team trust—even when change is messy.
Onika Williams
Founder & President at Evolv3 Consulting LLC
Founder & President, Evolv3 Consulting | Executive Coach | Change Strategist Onika Williams is a catalyst for change whose career spans two decades of helping leaders navigate complexity, disruption, and opportunity. With deep experience in organizational transformation, team development, and inclusive leadership, Onika brings a unique ability to blend strategic thinking with human insight—ensuring that change isn’t just implemented, but embraced. A former Fortune 100 leader, Onika developed a reputation for leading with integrity, clarity, and compassion. While at Tyson Foods—one of the world’s largest food companies—she helped shape the company’s culture and business outcomes by designing strategic initiatives that aligned people with purpose. Known for building trust across every level of an organization, she championed change that stuck because it made sense to the business and to the people. Today, as the Founder and President of Evolv3 Consulting, she partners with executive leaders and leadership teams to elevate performance and create workplaces where individuals can thrive. Her clients span industries, but they all have one thing in common: they’re ready to reimagine what’s possible—and lead from that place. What sets Onika apart is her belief that leadership is personal before it’s positional. Her coaching style is rooted in curiosity, truth-telling, and a fierce belief in the power of authentic leadership. She meets clients where they are, helps them name their fears, and guides them toward a version of leadership that’s both effective and deeply human. As an Associate Certified Coach (ACC)® from the International Coaching Federation (ICF), a Certified Executive and Team Coach, and an Advanced Birkman® Certified Professional, Onika’s credentials reinforce her track record. But it’s her lived experience that makes her work especially resonant. She understands the pressure of being “the only one” in the room. The exhaustion of performing at a high level while doubting whether you're being seen. The cost of perfectionism. And the courage it takes to redefine success on your own terms. In fact, Onika’s proudest transformation isn’t in a boardroom—it’s in her home. As a mom and co-parent, she has built a collaborative relationship with her former husband to provide a stable and loving environment for their daughter. This personal journey has strengthened her conviction that boundaries, empathy, and communication are just as important in leadership as they are in parenting. And that being whole is better than being perfect. Onika brings this whole-person philosophy into every space she enters—whether she’s coaching a C-suite executive, facilitating a team offsite, or speaking from a stage. Her approach is grounded in the belief that when leaders understand themselves, they can lead others with greater clarity, impact, and grace. She’s been a featured expert in the Birkman International webinar Transforming Performance Management with Behavior-Based Coaching, and her thought leadership extends through her blog and exclusive podcast, On the Go with Onika, where she unpacks real-world leadership moments in under 15 minutes. Onika is a Leading Women Executives Fellow, a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and a member of Next Up, a community of women leaders across industries. These affiliations reflect her commitment to advocacy, mentorship, and lifting others as she climbs. At the heart of her work is a deep respect for what leaders are carrying. She often tells her clients: “Leadership is lonely. No one tells you that when they tap you on the shoulder or when you say yes to the role. But that’s why you need an outlet—a place to process, reflect, and recalibrate—before things fester and bubble over.” Drawing from William Bridges’ Managing Transitions framework, Onika helps leaders and organizations focus not only on the external shift but also on the internal process of letting go, sitting with the unknown, and stepping into the new. She reminds her clients that people don’t resist change—they resist loss. That’s why sustainable transformation requires emotional intelligence, clarity of purpose, and the ability to extend grace—to yourself and others. In keynote talks and workshops, Onika creates space for real conversation. She doesn’t do “inspiration without action.” She delivers insights, strategies, and challenges that leave leaders reflecting long after the session ends. Whether guiding a room through the mindset shifts needed to show up during uncertainty or exploring the dynamics of team trust, her content is practical, powerful, and infused with her signature style of warmth and honesty. Because if there’s one thing Onika knows, it’s that the future belongs to the leaders who aren’t just willing to change, but who are committed to growing through it.
Please Note: Speakers and topics are subject to change without notice.