Leading with Hope and Vision in the “New Ab-Normal”

Change can feel overwhelming—especially when uncertainty sparks fear and disengagement. In today’s “New Ab-Normal,” HR leaders are on the front lines of navigating disruptive technologies, global crises, and cultural divides. How do you turn fear into focus and uncertainty into opportunity? This interactive workshop dives into the neuroscience of change to uncover why employees react the way they do—and how you can lead them forward. You’ll gain practical tools and actionable strategies to energize your workforce, foster resilience, and keep hope alive when volatility becomes the norm.

• Understand the brain science behind how employees process uncertainty and change.
• Recognize that the loss of hope is a process that begins with resistance and leads to apathy
• Master your role as a culture curator using research-based tools to build trust, foster innovation, and strengthen resilience.

PRESENTER BIO:Richard D. (“Rick”) Maher is President of Adaptive Human Capital, LLC, a veteran of the human resources industry, and a recognized leader in the fields of managing organizational change and the strategic management of human capital. Over a career spanning nearly 30 years, he has helped to guide many notable change initiatives for clients in both the public and private sectors.Maher has been at the forefront of workforce training and education system transformation and policy guidance – working throughout the United States and internationally. In the private sector, Maher has consulted on talent development issues with some of the world’s largest and most successful enterprises, including Goldman Sachs, Time Warner, Schering-Plough, AOL, TD Ameritrade, Cox Communications and more.

Following the sale of his management consulting practice, Maher & Maher in 2017, Rick set out to apply his uncommon experience as a change practitioner to leading Adaptive Human Capital’s important work to better understand the critical elements of agile human systems and help to develop skills in individuals, organizations and communities to help them thrive through uncertain times.

Mr. Maher is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC), the Association of Talent Development (ATD) and PSI CHI (the International Honor Society in Psychology). He has a BA from Seton Hall University and an MS in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Walden University.