In September 2010, Dr. William T. Lewis, Sr. stepped into what he believed was his dream role: vice president for Diversity and Inclusion at Virginia Tech. But what began as the pinnacle of his career quickly unraveled into a four-year storm of politics, pain, and ultimately, being fired. The harder part? That moment wasn’t the end of his story but the beginning of a years-long battle with rejection, self-doubt, and the search for identity beyond a job title. In this deeply honest conversation, Dr. Lewis opens up about how he rebuilt his confidence, rediscovered his self-worth without external validation, and how he learned to stand steady in life’s fiercest storms. Along the way, he reveals the seven core resiliency traits he’s discovered while writing his second book, Perched in the Storm: Brutal Lessons Every Leader Can Learn from Entrepreneurs.
Dr. William T. Lewis, Sr. is a nationally recognized expert in organizational culture, leadership, and change management. He is the founder of WillHouse Global and co-founder of The Intersection, where he advises institutions and businesses on building cultures of courage, clarity, and belonging. A former DEI executive at four major institutions - including Indiana University and Virginia Tech - Dr. Lewis now serves as Senior Consultant for Inclusion and Belonging at ECU Health. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he is the award-winning author of Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Pie: Conversations with My White Friends about Race and co-author of NADOHE’s Standards of Professional Practice. He also leads community efforts in Winston-Salem, serving on the boards of Bookmarks, United Way, the Black Philanthropy Initiative, and Leadership Winston-Salem.
Connect with Dr. Lewis via email, on LinkedIn or on his website. You can learn more about his upcoming book, Perched in the Storm: Brutal Lessons Every Leader Can Learn from Entrepreneurs, here.
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