Hi team! My name is Kimi Phillips and I am your very own Flood Church’s Human Rights Initiative leader for this summer’s two week trip to Malawi. I want to first off say, Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to meet with me today. I am so honored and blessed to be a part of an initiative that is near and dear to my heart. I can’t wait to serve the people of Malawi and teach them about human rights while growing in community with each other.
Just a quick bio about my most recent leadership experiences: After my freshmen year, I was baptized and decided to commit myself to being a servant of God and others from that day forward. I wanted to care and love others, build relationships with my peers and future co-workers and employees, listen, facilitate, and encourage those around me and help fulfill other people’s goals and objectives. I was determined to be a servant first, and leader second and I currently hold that same mentality.
The past couple years, I started volunteering at every place I could get my hands on. I volunteered at a Tijuana Orphanage, served as the Connections Intern here at Flood, assisted with various community and non-profit events, and took on a handful of Hospitality related jobs. I’ve worked with people of all types in restaurants, hotels, events, and other non-profits and have successfully managed to lead a team of 70 + volunteers on the Connections Team here and plan an entire silent auction from start to finish. As a recent graduate from San Diego State University with a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management, I am ready and excited to start my next big adventure and leadership opportunity.
Now, I may not be some genius that knows everything about human rights, but I do know that, after my own personal experiences with human rights and seeing how such a traumatic experience can completely damage a person’s life, I now have a passion for justice and I will work hard to influence the hearts and minds of the people of Malawi. I know that I am the youngest of the group, which could be a challenge for all of us, but I want you all to know that I will train and work just as hard as each one of you to prepare for this trip. I’m excited to see what will happen and can’t wait to get started!
In my opinion, life and leadership is all about transformation and growth and I am so excited to hear all of your own personal stories and past experiences that brought you to where you are today. I truly believe we were all brought together for a reason… to love and serve the people of Malawi. My goal is not be some sort of higher authority to you; but to be a teammate, coach, role model, servant, and friend. As Kenneth Hartley Blanchard once said, "The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority." Throughout my life, I’ve had the privilege of meeting various individuals that have changed my life for the better and supported me through all of my ups and downs. I just want you all to know that I am here for you. You can reach me through phone or email or talk to me in person, which ever you prefer… but I promise to make you a priority.
You know, one of my favorite movies is the Blindside. I’m sure many of you have seen it, but for those that haven’t; it tells a story of transformation and love between a teenage boy named Michael, and his new adopted mother, Leigh Anne. When Leigh Anne’s friend states, “Honey, you’re changing that boy’s life,” Leigh Anne replies back with, “No, he’s changing mine.” That’s what I hope to achieve with all of you and with the people of Malawi. TRANSFORMATION. If we work together, serve together, and get to know each other beyond the typical leader vs. follower level, I know we can not only change each others’ lives, but change the lives of the people in Malawi, as well.
I also believe that “personal leadership is the process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with them,” as Stephen Covey once stated. As you can probably tell with everything I’ve just stated, the things I value most are: community, good will, hard work, justice, personal growth, and respect for others. I strive to align my life to be congruent to those values and obtain my overall vision to serve others. I know you all have your own values and beliefs, but if we all come together and create a common vision and core team values and use our own personal strengths to accomplish our goal, then I have no doubt in my mind that this trip will be life changing.
I don’t expect everything to be perfect or to run smoothly, but I do expect each and every one of us to give 110% in everything we do. I expect us to work together as a team and serve those around us. “Believing in yourself and others to accomplish a common goal” is my leadership philosophy. I believe in each and every one of you and I know we believe in the same goal… so now the question is, “Are we all in this together?!”… cuz I’d sure like to be. Thanks for coming out today everyone. Have a great day!
No comments:
Post a Comment