“The foundation of achieving the common goals of sustainability and creating positive impacts is the transformation of the culture of care.”
Adventurous at heart
Phyllis Kong, a Guide in the 2020 Challenge, originally participated in the programme back in 2014. As a guide, she meets and advises a fixed group of 6 participants regularly throughout the eight-month programme. Adventurous by nature, Phyllis is not afraid to challenge herself, whether it is trying out a new sport or moving to a new country! After graduating from the City University of Hong Kong in Public Management and Public Policy, she received a prestigious Chevening Scholarship. This allowed her to do her Masters at University College of London in Global Governance and Ethics. Since then, she has moved to Belgium and then Luxembourg, where she currently works at Ferrero as their Sustainable Development Goals and Human Rights Manager.
The importance of good leadership
Phyllis believes that in order to strive for sustainability and positive impact, we need to change our values as a society. However, we need the right people in the lead. In Phyllis’s view, we need to empower future generations and teach them the power of benevolent leadership in inspiring change. She advocates for a transformation of our society towards a ‘culture of care.’
Why did she become a Guide?
Phyllis views the opportunity of becoming a Guide as a way to reconnect with the Nudge community. She describes it as a “trust-based, non judgemental space to share and be inspired.” Phyllis acknowledges that finding like-minded individuals has been challenging throughout COVID, so joining Nudge as a Guide has provided her a great opportunity to both meet inspiring people, and grow her own peer coaching skills. She is happy to be able to give back to the Nudge programme, which supported and motivated her as a participant in 2014, while also exploring and learning about the innovations of current participants.
Her advice for incoming Challenge participants
Phyllis’s message to current and incoming Challenge participants is to commit to their goals, but be flexible and open to change. Trust in their own capabilities, and to not be afraid to reach out to the Nudge community for help. Lastly and most importantly: don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the journey!
