We recently connected with Phil Williams and have shared our conversation below.

Phil, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?

Corporate America often fails to understand the importance of a successful leadership style and its impact on the work performance of individuals under their supervision. Companies use various terms to refer to the field, including human relations, employee relations, employee engagement, human capital, and human resources management. Those titles can be suitable and frequently used, depending on the company’s culture. However, the critical factor is the leadership style.

Servant leadership is a leadership approach that prioritizes the needs of others over one’s own. It prioritizes establishing robust connections with others in close proximity and empowers them to achieve their maximum capabilities. As a leader, it is essential to prioritize comprehending the individuals you collaborate with and enhancing their skills while exemplifying appropriate behavior and acknowledging their aspirations.
Having had a leadership position in a financial services business, I have always believed in the principle of power with rather than power over. Our team developed a training curriculum to accommodate hundreds of employees. I could not have accomplished it independently. As a team, we each got the chance to contribute uniquely, drawing on our distinct experiences.

Phil, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I served for 23 years at Merrill Lynch & Co., also known as Bank of America, Merrill. I began my human resources career as an operations manager within Merrill Lynch’s Wealth Management Division. I gained expertise in operations while also functioning as a human resources business partner and manager in the branch office network in multiple locations. Phil has extensive knowledge as an operational leader with direct service experience in operations and human resources. I have held leadership roles incorporating human resources as a business partner and a leadership development manager as Vice President, Regional Client Relationship Manager, and Manager of the National Management Development Program (NMDP), where he served in the critical role of leading the firm’s domestic service manager assessment program. Phil’s previous executive experience with senior management in Financial Services, Sales, and Operations of a Fortune 500 company enabled him to change human resources from a cost center to a value-added group by integrating all HR efforts with the strategic goal.

Phil currently serves as a contract Human Resources Business Partner for a mission-driven non-profit organization. He is recognized for his exceptional interpersonal skills, passion, business acumen, and broad knowledge of human resources.
Phil studied business and human resource management and development at the University of Phoenix and Villanova University in Phoenix, Arizona, and Villanova, Pennsylvania. He holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Human Resource Management and Development. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. as a doctoral scholar at Northcentral University in San Diego, California, and he currently resides in the metropolitan region of Atlanta, Georgia.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In 2011, I acquired a somewhat uncommon dermatological condition known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) is an uncommon and severe condition that affects the skin and mucous membranes. Typically, it is an adverse response to medicine, in my case, penicillin, that starts with symptoms like the flu and subsequently progresses to the development of a distressing rash that rapidly spreads and forms blisters. Subsequently, the outermost layer of impacted skin undergoes necrosis, sloughs off, and starts the process of recovery within a few days. At that time, I was enrolled in an Associate Arts degree program, and I was resolute about completing it. I recall contacting my student academic adviser while confined to my hospital bed in the ICU burn unit in order to apprise her of my condition and formally request a medical leave of absence. The adviser remarked, “I cannot believe you are calling us from the hospital,” and I can still remember it like it was yesterday.

Resilience may be defined as the capacity to endure and recover from challenging circumstances and setbacks in life. SJS proved to be a near-fatal occurrence in my life. Resilience does not imply the absence of stress, mental turmoil, and suffering in an individual. Resilience encompasses the capacity to navigate and overcome emotional distress and hardship.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I have had to acquire the skills to counteract self-bullying and impostor syndrome. I have experienced consecutive days where I harbored feelings of inadequacy. I made derogatory remarks such as “you are dumb,” “your personal experiences are of no significance,” “your age is a hindrance,” and “you are stupid.”

I habitually engage in self-deprecating behavior. I attribute the development of impostor syndrome to self-bullying, which is the act of subjecting oneself to harsh criticism and negative self-talk. Impostor syndrome is characterized by feelings of anxiety and a lack of internal validation, even while one is achieving high levels of success in objective, external measures. I had to consciously abandon the habit of engaging in self-bullying and instead use my impostor condition as a motivator to achieve proficiency. In order to put a stop to the act of self-bullying, I had to come to the realization that my actions do not define my identity. I address both of these concerns on a daily basis!

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WilliamsPhillipT
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philliptwilliams61/