This weekend I have been very busy continuing to explore Ireland. On Friday after work, I went to visit my Aunt in Mullingar. I was also able to spend the rest of the day with my family whom I don’t get to see very often. We went out to a family dinner and it was very nice to spend time with them. On Saturday morning I traveled to Galway for a day trip. I explored the town and had a lovely time. Since I spend most of my time in Dublin working it was nice to have a change of scenery.

In terms of leadership before Dublin, I have had many opportunities to gain leadership experience. I serve as the President of my sorority. This position allowed me to just feel more comfortable in a leadership role. Before this, I am typically anxious about speaking in front of groups of people and having a position of power. This role offers an unparalleled leadership experience within a close-knit community. That it isn’t solely just someone in charge but focuses on the relationship between everyone in the sorority. As a sorority president, one assumes responsibility for leading, guiding, and making decisions on behalf of the group that aligns with a common goal. Working with a tight-knit group of girls was different from any experience I had prior. This experience helps develop skills that are applicable in various leadership scenarios. Even smaller leadership opportunities such as group projects. Typically for these projects I am in charge and have a focus on the small details in order to tie the entire project together.

Something that I was not used to was my supervisor creating leadership opportunities based on strengths and treating everyone the same as him. With this, there is no authority figure within the company. That no one is competing for leadership or to be an authoritative figure in the workplace. This is something that I was not used to in the United States. I am used to one person delegating tasks to others and having a sense of authority. Here I almost have freedom with my leadership and tasks. It has helped to have a supervisor who cares about personal growth and inspires others to keep learnings and making mistakes.

For my specific role, I am given all the graphics to make and all the posts to schedule. I am rarely given instructions on what to make I am just told what needs to be done and thats it. For example, the other intern booked 3 gigs and I was just told to make a poster for them to hang around Dublin. Not being told what my supervisor was looking for was very flattering at first. I create it independently and then show either my supervisor or the other intern what I have created. From there we work as a team to figure out what could be better if anything. I have the strength of that side of the job so when it comes to it I have the largest say since they feel as if I know the most. While the other intern does bookings for lives shows and I make the posters for her. Although we are doing very different things we are still able the collaborate and come up with solutions for problems together. We are able to improve on each other. Hearing each other ideas and thoughts we both gain leadership skills from each other. Dublin teaches the essence of inclusive leadership, where one learns to respect and value differences. By working alongside individuals from various nationalities, backgrounds, and traditions, leaders acquire the ability to communicate effectively, adapt to different working styles, and create an inclusive environment that fosters collaboration.

While being in Ireland my outlook on leadership has changed. Before I believed that leadership meant one person solely in charge of a group. But while working here I have noticed that it is more of a collaborative effort. Multiple people work for a shared goal or completion. This also has allowed me to improve my communication skills along with other skills. The balance of freedom with creating and the collaborative aspect of working with the other intern has allowed my leadership skills to go.