Hi everyone! This week has been a lot calmer of a week compared to my past ones. This week I did not visit any new cities, but instead stayed in Berlin for the week. It was nice to have a bit of a break after the trip to Munich. I still feel that 4 am train haha.

Pictured in the featured image is a very tasty pizza that I ate while watching the Germany vs Denmark soccer game in the Euros. While I was not at a watch party this week, the noises of Germans celebrating could be heard loud and clear from my hotel room. With each goal, the entire city broke out with the sounds of horns blaring. Germany ended up winning 2-0 and advanced to the next round of the Euros. Their next game is against the powerhouse of Spain, so I imagine the city will be even more crazy for this game. It would be very cool to see Germany get to the finals and see the city celebrate. I’m sure the atmosphere would be electric and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Time will tell if they can make it.

At my office people typically do not go in on Fridays. Most people are remote or take the day off. I have found this very strange, but I have not complained about having my Fridays remote. This was an extreme culture shock coming from an American work background where not only do people work Fridays, but you can often see people in the office on Saturdays and Sundays. This week I went into the office for the first time on a Friday. I went in because I needed to work with a supervisor on a project, and he was in the office. I figured it would be much easier to work together in person than remotely, and it was. The office felt empty, there were only the two of us. It was truly a weird experience to see an office so empty on a working day. I see the merits of working remotely, but I personally find it harder to collaborate and work as a team online. Because of this, I find it so weird that a vital working day is practically always spent online. I think that is one part of the working culture here that I will probably not understand by the team I leave.

Before this internship, I would say my leadership style varied a lot. I would say that it varied between work and school where in each environment it was drastically different. At work in the chemical plant, I found the most effective leadership style to be that of assertiveness. If I wanted to get a point across I was loud, direct, and clear. That was a work environment where subtlety would not get you super far, so you have to be assertive. At school, I would say my leadership style was a lot more subtle and passive. Often times in group settings I preferred to be the more “lead by example” type and just get my work down without being too assertive; however, I was not afraid to take charge when need be.

I think this internship has helped me to find a happy medium between these two different leadership styles. In my workplace there is no need to be as assertive and direct as I was working in a factory; however, at the same time, being super passive and subtle would also get me nowhere. As such, I believe this internship has fostered a leadership style in me where I am equally assertive and subtle. When I need my voice to be heard, I make it heard. I do not just sit there and wait to be told what to do or how to do things. I also am not overly assertive, as I believe in this work environment that would not be super appreciated. I think overall I have improved greatly in this respect, but it is also something that will continue to improve with time.

I believe that my improved sense of leadership will be greatly beneficial as I enter into the American workforce. While German and American work cultures are very different, I think both require a medium between assertiveness and subtlety. Being super passive will have you left in the dust while being overly assertive can rub people the wrong way. As such, I am very glad I started to find a good medium here at this internship.