I am beginning week 6 here at my internship in Madrid and am really starting to get more and more meaningful tasks to do. I feel I am really starting to be given assignments and projects that the company actually needs and wants, and not just busy work assignments that only marginally help them out. Starting today, we have a two day meeting with 5 other companies all from different countries where each company is presenting on different organizations that they have researched. For what my company is going to present, I did the majority of the research and made the powerpoints so it is nice to know that what I am doing is quite valuable. Along with that, it is rewarding that my work will be presented at a meeting like this with people coming from all over Europe to see and hear the work I did. Secondly, the other intern who was also working here with me had her last day last week, so now I am the only intern present. The work that both of us could split up now all comes to me so I have even more responsibility. It isn’t too much though as everyone else is understanding more time will be needed to accomplish my work.
Regarding leadership, I think working here has given me an interesting perspective on leadership and the different styles of it. Before coming here I had some experience being in a manager position in two previous jobs. As a result, I was a leader by default and was able to mold my own leadership style. Usually, I tried to do the most amount of work, and guide others by example more than just telling them what to do. I felt I should do the most and then any task that I can’t do I could then delegate. Overall I think this is what a good leader does when they are in charge of a full team. Since being here I don’t really think my view has changed that much. This isn’t how it works at my company, but my company is also very fluid and doesn’t really have clearly defined roles or set leaders, so traditional leadership isn’t very applicable. Everyone has multiple projects they work on at a time, and are basically allowed to do their own things. The president is involved in all the projects but isn’t aware of everything going on with them all the time. For example, my coworkers often have meetings out of the office for whatever they are working on and the president doesn’t know about it until the day of, which he is fine with. Secondly, after the president everyone is basically on an equal level. There is no sub leader or head of different departments or positions. The president is kind of like a general source who helps where he can but is fine with allowing freedom to all the other workers. I think being here though will still help me with my leadership. It has given me a new perspective on how balances of power can work and how offices can run when everyone is given freedom and autonomy. I think sometimes I need to take a step back when leading and not micromanage as much and this experience has shown me how effective that can be. Along with that, being in a foreign environment with new work structures and points of view widens my perspective and allows me to more easily connect with other workers, which is very advantageous for a leader. Coming back with new perspectives and a more open mind can only help me.
Getting away from the work aspect, this week has been another very restful, relaxing week. On Saturday I went to the Gran Premio de Madrid, which is the biggest horse race of the year in the country, although not very big, but it was fun and something I enjoy doing in the US. It was nice to see something popular in the US that isn’t very popular here and compare the differences. It was interesting as I knew more about racing then most people who were there, as the difference in popularity between countries is quite stark. This was probably the first time I’ve been here that I’ve felt more knowledgeable and comfortable at something than the local people. Then on Sunday I just relaxed and watched the Spain Georgia round of 16 game. Spain won and plays Germany on Friday which should be a really fun game, especially to see the city. So far there really hasn’t been much excitement during games, which i’ve been surprised about, but this upcoming game should change that. Another good week in the books though.