How would you describe your leadership style before this internship experience? How has your internship abroad challenged your view and approach to leadership? How are you becoming a better leader as a result of this experience?

Prompt Response:

Before this experience, I think that my leadership style often tended to be timid and sometimes I would be shy to assume control at a new role, in fear of messing up or overstepping. At my last job, I learned a lot. After five summers of working there, I was most recently a manager of our large team, often having to help figure out schedules, train new hires, close and open the store myself and handle money. It was a lot of responsibility that I was capable of holding. But, it was hard because it was the first time where I was often left in charge, as the leader of certain shifts. In this role, I was younger than a lot of the people that I was trying to manage which sometimes made it hard to feel as though I had the authority to be telling them what to do. I second guessed myself, and apologized a lot for things that didn’t warrant remorse. I learned a lot from this overtime, because I wasn’t being unfair if I was just doing my job. As long as I was doing it kindly and clearly, I was succeeding. I began to apologize less, and ask for more, which was a necessary step in my learning process. I believe I finally got comfortable at that role due to the seniority that I had there. Despite my age, I had worked at that restaurant on and off for 5 years. I knew the staff and the tasks that needed to be done like the back of my hand. With that confidence I felt capable of delegating jobs. 

I think that having the time to grow and master your “craft” is what can often build a good leader. Time and experience are often a good recipe for success as they establish someone’s place at a company. However, I don’t think that an excess of time or experience is necessary to be a good leader. I believe that new people can jump into a situation with outside competence and immediately align in a new environment. Fresh eyes on a situation can be exactly what is needed to refocus a program’s needs. It can be hard to input yourself when you are the new voice, and you will likely make mistakes, but people from all backgrounds and placements can be leaders. 

Now, at this new role at my international internship I am the younger, new one for the first time again. It is like I am starting from zero all over again. But this is the natural progression when you are trying new jobs and experiencing new placements. It is normal to feel like the newbie, and that is the best time for being able to learn. As a new team member, you are able to jump in to an existing system and ask questions — without worry of any judgement because it is new to you. In this position, I am able to be an observer and gain knowledge without too much responsibility. That is why I really enjoyed my initial weeks here when I was having more training time. Now, as I am transitioning from a trainee to more of a team member, because I’ve now been with the group for a month, I am able to feel more confident when stepping into the leadership role because I had the opportunity for questions and clarification early on. 

A lot of the work that I do everyday, tends to be one-on-one with our service users, early on this was very nerve racking for me as a newcomer, because it can be a lot of responsibility for me to have with people who I have not fully formed a relationship of trust with yet. In those first few weeks, when conflict or confusion would arise, I had to learn that it was up to me to be a quick decision maker and diffuse the situation. I couldn’t really spend time being timid when it was necessary to reach a decision. The nature of this role requires that you step up and become a leader, even when you maybe don’t have the full personal confidence to do. All of these decisions need to be well-informed, and  it is important for me to know that I have support, but they can be made. For me, it has been helpful to not have time to second guess my actions, and learn to lead on my feet. In this practice, I don’t have time to hold myself back, because I am working for the benefit of others. It has been a great learning curve for me so far. 

Personal Response: 

This week is an exciting week for me! My family is all visiting, I feel so lucky to have them coming during my time here. My parents arrived to town on Sunday, and my uncles, cousin, and sister will be joining us at different points in the week. Because much of our family heritage stems from Ireland, my family has always wanted to come visit here but we ever had the chance. So, when they heard that I was going to be coming here for a time this summer, they made sure to try and plan a trip as well. After about five weeks of being here and exploring, I am so excited that my family gets to be here and see the places that I have come to love throughout my time here, and also find their own new spots that they enjoy. 

While I have been at work in the week, they have been running around and sight seeing all of the places that they can — being extremely touristy, as they should. After looking at some of my recommendations they went to see Howth and some museums, and they really wanted to go to the Guinness Factory so they made sure to do that. By night time, I am available to hangout with them, which is exciting and it’s good that the sun doesn’t set until 10:30 pm here so we have plenty of daylight still. In the time that I have spent with them we have gone out to nice meals, had some walks throughout the City and St. Stephen’s Green, and gone to some fun pubs. It’s been super fun to get through my busy work day and then know that I had them to hangout with and catch up with after. It’s even better when I have weekend time to spend with them.

Having them here has been amazing, but it has also made me realize how quickly this is flying by and how we don’t have much longer here. When I left New York and was settling in here in Dublin I thought about their visit as the over-halfway point and looked toward it as a comfort. When we first got here, that time felt so far away. But now they are here, and when they leave on Sunday, I will only have two weeks left which is insane. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, but as I begin to think about reflecting on this trip I am just grateful. For the opportunity to be here, my internship, my roommates, Dublin and its fun, my family for encouraging and visiting me here. I’m very lucky, and it has all been such fun.