Prior to starting this internship I had never really thought about what my leadership style would be and how I would describe it. I think that before starting my internship at Irish Insolvency solutions I would say that I lead by example. What I mean by this is that I do the best that I can when working at something whether that is at school, sports, work or anything I do the best that I can which then in turns allows people to feel more confident when doing their work. This is because I have never been the loudest voice and I am not one to tell someone else to do something but just the example of me working hard and doing my best allows them to strive to do the same or better than me.
Since starting my internship and Irish Insolvency I have learned that there is more to the idea of leadership than just doing your tasks well. It also involves working with others to ensure that they are doing the tasks to their best ability and helping them in the case that they are struggling. It is also involved in how you respond to challenges and uncertainty in the workplace. When faced with problems are you able to adapt and finish what you need to do well. This internship has taught me not just from my own actions but the actions of everyone in this office that leadership isn’t always about your title or amount of work experience. Leadership comes from your ability to cooperate and help others in the workplace while also doing what is asked of you.
Some ways I have grown as a leader are the ideas of what it takes to be a leader. Given that my role in the company is not one that is in a leadership position I am able to lead when available, but I find myself learning from the people around me which has helped me grow as a leader. Everyone around me is calm, approachable and very helpful when I have a question and to me that is the sign of a great leader. In the workplace if you are second guessing yourself if you want to ask somebody a question because it might be bad or whatever that would make me think that that person is not the best because you don’t feel comfortable asking that question.
This weekend I took a trip up to Belfast and did a day tour around Northern Ireland. Although I didn’t spend a ton of time in the city itself, I was able to walk around and get a good feel for it before the tour started. I wandered around some of the city streets and came across a university campus that reminded me a lot of Pitt. It had a main road lined with shops and restaurants that really reminded me of Forbes Avenue.
After spending a little time exploring, I joined the day tour that took us along the coast of Northern Ireland, stopping at a number of iconic landmarks and natural sights. The first stop on the tour was the Dark Hedges, a long, tree-lined road made famous by Game of Thrones. I had seen pictures before, but seeing it in person was really something else. After the Dark Hedges, we headed toward the highlight of the tour: the Giant’s Causeway. This was the stop I was most excited for, and it definitely lived up to the hype. The entire coastline in that area is just stunning. The hike down to the Causeway itself was fairly easy, but filled with photo opportunities the whole way. Once we reached the main site, the view was incredible. They say that the rock formations were formed by giants giving it the name giant’s causeway. However it was really formed by a volcano a long time ago which is the reason for the very cool rock formations and cliffs.
One thing I was really thankful for was the weather. Ireland is known for being unpredictable and rainy, especially up north near the coast. But I lucked out it was sunny, clear, and warm for most of the day. Our guide mentioned that on foggy or rainy days, you can barely see the cliffs or coastline, so I felt extra lucky to get a clear view of everything. Being able to hike around, take in the scenery, and enjoy the good weather made the experience even better.
