Before this internship, I would have described my leadership style as leading by example. I have never been the type of person who feels the need to be the loudest voice in a group or take charge simply for the sake of being in charge. Instead, I have always believed that leadership comes from being dependable, working hard, and setting a positive example for others. During class projects, I usually took responsibility for organizing tasks, making sure deadlines were met, and helping teammates if they were struggling. I viewed leadership as earning the trust of others through consistency rather than authority. While this approach worked well in school, I had not experienced what it was like to lead in a professional environment where expectations, communication styles, and responsibilities are much different.
My internship abroad has challenged my understanding of leadership in several ways. Working at w3.hub has shown me that leadership is not only about being reliable but also about being comfortable with uncertainty. One of my main responsibilities has been developing a lead scoring system that identifies potential customers based on different factors, such as their involvement in startups, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and community events. Unlike many assignments in school, there was no answer key or detailed instructions explaining exactly how to complete the project. Instead, I had to research different ideas, test multiple scoring methods, evaluate the results, and continually improve the model based on feedback. This experience pushed me to take ownership of my work and become more confident in making decisions.
Another aspect of the internship that changed my perspective was working in an international startup environment. Being surrounded by people with different cultural backgrounds, experiences, and ways of thinking has taught me that leadership requires adaptability. Everyone communicates differently, approaches problems from different perspectives, and has unique strengths. I learned that being an effective leader is not about assuming your way is always the best way. Instead, it involves listening carefully, asking thoughtful questions, and remaining open to feedback. There were several times when suggestions from my supervisor or coworkers led me to rethink my scoring criteria or improve the way I explained my reasoning. Rather than viewing feedback as criticism, I began to see it as an opportunity to strengthen my work.
This internship has also helped me become more proactive. Before coming to Berlin, I often waited until I fully understood a task before taking action because I wanted to avoid making mistakes. While accuracy is still important, working in a startup has shown me that progress often comes from trying an idea, learning from the results, and making improvements along the way. Instead of waiting for perfect instructions, I learned to take initiative by suggesting changes to the lead scoring model, identifying new factors that could improve lead quality, and experimenting with different scoring weights. Taking ownership of these decisions has increased my confidence and shown me that leadership often involves acting despite uncertainty.
Living and working abroad has also strengthened my independence, which I believe is closely connected to leadership. Moving to another country meant adjusting to a new culture, navigating unfamiliar transportation systems, and communicating with people from different backgrounds. These experiences may seem unrelated to leadership at first, but they have made me more adaptable and resilient. When unexpected situations arise, I feel more comfortable handling them without becoming overwhelmed. I have learned that leaders are often expected to remain calm, solve problems, and adapt when plans change, and this internship has given me many opportunities to practice those skills.
One of the biggest lessons I will take away from this experience is that leadership is not defined by a job title. Before this internship, I often associated leadership with managing a team or supervising others. Now I understand that leadership can also mean taking responsibility for your work, contributing ideas, solving problems, and helping an organization achieve its goals. Even as an intern, I have been able to make meaningful contributions by creating a tool that can improve how the company identifies potential clients. Knowing that my work has practical value has motivated me to take greater ownership of my responsibilities.
Overall, this internship has transformed my view of leadership. I still believe that leading by example is important, but I now understand that effective leadership also requires initiative, adaptability, communication, and a willingness to learn from others. Working in an international startup has challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone and trust my own decision-making while remaining open to feedback. As I continue pursuing a career in data science and artificial intelligence, I know these leadership skills will be just as valuable as my technical abilities. This experience has made me more confident, more independent, and better prepared to contribute to future teams and projects, regardless of whether I hold a formal leadership position.
