Last Saturday, we took a day trip to the demilitarized zone, which was a very unique experience. At 6:15 AM, we got picked up by a bus and headed straight toward the DMZ. We started by walking across the Freedom Bridge in Paju, where the tour guide explained how the bridge was used by prisoners of war to return home after the Korean War. After walking through the freedom bridge, we walked through the third discovered infiltration tunnel, which was 265 meters long with a constant downward slope going in, and naturally a constant upward slope coming back out. Since the ceiling was so low, I had to walk hunched over for the majority of it, which made the already long walk a lot more physically demanding. We were all given hard hats to wear as well, and I accidentally hit my head on the ceiling a couple of times and was very grateful for it. We also got to see North Korea through a telescope, which was surreal to see in person, after learning about North Korea in school. 

Reflecting on leadership this week felt especially relevant given everything I have observed over the past month and a half. Before this internship, I would describe my leadership style as clear, objective oriented, and efficiency driven. I preferred to delegate based on the size of the group, prioritize tasks by urgency, and aim to finish projects a day or two early so there was time to review the work before any deadlines. As the former Business Manager of CLCC, staying communicative with board members and making sure everything was completed accurately and on time was a big part of my role. I liked having a clear plan and sticking to it. However, this internship has genuinely challenged my leadership approach. The CEO of my internship leads in a very different way than I am used to. He takes a very hands-on role in directing and completing tasks, staying closely involved throughout the entire process rather than stepping back after delegating. Watching that style in action has made me rethink some of my own habits. When a leader is directly involved, mistakes or potential issues can be caught early before they develop further into a project. That is something I had not fully appreciated before, because my instinct has always been to trust the process and check in at the end rather than staying involved throughout. That realization is going to directly impact how I approach my role as Vice President of CLCC next semester. As Business Manager, I was responsible for keeping things organized and on track, but I did not always need to play a hands-on role in every task. As VP, I will have a more involved leadership position, and I think being more present throughout the execution of events and activities rather than just at the planning and review stages will lead to better outcomes overall. Catching things early is always better than fixing them after the fact.

Beyond the CEO’s leadership style, this experience has also pushed me to develop as a leader. Operating in an environment where I cannot always communicate freely has forced me to be more patient, more observant, and more intentional about how I carry myself. Throughout this internship, I have utilized these habits every single day, and I think they will make me a more well rounded leader going forward. Coming into this internship I thought I had a pretty solid handle on what my leadership style was. After six weeks, I still believe in the core of it, staying organized, communicating clearly, and prioritizing efficiency. But I am getting a much better understanding of the value of staying hands on and present throughout a project rather than checking in from a distance. Overall it has been a really full week, and I am looking forward to finishing strong in the final couple of weeks of the internship.