It is hard to believe I am coming up on the last full week of my two months in Stockholm! We just finished our last weekend trip, this time to Helsinki, and for the rest of my time here I am going to try to soak up the city as best as I can. As for my internship, I also just wrapped up my last week with my fellow intern from the IIP. When thinking about leadership in this role, nothing super distinct comes to mind, as in our small group of three we did a lot of teamwork and collaboration. However, I got a lot more adjusted to understanding my strengths and weaknesses in the group. In the weeks of splitting tasks with my coworker, it became very clear what we were both best at, and I got much better at offering up my talents in certain areas. I had to actually speak up and suggest what we could do for different design tasks and methods for creating visuals. It then became a lot easier to step up in those positions and take more of a leadership role. 

I wouldn’t say this has changed my leadership style all that much, but it has given me a much different environment to work on it. In college, I tend to hold back in group scenarios and see what is needed from me, and if needed, I will take on a leader position. If everyone else is more reserved or not taking much action, I have never had too much trouble stepping up to get things organized and flowing. But when I was younger, like in elementary and middle school, I was even more confident in taking the leading position. This may have been to a fault. I was very confident and a bit of a control freak, so I have learned over time how to step back and see where I was needed. I had phases of being too passive, feeling embarrassed from my time as an overconfident kid. But now I feel I have struck a really great balance. 

It feels like overall my approach has stayed the same. I feel like the environment helped my ability to step up; not many coworkers, a lot of independence, etc. Our supervisor always made the dynamic feel level, just people collaborating rather than working for one higher-up. I think if anything, I have become a better leader in areas outside of work. Traveling independently has never felt like anything less than incredibly daunting. I barely feel comfortable in new cities in the US, let alone internationally. I have trouble getting myself out into an environment I am not familiar with; it feels like I will just get lost, stressed, or make a fool of myself. I hadn’t realized how much being in Stockholm helped me until I spent a day alone in Budapest. I approached the public transport like it was nothing, expecting the same ease as Stockholm. It of course wasn’t the exact same experience, but the barrier to entry felt like nothing compared to my previous experiences. As I got off the train and walked across the bridge to Buda Castle, I remember feeling super light and happy. I realized I had a new confidence, sense of independence, and even a skill that I had never possessed. Maybe this doesn’t fully classify as “leadership,” but I think this sense of trust in myself and willingness to put myself somewhere brand new will apply to all areas of future success. If I can rely on myself to handle a new place and a new situation, I imagine it will be much easier to place myself in leadership positions without too much self-doubt.