Leadership plays a large role in my internship as I am learning about different leadership styles as well as the capabilities that come with that position. I have an immediate supervisor that I communicate with daily and support as well as the director and managers of the split style department. The leadership styles are very different between the three I report to and support. My immediate supervisor has the leadership style of being laid back and creating tasks for me that allow me to use my creativity as well as develop my independent judgment. We meet weekly to go over my current tasks and any questions that I might have that are important to the internship.
One of the managers I support that my supervisor reports to has a leadership style of micromanaging. I believe this is due to her previous position at her previous place of work as she did not have anyone reporting to her and often had to complete the work herself. It has been a struggle learning how to work with a micromanager, but a good lesson to learn when working in the real world with different types of leadership. The last style of leadership that I work with is the director of department. She is often out of town, attending workshops or meetings required by the state, creating a leadership style that relies of communication via email and phone when needed.
In my current position I am able to display leadership by taking charge of certain tasks as well as being involved with business related programs at lunch that support professional development. Many of my co-workers and superiors display their leadership skills in the staff meetings explaining current status on tasks as well as any future projects.
Hi Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post because I have had similar experiences at my internship. It is very different learning to adapt to different leadership styles and learning to be more flexible, especially as an intern. Working under a micromanager is always difficult, but when I am in those situations I just learn to be more laid back and let them do their thing. Best of luck with the continuation of your internship!
I can relate with the micro managing aspect. Although my supervisor is laid back like yours, I have had issues with supervisors who micro manage in the past. I find that it is difficult to properly perform your duties when dealing with these supervisors or the very least it can slow down the process of completing tasks. I have found that taking the earning their trust or by taking initiative on tasks sometimes helps with this type of manager. Both just take time and patience.
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