Past experiences that have contributed to my understanding of leadership

 I have previously done two internships in Microsoft, one as a New Technologist intern and another as an Explore intern with Microsoft Excel. During these experiences, I found it hard to understand the hierarchy within different teams, especially knowing who to ask different kinds of questions. However, after these internships, I understood how teams are organized and the people responsible different parts of my project. For example, the roles of my internship recruiter are totally different from the roles of my engineering manager or engineering mentor. Through understanding these roles, I have gained insight on the person to ask different kinds of questions and known what to expect from my conversations with the stakeholders in my internship. Additionally, understanding the specific roles of leaders in my organization has helped me better prepare when I have coffee chats or meetings with them because I am better prepared with relevant questions.

Another past experience that has contributed to my understanding of leadership is my role as a Lead Teaching Assistant. Through this position I learned that leaders are not in their positions to catch mistakes made but to support the people they lead. I also learned that concise communication is crucial when asking for help from a leader. During my internship, I am utilizing these past understandings to confidently ask questions from my manager and mentor because I am sure they are available to support me succeed at my internship. Furthermore, my labor position as a Lead Teaching Assistant helped me improve my written, verbal, and non-verbal communication skills. For example, I find it a lot easier to communicate with my mentor and manager because I have had to communicate with students, Teaching Assistants, professors, and other people. Developing my communication skills through my role as a lead Teaching Assistant has not only made me confident in one-on-one conversations, but also during public conversations. Last week, my mentor asked me if I am okay presenting my project progress during the team’s standup meetings. “Yes, sure! I will get more feedback when the team is bigger,” I replied. I was confident that I am okay with presenting before the entire team because my labor position at Berea has helped me be more confident and to learn how to speak infront of audiences. Above all, it has allowed me to positively view feedback as a point to grow and not as a criticism of my abilities.