Chief

Leadership in my internship is organizationally structured to come from the top down. Technically I am a peon with little room to display leadership. However, I do not think that leadership is defined by hierarchical ranking. Currently, I think that I am able to show passion which will present me with more opportunities to display leadership.

There is a project I can take on that would obviously show leadership. Unfortunately, I am scared to take on this project because I am unsure of my capabilities to produce an effective outcome. The Parks agency (like most state government entities) are behind on up to date communication technologies. The Resources and Public Programs department (a total of 6-7 people) work so much with each other and share many documents. Version control and a systematic approach to sharing/editing documents would be highly effective in increasing efficiency. I would like to be the one to make these changes. This project including the research on how to do it would take a considerable amount of time due to the fact that I am only there 3 days a week and that I obviously must get my main duties done first. If I do decide to take this on, either if I fail or not, I believe it will certainly display leadership.

My Supervisor displays leadership capabilities by her responsiveness to her staff. She will always respond in a positive and ensuring way. I have observed that when she is answering a difficult question she makes sure pause and take her time to think about the appropriate response. Although my Supervisor is new and learning her current position as "Chief," she is learning quickly because of how well she listens. Being a good listener has a multitude of benefits. Not only is she observing and taking in things internally, but externally in the perspective of staff she is attentive. She will always take the time to listen to all of my ideas and my questions about the agency.  My Supervisor may not have all of the answers but she will make the time to explore the question fully and welcome ideas for answers. She is not afraid to to show that she is still learning. I love this because I am still learning as well. We are both being Chief's of learning.