The Courage to Contribute

over the past two weeks, major things have happened in my internship. I was assigned a number of projects that allow me a great amount of responsibility and opportunity to contribute. These numerous projects included communicating directly with clients, the CEO, and international branches of my organization. I have already completed some projects but still have much more work to do.

The importance about this new chapter in my internship is less about the work I am now doing, and more about the work it took to get there. Over the first month, I struggled to speak up about the lack of work they were giving me. I felt misplaced and misused in the office. They had little knowledge of my capabilities, and my interest in actually contributing to their work. But what I realized, is that I needed to speak up. How were they supposed to appreciate what I could do and what I wanted to do if I did not tell them?

This realization tapped into my knowledge of the workplace hierarchy I have learned in my leadership studies. In a formal work setting, there can be a strong division amongst superiors and subordinates. People can go their whole working lives without resisting the divisions of hierarchy; simply staying in their places. I wanted to gain something out of this internship, in fact, I had it written down in an essay for class. I knew I could achieve none of these things if I sat idly as so many do. So, I decided to speak up, not only to my bosses, but to my bosses boss, using the communication skills I’ve developed through my studies and elsewhere. By informing my superiors of what I wanted them to know, I gained opportunity to contribute I am now delighted to have.

The realization of needing to “rebel” against my own hesitations and implicit leadership theories to do so was successful, and allowed me to tie my studies into my work.