The best supervisor I’ve had was during my first summer internship at MaxLove Project. MaxLove Project aims to support kids and their families that have been diagnosed with pediatric cancer by providing access to whole body healing tools like bone broth, nutritionists, and therapy. In a small nonprofit with an incredible scope, it was a learning experience as an intern. I was constantly acquiring new skills and discovering how to manage situations. As one of the few employees in a very small organization, my supervisor Abby did a lot. She was the perfect combination of instructional and easygoing. She constantly communicated what had been accomplished during morning meetings, any new projects we were brainstorming and most importantly, always took my suggestions seriously. Additionally, Abby was an extremely dedicated employee. She was always working on at least five different projects but made time to sit and chat with customers that came in or families that needed some extra support. In short, Abby changed the way I thought about managers, bosses, and even myself.

As one of the few employees in a very small organization, my supervisor Abby did a lot. She was the perfect combination of instructional and easygoing. She constantly communicated what had been accomplished during morning meetings, any new projects we were brainstorming and most importantly, always took my suggestions seriously. Additionally, Abby was an extremely dedicated employee. She was always working on at least five different projects but made time to sit and chat with customers or families that needed some sort of support, something that I found at the time, dizzying.

Through working for MaxLove and Abby, I saw what it took to be a strong leader and team member. I often think “what would Abby do” at my current on-campus job. She emphasized communication in a challenging environment and truly valued my contributions or ideas. Having a supervisor that instilled such excellent leadership values has changed the way I look for companies and how I hope to lead within the workplace someday. Do you have a supervisor or manager that changed the way you think about management style?