When idealizing a leader, I start to first reflect on the managers and leaders I've had in the past and observe what positive traits they had that made them so helpful to me – or else, what I wish they had done instead. When reviewing my own leadership style, in general, the people-related skills are what I found myself scoring the highest in across various assessments I've taken.

When it is eventually the time for me to become a leader, I would like to be supportive above all else. This would mean I would allow for questions and be always accessible. I understand that may be unrealistic as leaders also have their own responsibilities and job duties, but have people under their management, I find it imperative that they should take the time out to answer any questions and provide all available resources to save us both the leader and the employee on time, effort, and money. Most importantly, a good attitude is required during this process. Some leaders I've had in the past made it seem like it was my fault I needed clarification, or else only focused on the negatives, making me apprehensive about asking them of guidance overall – which I hope to avoid when it is my turn.

As a leader, I would like to think that I would take the time out to care about personal topics – be it small talk, or just getting to know their team better, I've worked in places were even just talking to people was considered disruptive. As such, I would like my ideal leader to routinely check in with me and would do the same with them. I have an outgoing personality, which a lot of people have told me is a strength of mine, and it shows as a lot of people who are more guarded have opened up to me in the past. Combining this skill into my leadership, I believe, will bring about positive results, as happy people work better.

The last thing I would do as a leader, that leaders in my life have lacked thus far, is provide a network for those who looked up to me. At this moment in my career, I feel like my leaders have not been great about this, as I'm about to graduate – and while I'm keeping my options open, that can also be seen as not having a defined plan. On a university level, professors always remind students that they can be used as a resource – as a result, on a corporate level, managers and leaders should be held accountable for the same thing. I've never worked a job, internship, or temporary position where my superiors have served this purpose, so as a leader, I would make sure to emphasize that point.