By maintaining her network despite her geographic location, Susan Heegaard, president of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact, was rarely in search of what would come next and has had the unique opportunity to focus on her specific interests in public policy. When her family returned to Minnesota, they built a tribe that supported her career and that of her husband.

When it came time to lead in a new way, as the president of an organization, she leveraged the insights of her network and her own experience to start strategically.

Her advice to others? Focus on skills over titles because the skills you have and how you position them is what sets you apart when it comes to new opportunity.