When I was a child, I wanted to be a social studies teacher. Living on a farm, the boundary walls of my knowledge constituted a very small box. I knew cows were hard work and social studies was my favorite subject so I went with my best option.

As I exposed myself to more of the world, that box grew and so did mine career goals moved: first to psychology, then to business and, ultimately, to technology. I learned more, traveled across the country and to other parts of the world, and the walls around my understanding expanded. I was recently invited to give the commencement address for the graduating class of 2024 at the university where I studied marketing as an undergraduate. Forty years later, my inbox had grown to include titles such as CEO of a tech company and a 2023 National Winner Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Looking back, I see my path to leadership more clearly, not as a line, but as a series of ever-larger navigation boxes. Any new experience can be scary at first, but as we learn and explore that space, we become more confident within it and better prepared to navigate the next space. There is always a larger box of knowledge to open, and the moment we recognize one, we are faced with a choice: stay within the safe, smaller space we know, or familiarize ourselves with the larger space and grow. .

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Stay the course

My first job out of grad school was at a software company and I was hooked – nothing moves faster than technology and I knew that was where I wanted to grow a career. However, I had never thought of going from cows to computers and I had a lot to learn about such a large box of knowledge with little experience working in the field. I thought my boss would appreciate my initiative when I first went to my peers and then my boss's boss for support when I ran into a problem. Instead, I lost my job.

Undeterred, despite this rough start, I went on to work for years at another software company marketing manager. By all accounts, I was next in line to head the department when I heard company leadership say that a woman could never lead marketing because women only knew how to spend money. The next day I was fired.

I could have gone after that company for what happened, and maybe the women who came after me should have had a better opportunity, but I was in a relatively small town and a relatively small industry. I had to navigate this smaller box before I got to where I wanted to go, and speaking up it felt like too great a risk to the course I had set for my career. So, I did my best to learn from the disappointing moments and move forward instead of letting them discourage me from finding my next opportunity.

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Adapt to cross-country skiing

Even the best laid plans have needs course correction along the road. Like the rudder of a sailboat, setting major career goals can steer us in the right direction, but there will be bad weather and the sea is constantly changing. At my next job, an engineer was unwilling to work with a woman or believe they had any place in technology. When I went to him with problems, he would try to talk in circles around me instead of helping me understand. I adapted, going to his staff for support so I could succeed in my role.

When I was promoted and became his boss, we needed a better solution. I was moving into the leadership box and had to understand that while I objected to his behavior, he was an excellent engineer whose work benefited the team. So we agreed on exactly what I needed from him and I gave him plenty of rope to do it. I may not have fully earned it, but I made the most of that relationship while I was adjusting to a larger space.

An obstacle for today is not necessarily an obstacle to moving forward. There will be bullies, bad bosses or ex-husbands that can get in the way, but men aren't always obstacles. In my next three jobs, I discovered that some of them could be my biggest champions. By staying curious to learn from everyone, my box of understanding grew. I learned to identify supportive, confident people, nurture those relationships, and decide when to compromise or settle for a learning opportunity and move on.

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Make time for care and celebration

We started Clearfield at a time when large manufacturing companies were designing for larger broadband service providers, and we saw the advantage of creating modular, scalable products for smaller companies building in rural areas. After Covid-19 sent everyone home and high-speed internet became a must, public and private investment in fiber deployment skyrocketed. Sales exploded. The industry was moving faster than ever, and I was racing to keep up with its new challenges, until I needed back surgery.

The drive to learn more and take on greater responsibilities can propel us to the heights of leadership, but we limit ourselves if that ambition causes us to sacrifice PARTY and self-care. Taking the time to show appreciation to others for their efforts assures them that we see their value and nurture their continued contribution to the team. In the same way, regular self-care renews our spirit and commitment as we work through the heavy lifting of moving into bigger boxes: overcoming worries, learning from mistakes, and developing confidence.

From the box where I am sitting now, I see this self care and celebrations are how we sustain ourselves and our team members for the long term and set ourselves up to achieve. That's the best thing about moving to a bigger box: Each time is an opportunity to see more clearly our previous worldview and learn to do better.