24 Power Players From Music Teacher to Industry Trailblazer Anderson’s path to association leadership began far from the boardroom, in a North Dakota classroom where she taught music. Growing up on a farm, she had been told there were only three career options for women in rural America: nurse, teacher, or farmer’s wife. She chose teaching, but eventually realized it wasn’t her calling. That willingness to pivot and evolve would become a defining characteristic of her leadership style. Under her guidance, ISA has embraced change across every aspect of its operations, from modernizing education delivery to reimagining organizational culture. “Culture is the most important job I have,” Anderson emphasizes. After attending an event where a Freeman executive challenged leaders to define their organizational culture, Anderson realized ISA needed both an assessment of its current culture and a vision for its aspirational future. This led to the development of ISA’s “culture code”—now a cornerstone of everything from hiring decisions to strategic planning.
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