Staying Relevant: Be Ahead of the Curve - Heidi Steiger
In today’s business landscape, change is constant — and accelerating. As technology transforms how we work, lead, and connect, the question isn’t just how we adapt, but how we stay relevant. Whether you’re a board director, executive, or entrepreneur, relevance isn’t a given — it’s something we must actively cultivate.
Relevancy is something I care deeply about — personally and professionally. I’ve always believed that to lead effectively, we need to evolve alongside the world around us. In my own career, I’ve pivoted industries, taken on new roles, and invested in education — not because I had to, but because I wanted to remain useful, valuable, and ahead of the curve.
In this piece, I share how I think about staying relevant over the long term — using my own journey as an example. My hope is that it sparks reflection for others looking to grow, shift, or stay current in industries that won’t wait for us to catch up.
“So relevancy, for me, is something that’s extremely important — particularly as technology continues to change the environments we work in at an accelerating pace.
So how does one stay relevant?
If I use my own life as an example, I think about the goals I have for my career 3 years, 5 years, even 10 years from now. Where do I see the industries going that I want to be a part of? And how do I make myself valuable in those industries?
For example, when I wanted to join a tech board, I knew I needed to speak the language. So I went to Carnegie Mellon and earned a certificate in cybersecurity — and that’s how I got on my first board.
More recently, when I transitioned into executive coaching, I wanted the right credentials to do that well. So I enrolled at Brown University, completed a certificate program, and became accredited with the International Coaching Federation.
The point is — think about what you can do to stay relevant in the areas you want to be involved in, and with the people you want to interact with. Relevancy doesn’t happen by accident. It’s something you build — intentionally.”
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