Smriti L. Popenoe, Co-CEO of Dynex Capital (NYSE: DX), shares one of the most powerful moments in her professional journey — learning not to define herself by her role when faced with a difficult career crossroads. Popenoe explains that when she was presented with a choice to stay or leave, she realized the situation wasn’t aligned with who she was or where she wanted to go. Instead of internalizing the moment as a personal failure, she reframed it as an opportunity to create a new situation for herself. That mindset shift — from identity to possibility — helped her find the strength to walk away and ultimately led to far better outcomes in her career. She says that every time she’s faced a similar moment, choosing to build her own path resulted in something better than what she would have experienced had she stayed. This is a powerful reminder about leadership, resilience, and knowing when it’s time to move on. ✅ Save this for later and follow for more CEO insights, leadership min...