Audrey Hendley has never had a 10-year plan.

Yet what began as an entry-level position at American Express in 1992 blossomed into three decades of professional growth and leadership.

Hendley, who now serves as president of American Express Travel, sat down with Newsweek to explain how innovation can be cultivated from within an organization. "It's been a lot of building around experiences," she said. "Sometimes, you might even find yourself in with an assignment or job that you aren't in love with, but what's in it for you?"

Her advice? Turn those disappointments into leadership opportunities.

"Let me figure out how to solve this problem," she said. "Let me put my best foot forward. Let me be responsible to this company that has given me so much and let me figure out a way to get the

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