Be Who You Are: Lessons in Leadership from Judith von Seldeneck

Judith von Seldeneck speaking at harp-weaver's most recent Night Out With Meaning

By Abby Rolland

It was not until 1972 that Title IX, the landmark legislation prohibiting sex discrimination in any educational program, was passed. The Equal Rights Amendment passed Congress in 1972. Women could only apply for credit cards in their own names started in 1974 with the passage of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

It was in this decade and context that Judith von Seldeneck, who began her career working for then-Senator Walter Mondale, acquired a small Philadelphia firm begun to help find professional roles for women. Over the next decades, von Seldeneck bought out her partners and built DSG Global into one of the top ten executive search firms in the nation.

She shared her powerful story, as well as some other tidbits about her career and personal journey, in the most recent Night Out With Meaning. While von Seldeneck’s career in its own right is extremely impressive, one of the recurring points throughout the night has been her committed support of other women in business and the professional fields.

One of the avenues of that support has been the JVS Philadelphia Fund for Women. Established by von Seldeneck, the Fund assists women-led enterprises to mature and grow by providing capital to women growth enterprises, leveraging the experience of established women leaders to provide consulting and advisory services, and connecting women CEOs to resources to accelerate their grown. Women who can prove that they’ve owned/run their business for at least two years and are committed to helping other women grow can earn a grant of up to $50,000. That support is essential for a business in an early-growth phase – while women business owners represent 39.1% of U.S. firms, they only account for 5.8% of revenue. Closing that gap can generate billions more in additional revenue, which is why accelerants like the JVS Fund are essential. “I want to help women now so they don’t have to jump over hurdles like I did,” von Seldeneck shared.  

Another point I noted from von Seldeneck’s talk was her desire to work with other powerful women to help each other. Too often, women feel like we need to compete to get ahead. In this informal group of women with influence and resources, there was support for one another and a willingness to work together in order to lift each other. Whether it’s a group of CEOs or a group of young women just entering the workforce, it’s vital for us to stick together in order to best support, motivate, and look out for our best interests.

While these are noteworthy efforts in and of themselves, it was von Seldeneck’s advice that stuck out to me. She emphasized the importance of being confident, sharing how after important business meetings, she would tell herself what a great job she did. She told the riveted crowd to be bold, speak up, and to say something in order to contribute to a conversation, regardless of who else is in the room and how new you are to the space. She encouraged us to find a way to earn power in the board room by working toward leadership positions in order to earn greater influence.

While these may seem like obvious nuggets of knowledge, I believe that women can take these more to heart in order to grow as leaders. We have a place in the room, and we should speak up.  Regardless of your age, background, previous experience, or burdens you may carry, you belong.

Overall, von Seldeneck’s chat reminded me to be confident in who I am. I’m also grateful for women like her who have led, advocated for change, and buoyed other women. To me, it’s created opportunities and advantages for me in my professional career to follow and learn from others before me. I’m lucky to have had women bosses and mentors who have believed in me and found ways for to support me in both my growth as a professional and in my family life.

Von Seldeneck’s final point summed up her overall message in a way that encapsulates who we are as women, even though we continue to face challenges: “Be who you are. It’s great to be a woman.”

Check out von Seldeneck’s and Aileen Alexander’s (current CEO of DSG Global) book “Deliberately Different” to learn more about their incredibly careers and their advice for women today.