Inspiring women:
 Judith Leeson AM – Director of Vector Consultants
For the past fifty years Judith Leeson has championed the participation of all Australians in the life of their community, economy and nation. Judith has served five terms as National President of the Australian Association of Career Counsellors, and completed her second term as inaugural President and Founding Member of the Career Industry Council of Australia.
In 2005 Judith was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the community.
Judith is Director of Vector Consultants, and concurrently employed as a Project Officer by the Department of Education Employment and Work Place Relations.
Where do you find inspiration? Who have been your role models?
I find my inspiration in observing ordinary people transforming their lives as a result of empathic and empowering career development services and life-long learning. This is particularly the case when I see ordinary people enhance their confidence, resilience and competence, and building sustainable relationships with their families, friends and communities.
Do you see yourself as a role model to other women?
Working through retirement, I have combined employment, study and community service in richly rewarding experiences, and shown other women that age is not a barrier to be overcome, but a gift to be invested.
Shortly before my 75th birthday I gained a position with the Commonwealth Public Service through the competitive recruitment process, and am now utilising my interests in the implementation of good public policy that leads to the development of effective, evidence-based services.
What experiences are you really proud of?
I think that the highlight of my professional life was being appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in 2005 for my services to the community, particularly through support of people seeking opportunity for life-long learning and career development. I have also been recognised as a South Australia Great, and have a significant Commonwealth Award for Excellence in Career Teaching named for me.
My real achievements, however, have often been quietly celebrated when clients who have experienced disadvantage are able to chart a pathway for a more positive future.
What has been your biggest challenge? What have you had to struggle with in your career?
The biggest challenge has been to completely integrate my ethical principles into every aspect of my life, in spite of outside pressures.
My greatest struggles have been to provide effective, sustainable services that are community-focused within budget constraints, and combine a life of service with adequate financial remuneration.
What advice would you offer other women who are struggling to reach positions of leadership?
Develop your emotional intelligence, and believe in the power of leading by example whatever your level in the hierarchy. Commit to life-long learning, articulate your vision, and encourage others in your team to achieve. Develop innovative solutions, give credit where it is due, and be generous in acknowledging the worth of others.
What do you look for in recognition for your achievements?
I like to quietly acknowledge my own achievements, but never expect external recognition and am always surprised when it comes. A simple sincere thank you from a previously struggling client, a colleague or a friend means more than public recognition.
Have you ever mentored/provided support to other women around leadership issues?
Each year I offer the winners and runners-up in the Judith Leeson Award for Excellence in Career Teaching the opportunity to have a year of mentoring, and I am delighted when people accept. I am constantly asked to be a mentor, and have provided mentoring services to over thirty five people in the last decade.
Have you ever been mentored?
I have never had a mentor in the formal sense, but have been fortunate to have colleagues who have given me much support and feedback over the years.
What hurdles do you think women face today?
The hurdles women face are still those of managing to take on high levels of responsibility in their careers, including their life-roles, leisure, paid and unpaid work, in formal and informal learning, and achieve their own measured levels of work/life balance.
Many women in leadership roles still endeavor to maintain a holistic approach to their careers, and not compromise their contributions in any area. However they are often competing with others who will sacrifice various aspects of their private lives for their more public role.
How do you think women can support each other in their ambitions?
Through utilising their emotional intelligence, listening and identifying the needs of others, and offering generous and genuine support.
What challenges are on the horizon for you?
My main challenge is to combine full-time work with the challenge of developing a sustainable rural property with my husband, and to continue to play a part in the life of my community.
Is there a quote you stand by or rules of thumb you live by?
My favourite quote is from the great English metaphysical poet John Donne, who said:
“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”
Judith is a member of the Women & Leadership Australia Regional Advisory Board. More
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