As conversations about women in leadership continue to evolve, Joanne M. Frederick has a perspective shaped not only by history, but by decades of experience building businesses and advising organizations navigating the government marketplace.
The founder and CEO of Government Market Strategies, Frederick has spent her career demonstrating that effective leadership is rooted in accountability, foresight, and resilience. Looking back, she believes the story of women in leadership is less about discovering new capabilities than finally recognizing strengths that have always existed.
“Women have always led,” Frederick said. “What has changed over time is that society gradually expanded where that leadership could be recognized and exercised.”
She points to milestones such as women’s suffrage, the Equal Pay Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX, and the increasing appointment of women to senior government and military leadership as pivotal moments that removed many structural barriers. But legal progress, she notes, has not always translated into immediate cultural change.
Frederick recalls one meeting early in her career that underscored this reality. During a client meeting at the law offices of a former U.S. senator, a former federal agency administrator entered the room, looked at her client, and remarked, “I see you brought the women with you today.”
Frederick’s response was immediate.
“He brings the women when the work needs to get done well.”
The exchange ended with laughter, but the lesson endured.
“It reminded me that while assumptions may linger, competence has a remarkable way of changing minds,” she said. “Every capable woman who leads well makes it easier for the next generation to be judged by her work rather than her gender.”
Throughout her career, Frederick has observed that diverse leadership teams consistently produce stronger decisions. Rather than viewing different perspectives as obstacles, she believes they strengthen organizations by encouraging leaders to consider both immediate and long-term consequences.
“One of the strengths I’ve often observed in women leaders is an ability to anticipate downstream consequences,” she said. “We tend to ask not only whether a decision solves today’s problem, but what impact it will have on employees, customers, communities, and the organization years from now.”
She also believes meaningful progress depends on women supporting one another instead of viewing success as a limited resource.
“Leadership isn’t a scarce resource,” Frederick said. “When capable women succeed, we all benefit.”
Frederick founded her first company in 1992, launching the business from a small office inside her father’s company. She says her motivation was never about proving that women could succeed in business.
“I wasn’t trying to prove that women could build successful businesses,” she said. “I saw an opportunity to solve a problem, and I trusted myself enough to pursue it.”
Looking back, she credits generations of women who demonstrated that entrepreneurship and leadership were attainable goals, making it easier for others to imagine similar possibilities.
Her personal journey also shaped her philosophy. As a single mother, Frederick discovered that responsibility often reveals strengths people do not realize they possess.
“When someone else is depending on you, you discover strengths you can’t always see in yourself,” she said. “Leadership begins the moment you accept responsibility for an outcome and stay committed until the work is done.”
While many cite prominent public figures as leadership influences, Frederick points instead to someone whose impact was felt far from boardrooms or government offices.
“The woman who shaped me most never held public office or led a Fortune 500 company,” she said. “She was my maternal grandmother, the wife of a dairy farmer.”
Her grandmother’s work ethic left a lasting impression.
“There was no time for excuses, lamenting, or wishing things were different. The work still needed to be done,” Frederick recalled. “Leadership wasn’t a title. It was accepting responsibility, doing what needed to be done, and being someone others could count on.”
That philosophy continues to inform her commitment to mentoring others. One of the women she encouraged early in her career went on to build a successful company that now competes directly with Frederick’s own business—a development she considers a point of pride rather than rivalry.
“I saw something in her before she saw it in herself,” Frederick said. “To me, that’s one of the greatest privileges of leadership.”
As Women’s History Month celebrates the achievements of generations past, Frederick believes the next chapter will be written less by titles than by confidence.
“The world doesn’t need more women with titles,” she said. “It needs more women who trust themselves. Trust yourself enough to raise your hand. Trust yourself enough to pursue the opportunity. Trust yourself enough to solve problems worth solving. That’s how real progress is made.”