STL Leaders Speak Out

Since 2003, FOCUS St. Louis^® has archived several hundred hours of digitally recorded interviews with graduates of the Leadership St. Louis^® (LSL) program. These recordings enable graduates of the nationally renowned program to pass along some of their acquired insights from LSL class participation and a lifetime of leadership experiences.

The names of many interviewees are well known and comprise a veritable "who’s who" for the St. Louis region. Their observations on leadership are insightful and provocative. Until now these treasures have remained confined in the files at FOCUS. You may now listen to a variety of inspirational quotes by our regional leaders, peruse their bios, and build a visual identity of each leader.

• This series of quotes will address the question, “When you think about a highly effective leader, what qualities do you expect to see in that person?”  FOCUS is adding a new dimension to this project by recording all the interviews from this point forward in video format.

Every other week, FOCUS members will be sent a link in Connections to hear a new quote from a different leader. In order to receive the enews, you must be a FOCUS St. Louis member. To sign up for a FOCUS St. Louis membership, please click here.

Please share any wisdom you find in their comments with others working to strengthen the St. Louis region and beyond.

Several years ago, FOCUS St. Louis set out to compile an oral history of alumni from the Leadership St. Louis^® program. The interviewees span a cross section of recent graduates to alumni from the program’s inception in 1976. Interview sessions were conducted by various FOCUS Leadership St. Louis^® program participants working from a basic script of 11 questions. Each interview presents listeners with gems of knowledge on the meaning of leadership, the impact of the LSL program, and on the role of a community leader in their public and in their private lives.