What qualities do you expect to see in a highly effective leader?
There are a lot of qualities that make a particularly effective leader. One is a real understanding of the situation or circumstances that he or she wants to lead in. The second is a real capability to bring people together, people who may be on the same side, people who may be not entirely on the same side. Bring them together around a common cause. That requires an ability to crystallize the issue in the leader’s mind, but also to help others crystallize it as well in a collaborative kind of process.-Frank Hamsher (40sec)
Frank Hamsher,
Public Policy and Communications Consultant
LSL Class of 1977-78
Frank Hamsher has long had active leadership roles in the public and private sectors in St. Louis in civic issues, community development, and management of crises and controversies. Now an independent public policy and communications consultant, he has been a partner at Fleishman-Hillard, director of community development and counsel to the mayor of St. Louis, and a partner at St. Louis-based law firm Husch Blackwell Sanders.
He was for 7 years senior public affairs counselor to Civic Progress, team leader for crisis management for various national Fortune 500 corporations, and communications counsel for various foundations and civic entities. He led a large media logistics and relations team for the final U.S. visit of Pope John Paul II in 1999.
Hamsher serves or has recently served on the board of numerous St. Louis organizations, including the FOCUS St. Louis®, Urban League, Deaconess Foundation, Partnership for Downtown St. Louis, United Way, University of Missouri-St. Louis Chancellor’s Council and New City School. He has long served on various FOCUS committees, and he and his wife Peggy Guest were founding members of Bridges Across Racial Polarization®.
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