What qualities do you expect to see in a highly effective leader?
If you’re the senior leader in an organization, I think that person has to always be looking way down the road, be tuned into trends and seeing where the business is going, seeing what’s happening in the world is going to affect the business politically in the city, the county, all that kind of stuff. I think that an effective leader in the community is a leader who doesn’t care who gets credit…for me it’s not about who gets the credit, it’s about what is achieved in the long run. I’m very happy for us to be be a part of the group and not be the spokesperson and sometimes not even be mentioned. It’s not that important as long as people get helped through the kinds of things we’re involved in. So, I think the leader is one who can put together those kinds of networks and resources at a level that can make change. –Kathleen Buescher-Milligan (56 sec.)
Kathleen Buescher-Milligan,
Retired President and CEO, Provident, Inc.
LSL Class of 1991-92
Kathleen Buescher-Milligan retired as President/CEO of Provident, Inc. in 2009 to finish studies in library & information science at the University of Illinois. During my 20 years at Provident, I was blessed to work with terrific staff and board volunteers to impact the wider community with effective programs and services. Collaboratively with peer organizations, we were able to change systems of care and create new systems for addressing difficult community problems. In the future, I plan to continue helping people in St. Louis individually and in small groups to work more effectively with the vast information resources available to them.
Currently, Kathleen is a Volunteer at The Archives at Eden Seminary, a Member of the Board of Directors at FEI Behavioral Health and is on the Dean's Professional Advisory Committee at George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University.
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