On December 1, the Graham School hosted a panel conversation with three executives on how their liberal arts education at the University of Chicago helped make them better leaders.
Panelists included:
- Fabiola Delgado, Assistant Vice President for Finance and Chief of Staff for National Laboratories at the University of Chicago
- Anne Gehring, Founding Partner of Stanton Blackwell
- Don Phillips, a managing director with Morningstar
In discussion with one another, as well as Graham Dean Seth Green and audience members, panelists offered a myriad of ways that the study of liberal arts changed their lives and elevated their leadership.
Among the main takeaways was that a liberal arts education sharpens your communication skills, strengthens the ability to collaborate, and helps leaders to value differences among members of a team. In addition, the panelists discussed the ways that the liberal arts enabled them to think critically and independently, and to solve problems creatively. Finally, these three executives emphasized that the study of the liberal arts gave them the tools to be a better leader and citizen of the world by broadening their knowledge, challenging their pre-conceptions, and fostering a joy of learning.