Dr. Robert Eugene Lefton, Trusted Adviser to Companies and Executives, Dies at Age 91
Dr. Robert Eugene Lefton, a close counsel to a wide array of executives and companies on leadership, building management teams and assessing skills, died Oct. 6 in his sleep due to natural causes. He was 91.
During his long career, Lefton, the cofounder of Psychological Associates, worked almost right up to the time of his death. He developed enduring professional relationships and friendships with senior officials from companies both large and small, such as Bloomingdale’s; Centene, the health care firm, as well as Echo Design Group, the family-run accessories brand.
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Lefton was known for his keen insights and is widely credited for successfully integrating psychological principles to change how businesses address leadership, organizational development and talent management. He could translate complicated, technical concepts into meaningful and understandable terms for those he advised. Several who knew him said he had an ability to connect with people. He had a habit of brightening people’s days by telling good jokes, sometimes more than once to the same people, though he kept them smiling.
At the former May Department Stores Co., once a powerhouse department store operator until it was bought by Macy’s in 2005, Lefton worked with the top executives for more than 25 years.
“He was a secret weapon,” said David Farrell, the former chairman and chief executive officer of May Co. “I was very fortunate because when I became CEO, he became a coach for me. I learned a lot of lessons from him. May Co. would never have been able to achieve what it achieved without him. Bob was a trustworthy, smart man, and really understood how to build people skills and get things done. He was a great motivator. There was no problem he couldn’t help you solve in human relations. He had such a wonderful perspective on life.”
“He impacted our total lives,” said Michael Gould, the former chairman and CEO of Bloomingdale’s. “He had a genuine understanding of people, incredible insight and a bedside manner that was disarming. Bob just didn’t make us better executives — he made us better people. He made us think differently, in a collaborative way. It didn’t matter to him if you were a buyer or a CEO, Bob had the ability to develop you professionally and distilled complicated things in the most understandable ways. You may not have met him but you were impacted by his programs on leadership with senior teams.”
“He was able to help you break down problems quickly and stay ahead of the issues,” said Ken Hicks, chairman, president and ceo of Academy Sports +Recreation. “If you needed a person to fill a position he would know two or three people who would be good fits. He could identify the strengths and weaknesses in people and he brought together experts and industry gurus to get the conversation going. He wasn’t necessarily looking for the deal. He would be building trust and respect and ultimately you would hire for that.”
Leonard Lauder, chairman emeritus of the Estée Lauder Cos. Inc., characterized Lefton as “the go-to person for so many people in the cosmetics industry. People who knew him had such admiration for him. He was always able to give the right advice, and be there for anyone who needed him. Anytime I had a little bit of difficulty I had a conversation with him.”
A lifelong resident of St. Louis, Missouri, Lefton had a challenging childhood. During the Great Depression, his mother was abandoned by her husband and left to raise two young boys alone. She placed them at the St. Louis Jewish Children’s Home as she sold dresses from the trunk of her car on consignment in a determined way to make ends meet.
Lefton earned his Ph.D. in psychology at Washington University in 1958. Upon graduation he cofounded Psychological Associates Inc. with Vic Buzzotta. Initially a clinical practice, they soon realized many of the principles they were using were relevant to businesses. They understood that empirically validated measurements and an emphasis on objective, observable behavior can lead to greater business results.
Services will be held Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Congregation Temple Israel, #1 Rabbi Alvan D. Rubin Drive in St. Louis. The family is encouraging memorial contributions to be made to Palliative Care at Barnes Jewish Hospital, MERS Goodwill, the National Council of Jewish Women St. Louis, or to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Lefton is survived by his daughter Cindy; two sons Jeffrey and Bradley; Jeffrey’s wife Elizabeth; , and two granddaughters.
