94% of LSI Fellows report a clearer vision for their future.
ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP AND SOCIETY INITIATIVE
Shape a future of meaning, societal contribution, and enduring connections
The University of Chicago Leadership and Society Initiative (LSI) supports accomplished leaders in envisioning purposeful next chapters beyond their longstanding careers.
For individuals who are nearing or at an inflection point in their professional and personal journeys, LSI is a gateway to the University’s vast intellectual assets and global networks. Fellows complete a rigorous curriculum, engaging with eminent faculty and expert practitioners in UChicago’s environment of open inquiry and free expression.
LSI Fellows build a foundation for self-discovery and meaningful action that is underpinned by three learning pillars:
Know Oneself
Fellows prepare for their next adventure in life by reflecting on their past work and their core values.
Understand the World
Fellows engage with a curriculum that cuts across academic disciplines and methodologies and provides a grounding in the latest research on society’s most pressing challenges and promising solutions.
Envision the Future
Fellows chart a course for the next stage in their lives, determining the best pathways to apply their unique capabilities and passion to drive meaningful change in their lives and for society.
FIND YOUR PATH
LSI offers two entry points to this learning journey, the curated Imagine Pathway and the immersive Design Pathway.
The Imagine Pathway is a focused experience for leaders who are still active in their primary careers and seeking to begin exploring possibilities for what’s next.
At the completion of their LSI Fellowship, Fellows reported:
100 %
A clearer sense of purpose
94 %
A vision for what’s next and how to get there
100 %
New tools, knowledge, and relationships to support making their vision a reality
Data per 2024–25 post-Fellowship surveys
“I’m just tremendously excited to be participating in the Leadership and Society Initiative… LSI is filling a gaping hole in our society, helping people at the peak of their wisdom contribute to the wider world.”
David Brooks
New York Times  columnist and LSI Senior Fellow
“LSI can be a super accelerator for someone who’s trying to transition to a new self and a new cause.”
Sunil Sanghvi
Senior Partner Emeritus, McKinsey & Co. and LSI Advisor
“LSI represents a special opportunity for people who are thinking about that next stage of their lives because not only will they be learning in an environment like the University of Chicago, and all of the wonderful things we have to offer, but they’ll also be learning from their peers.”
Doriane Miller
Professor of Medicine, University of Chicago
“In a world that is challenged by really hard problems, the place where knowledge is created is also a special place for partnership between the University and society. I think the leaders who are looking for this new stage in their life couldn’t find a more wonderful place to do it.”
Paul Alivisatos
President of the University of Chicago
“I am excited about the Leadership and Society Initiative because it provides a framework for that transitional time for business executives to be able to understand where you best fit and where you can make a contribution. LSI is intended to explore those opportunities, to create a network of peers, to help you understand what your best self can be for that next chapter of your life.”
Anne Mulcahy
Former Xerox CEO and LSI Advisor
“What you have here is the combination of great scholarship… [and] a focus on real world problems. You’ll be intellectually stimulated in ways you can’t imagine… [and learn] how to deal with some of the most pressing problems of our time.”
David Axelrod
Senior Fellow, University of Chicago Institute of Politics
“The Aspen Institute could not be more excited about our partnership with the University of Chicago’s Leadership and Society Initiative. This collaboration connects and draws upon our two institutions’ shared commitment to values-based leadership development in pursuit of a better world, and has the potential for significant impact for individuals, organizations, and society.”
Dan Porterfield
President and CEO of the Aspen Institute
Our Community
LSI cohorts come together to form a community of accomplished leaders at one of the world’s premier universities. But what truly distinguishes the Fellows is their commitment to harnessing their experiences toward building a better world.
Fellows have access to the University’s vast resources, as well as to a network of extraordinary peers, eminent faculty, and aspirational role models. The connections formed through LSI help to advance Fellows’ endeavors throughout the yearlong immersion and well beyond.
Fellows engage diverse points of view and offer honest feedback in an atmosphere of free expression, collaboration, and experimentation. With input from a prestigious faculty that includes the most advanced scholars and practitioners in their fields, Fellows find innovative and effective ways to design next chapters of meaning and societal impact.
Is the Leadership and Society Initiative Right for You?
Complete this self-reflective assessment to explore whether the UChicago Leadership and Society Initiative could be the right pathway into your next chapter of purpose.
This journey is exciting because the Fellows all have different experiences and are at different stages. I’ve been intellectually curious my entire career, my entire life.
Geoffrey Curtis
Former Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer, Horizon Therapeutics
The University of Chicago is where hard work gets done, and we are going to make sure that there will be societal change.
Susan Hairston
Councilperson, Summit, New Jersey, and Experienced Philanthropy Executive
LSI is an opportunity to look at my life and be very introspective about myself, what my values are, and what I really want to do with the next 20 years.
Stephen Blewitt
Former Chief Investment Officer and Head of Private Markets, Manulife Investment Management
Fellows have access to Next Chapter Advisors selectively matched according to their interests and desired outcomes. These advisors explore questions that will shape Fellows’ futures and support the creation of their capstone projects.
An experienced counselor offers Fellows individualized tools to reflect on their personal values, discern a purpose, define an intended future impact, and design a roadmap to their goals.
A member of UChicago’s world-renowned faculty, who has subject matter expertise in a societal issue that the Fellow is interested in addressing, helps each Fellow to investigate current research on the topic.
Already five or more years into their own encore leadership, this advisor shares experiential wisdom on the transition from accomplished career into a significant next chapter for society.
Find the intersection where your purpose meets a societal need.
Each LSI Fellow completes a capstone focused on discerning a next chapter of purpose and impact.
Imagine Pathway
Next Chapter Compass
Fellows in the Imagine Pathway complete a Next Chapter Compass, in which they clarify their intrinsic motivations, develop criteria for decision-making, and prioritize potential pathways for a next chapter of purpose.
Fellows in the Design Pathway develop a Next Chapter Roadmap, outlining key actions for living and leading purposefully based on their unique values and opportunities for meaningful contribution. They begin by reflecting on their life’s journey, their expertise, and their passions, then investigate promising solutions to urgent societal needs, to help determine where they’re best footed to contribute.
If selected by the committee to move forward in the selection process, a candidate will be asked to submit an in-depth application that includes a personal statement, several short answer prompts, and references who can speak to their record of professional accomplishment.
Step 3: Interview
The selection committee will invite the most promising candidates to an interview. In this conversation, candidates will be asked to share their vision for how the fellowship will help them to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and society, as well as how their unique perspective and experiences will bring value to the cohort.
LSI is a highly selective fellowship for distinguished leaders who are at a point of transition. We welcome nominations, including self-nominations, of highly accomplished professionals with extensive senior leadership experience who have begun or are nearing retirement from their primary careers in the private, public, or social sectors. See our criteria and selection page for details.
What hands-on and networking experiences are included in the Fellowship?
Fellows have a variety of opportunities to connect with local and global organizations and to engage with a multigenerational community of highly motivated and skilled leaders. Some of these opportunities include:
Auditing courses from across the University’s schools and divisions. (Design Pathway only)
Mentorship and guidance from Next Chapter Advisors.
Exchanges with local and global organizations to examine how they are addressing major societal challenges.
Fellow-organized lunches, social gatherings, and cultural activities.
On-campus events.
An optional (and highly encouraged) travel study experience on one of UChicago’s global campuses. (Design Pathway only)
Choosing the right Leadership & Society Initiative (LSI) Pathway depends on your current professional status, time availability, and goals for making an impact in your next chapter. There are two entry points for LSI: the Imagine Pathway and the Design Pathway.
The Imagine Pathway is designed for leaders who are nearing a career transition and seeking to imagine possibilities for a purposeful next chapter but need to balance existing professional and family commitments.
The Design Pathway is ideal for leaders at a clear inflection point in their careers who are ready to immerse themselves in designing a purposeful next chapter and fully dedicate themselves to a transformative, year-long residency at the University of Chicago.
Consider your capacity for full immersion versus a more flexible, part-time approach and how each aligns with your readiness to reimagine your next stage as well as desired learning outcomes to progress your discernment forward. Both pathways offer a rigorous curriculum, coaching, and a supportive community of peers to help you achieve a meaningful and impactful next stage.
LSI will welcome more than 65 Fellows across its three pathways in the year ahead. This year’s LSI Fellows bring extraordinary depth of leadership across institutions, industries, and society.
Fellows in the Leadership and Society Initiative Imagine Pathway returned to Hyde Park for four days of rigorous inquiry, community, and deepening clarity about the next chapters they are working to shape.
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Is LSI Right For You?
Complete this self-reflective assessment to explore whether the UChicago Leadership and Society Initiative could be the right pathway into your next chapter of purpose.
Geoffrey CurtisFormer Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer, Horizon Therapeutics
