When you’ve spent decades working in a leadership role, eventually you must consider the possibility of stepping into the next chapter. To maintain a fulfilling life after retirement from a primary career, you have to define a path that’s consistent with your values and allows you to make valuable contributions. It’s essential to take time to reflect on what you’ve achieved so far in life and how you’d like to make an impact on society in the years ahead.
The five books below have been recommended by Fellows, staff, and faculty of the University of Chicago Leadership and Society Initiative, a fellowship for highly accomplished individuals transitioning into a next stage of purpose:
In this book, New York Times columnist and UChicago LSI Senior Fellow David Brooks suggests that the secret to a joyous and moral life is commitment. Brooks believes the baby boomer generation has idealized individualism in a way that too often interferes with forming strong bonds and supportive communities. He contends that we should instead aspire to see our lives in a societal context and to climb two mountains.
This progression can occur in many ways, and individuals may choose to dedicate themselves to family, a vocation, their personal philosophy or faith, or a community. Brooks gives advice on how to commit yourself to purpose in any of these arenas, arguing that, ultimately, society can improve if we embrace the power of our relationships.
In this book, AEI President Emeritus Arthur Brooks shares insights from his own experience of aging, discussing how he spent several years of his fifties recalibrating his approach to life.
Brooks begins with the admission that, no matter how much we accomplish in life, those of us who strive for professional excellence will never feel fully satisfied, and at a certain point our productivity will begin to slow down. Rather than continuing to chase the same objectives we had in our younger days, he suggests a pathway toward deeper happiness that involves rethinking your priorities and building new skills accordingly.
Readers learn how they can apply concepts from the fields of social science and philosophy to look at the world in a new light. By cultivating wisdom and focusing on pursuits that offer truly meaningful rewards, people can be happier as they move away from their primary career paths.
Bill Burnett, executive director of the design program at Stanford, teamed with Dave Evans, a cofounder of Electronic Arts, to promote the value of design thinking for achieving a better life. That means approaching problems in the way that designers do, by striving for a nuanced understanding of context, building out prospective solutions, evaluating the outcomes, and refining our strategies as we go.
The authors suggest that designing a happy, purpose-driven life can be viewed as a wicked problem, meaning that it resists any apparent resolution. Often, we may not even be focusing on the right aspects of our careers or personal lives, failing to realize that we’re misdirecting our efforts based on faulty assumptions. By cultivating a beginner’s mindset and seeking to address challenges that we can genuinely do something about, we position ourselves to achieve a fulfilling future.
Originally published in 1995 and then updated in 2008, this book delves into the transitional period that occurs after the early days of your career. TV executive and philanthropist Bill Buford draws the comparison with a football team headed into the second half, making the case that this should be the period that truly defines your significance to the world around you.
Buford encourages readers to write their own epitaphs, defining how they want others to remember them. The key is to commit yourself to a purpose and to continued growth. You may face setbacks, but by taking time for self-assessment, visualizing your goals, and pursuing them with determination, you can make the years to come your best ones.
In this book sociologist Sara Lawrence-Lighfoot explores life between the ages of 50 and 75 as a distinct phase of personal development. This third chapter can be transformative, bringing opportunities for individuals to direct their energy and skills toward new interests and passions.
Applying her background as a renowned researcher, Lawrence-Lightfoot analyzes how and why many people find ways to keep learning and growing. She presents insights from interviews she conducted with 40 Americans from across the country who are choosing to spend their lives in adventurous and fulfilling pursuits. Each of these people’s stories give the reader another perspective on what it means to embrace a next chapter of purpose.
The University of Chicago Leadership and Society Initiative (LSI) supports accomplished leaders in successfully transitioning from their longstanding careers toward purposeful career encores. LSI Fellows immerse themselves in UChicago’s unparalleled environment of big ideas and multigenerational dialogue, gaining frameworks for learning from their past and planning for their futures.
Through LSI’s rigorous and customizable curriculum, Fellows engage with eminent faculty and expert practitioners to explore how their next chapter can be meaningful for them and for society. This fellowship is a commitment to personal growth, enduring wellness, and dynamic engagement with pressing societal issues.
Contact us to learn more about LSI or submit your candidacy to be considered for our upcoming cohort.
At the center of the Design Pathway is a liberal arts curriculum that encourages Fellows to see beyond conventional approaches, engage diverse viewpoints, and develop solutions informed by both reflection and action.
A conversation on purpose, intellectual vitality, and continuing the work of lifelong learning at the University of Chicago Graham School.
Activate Fellow Constance Filling reflects on learning, leadership, and the power of bringing people together.