Four-day residential retreats Curated, best-of-LSI curriculum Structured for busy executives
FELLOWSHIP TIMELINE
January 2027 to December 2027
NEXT CANDIDACY DEADLINE
March 20, 2026
The Imagine Pathway is a curated experience, providing reflective moments of pause for Fellows who are still engaged in day-to-day responsibilities and want to begin envisioning what’s next.
In this pathway leaders come together quarterly to reflect on their experiences and imagine a fulfilling future.
Through a curated experience in the University of Chicago’s environment of intellectual freedom and field-defining work, Fellows discover the structure and resources to clarify their own motivations, broaden their ideas, and apply what they learn to their current roles and vibrant futures. Alongside learning from the University’s eminent faculty, the peer learning process accelerates each Fellow’s discernment with structured exchanges, ideation, and feedback.
The Leadership and Society Initiative 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 Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Xerox, Former Board Chair and Current Board Member, Save the Children
Quarterly Residential Retreats
Fellows in the Imagine Pathway come to campus to participate in a four-day residential retreat (Thursday through Sunday) every quarter.
These experiences provide moments of strategic pause from the daily demands of leadership, giving Fellows a structure for thoughtful reflection and the support to imagine a dynamic and fulfilling next chapter. The quarterly retreats are complemented by virtual programming and independent study in intervening months to build momentum and apply key learnings along the way.
As part of the residential retreats, Fellows take courses taught by UChicago faculty and practitioners from multiple disciplines. Cohort members form meaningful connections and benefit from targeted interactions with knowledgeable advisors. Each Fellow prepares to envision their own future by analyzing case studies, investigating their values, and examining possibilities for making meaningful contributions to society.
Retreat Room & Board
Lodging is included during the residential retreat weekends and all Fellows will have individual hotel rooms. Meals will be provided beginning with Thursday lunch and ending with Sunday lunch during each residential retreat.
2027 Residential Retreat Dates:
Winter 2027 Thurs. Jan 28 – Sun. Jan 31, 2027
Spring 2027 Thurs. April 22 – Sun. April 25, 2027
Summer 2027 Thurs. July 22 – Sun. July 25, 2027
Autumn 2027 Thurs. Oct 21 – Sun. Oct 24, 2027
Remote Engagement & Independent Study
The LSI Imagine Pathway culminates in creating a personal compass that lays out each Fellow’s motivations, decision criteria, and vision for a fulfilling future.
Executive Coaching
Between residential retreats, Fellows receive one-on-one guidance from an Executive Coach, an experienced counselor who provides structures and strategies for personal reflection and for building a long-term practice of purposefulness.
Peer Learning Groups
Fellows are matched with peers to form peer learning groups that meet monthly between retreats to support the ongoing learning journey of LSI.
Is the Leadership and Society Initiative Right for You?
Attend an information session to learn how UChicago’s Leadership and Society Initiative helps accomplished leaders design their next chapter of purpose, impact, and connection.
As a capstone, Fellows in the Imagine Pathway complete a Next Chapter Compass. Fellows define their objectives, establish a framework for decision-making, and set a course for a next chapter of purpose and impact.
The Next Chapter Compass includes:
Reflection on intrinsic motivations and priorities for the future
Decision criteria for discerning a purposeful next chapter
Pathways for activating purposefulness in a next chapter that aligns the Fellow’s talents, passions, and contributions to the world
Organized priorities for moving forward with confidence
During the quarterly residential retreats, Fellows participate in immersive workshops focused on crafting the Next Chapter Compass by applying their core values to pursue personal growth and make societal contributions. Between these sessions, they continue to develop their plans through individual study and remotely meeting with peer groups.
Anne MulcahyFormer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Xerox, Former Board Chair and Current Board Member, Save the Children
