Leadership and Society Initiative Fellows find the intersection between their individual growth and societal impact.
Through their Purpose Plans, Fellows lay the groundwork for their envisioned future and craft a roadmap that builds on their unique backgrounds and values. This Purpose Plan reflects the why, what, and how for an adventurous and meaningful next chapter:
Why: Fellows discern their vision, values, and principles for living and leading purposefully
What: Fellows engage in a scholarly analysis of a societal need they hope to address with a focus on promising solutions
How: Fellows identify specific roles, applications, and partnerships for an ambitious, impactful next chapter
“LSI provides a methodological approach for distinguished leaders to reflect on their lives, discern their purpose, and prepare for their next chapters of impact for society.”
Diana Petty
Director, Leadership and Society Initiative
Next Chapter Advisor and Support
Each Fellow receives individualized guidance from their Next Chapter Advisors as they develop their Purpose Plan. The advisors, personally selected to align with each Fellow’s goals and experiences, include the following experts:
Academic Advisor
A UChicago faculty member meets with the Fellow once per quarter to share expertise in the societal issues that the Fellow is interested in and refer them to the latest, most relevant research.
Executive Coach
An experienced counselor meets with the Fellow twice per quarter to define goals for the fellowship, provide structures and strategies for personal reflection, and build a long-term practice of purposefulness.
Distinguished Mentor
An accomplished executive, who has followed a path of impact and meaning since ending their primary career, meets with the Fellow once per quarter to offer advice based on their own experiences.
Along with the Next Chapter Advisors, Fellows receive support from a writing advisor, the assistant program directors, faculty members, and their peers. The members of the fellowship community share ideas and provide feedback to help each other refine their viewpoints and strategies.
“LSI [Fellows] are looking to make a change in their life … [and] they’re looking for the support, the time for reflection, the intellectual rigor, so they can do this change as effectively and impactfully as possible.”
Barbara Stewart
Former CEO, AmeriCorps, and LSI Advisor
Purpose Plan Development
Fellows develop their Purpose Plan over the one-year immersion:
Autumn – Find Your Why
Reflect on core values, sense of self, and motivations for the fellowship year.
Winter – Explore Your What
Define and research promising interventions on a societal issue of interest.
Spring – Discern Your How
Design and activate engagements, roles, and collaborations in the next phase of life that will serve to address the need and make purposeful contributions to society.
The Purpose Plan marks just the beginning. The frameworks, tools, and relationships each Fellow builds through the LSI Core Curriculum set them up for dynamism, adaptability, and ongoing evolution of their purposive leadership.
Reach out to take the next step toward an encore chapter of purpose and personal growth.
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.
