Leadership & Society Initiative - Advanced Leadership @UChicago

Leadership & Society Initiative - Advanced Leadership @UChicago
We use
to enhance your experience on our site.
This is the search overlay. Use the Escape key to close it.
The University of Chicago
Leadership and Society Initiative
Your Next Chapter Matters, For You and For Society
Design your next chapter of leadership in UChicago’s distinctive environment of inquiry and impact.
Request Information
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.
Find Your Path
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.
Imagine Pathway
The Design Pathway is a holistic experience for leaders who are ready to fully immerse themselves in planning their next chapter.
Design pathway
“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.
Start Your Assessment
Fellows Stories
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
View Stories
Next Chapter Advisors
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.
Executive Coach
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.
Academic Advisor
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.
Distinguished Mentor
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.
View all LSI Fellowship Advisors
PLAN YOUR NEXT CHAPTER
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.
Next Chapter Compass
Design Pathway
Next Chapter Roadmap
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.
Next Chapter Roadmap
Selection Process
Candidates for LSI are evaluated through a three-step process:
Step 1: Résumé or Personal Biography
Candidates submit a résumé or personal biography to be reviewed by the LSI Selection Committee to ensure they meet all selection criteria.
Step 2: In-Depth Application
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.
Selection Details
Frequently Asked Questions
View more Questions
Who is eligible for LSI?
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)
See our
Find Your Path
page for more details.
How do I know which Pathway is right for me?
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.
Take our self-assessment to determine which pathway might be the best fit for you.
LSI Invites Candidacies for our 2026-2027 Cohort
Begin Your Candidacy
Upcoming Events
View All Events
April 27, 2026
LSI Fellow Conversations
Relevance, Purpose, and Meaning After a Major Life Transition
What happens when the drive that built your career becomes the thing that prevents you from ever truly knowing yourself? Geoff Curtis spent nearly 30 years in healthcare communications before an acquisition erased his role — and forced him to confront what it really means to find purpose after a major life transition.
Register Now
Latest Articles
View All Articles
Rénu Kulkarni: Finding Purpose, Perspective, and Community Through LSI
April 20, 2026
With a career spanning technology, strategy, and innovation, Rénu reflects on how the Leadership and Society Initiative (LSI) fellowship is shaping her next chapter.
Read Now
Seth Green reappointed as dean of the Graham School
March 26, 2026
Seth Green has been reappointed as dean of the University of Chicago’s Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies for a second five-year term, President Paul Alivisatos and Provost Katherine Baicker announced.
Read Now
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.
Start your Assessment
Swipe up
to find out if LSI is right for you
Close