The field of leadership learning stands at a critical inflection point. More than 2,000 programs now exist worldwide. The language of leadership has proliferated. The credentials are expanding. The demand is rising.

And yet, fundamental questions remain:

• What knowledge claims will define the next generation of leadership learning?
• How do we move beyond proliferation toward coherence, credibility, and impact?
• What must shift in our pedagogy, research, and practice to ensure the field grows and matures?

The Charlie Life & Leadership Academy (CLLA) and its parent organization, the C. Charles Jackson Foundation (CCJF), as an ILA organizational member for more than 15 years, is convening a select group of scholars, practitioners, and field architects to address these questions through a newly launched Think Tank on the Future of Leadership Learning.

This is not another working group. This is a trajectory-setting convening.

Purpose of the Think Tank

The CLLA Think Tank will:

• Identify contested and emerging knowledge claims shaping leadership learning
• Clarify disciplinary intersections and boundaries within the field
• Generate actionable frameworks for program design, diffusion, and adoption
• Produce thought leadership outputs designed to influence curriculum, accreditation, and research agendas
• Shape a forward-facing narrative about what leadership learning must become in the next decade
• Identify and facilitate fundable projects that advance the interdisciplinary space of leadership learning

Participants will collaborate in a structured, high-engagement format blending scholarly rigor, applied systems thinking, and strategic foresight to deliver tangible outcomes that create impact and scale within the space of leadership learning.

Why This Matters

The trajectory of the field is not inevitable. It is shaped.

This Think Tank is designed to:

• Elevate coherence across leadership programs
• Strengthen the intellectual credibility of leadership learning
• Inform policy, accreditation, and institutional investment
• Position leadership educators at the forefront of defining the next era of leadership learning

The work emerging from this group will directly inform future research agendas, program design frameworks, and national conversations within leadership associations and beyond. 

Compensation

In recognition of the intellectual labor and strategic contribution required, selected participants will receive hourly compensation for their engagement in the Think Tank and projects that emerge from the critical dialogue. This compensation reflects CLLA and CCJF’s commitment to valuing the expertise, time, and thought leadership of those helping to shape the field’s future.

Who Should Apply

We are seeking:

• Leadership educators across disciplinary homes
• Scholars exploring epistemology, pedagogy, and curriculum design
• Practitioners building or redesigning leadership programs
• Individuals interested in shaping the future architecture of the field

We welcome non-traditional and varied perspectives, institutional contexts, and theoretical commitments. Intellectual generosity and curiosity are essential.

Commitment & Structure

Selected participants will engage in:

• A series of structured virtual convenings
• Collaborative synthesis work between sessions
• Contribution to a culminating white paper or field-facing publication

The time commitment is designed to be meaningful yet manageable (~4 hours per month) for active faculty and professionals.