Bold and innovative leaders are at the heart of our belief about how breakthrough change will take place in this era, and they are at the heart of our strategy.

We look for leaders who have the potential to achieve sustainable solutions to persistent problems through one or more of four interrelated approaches to impact:

We also look for leaders who have some key characteristics in common, because they are re-imagining how social benefit will be created in the coming years. They are

• striving for ambitious and enduring solutions, not just better models;

• change-oriented, open, and willing to learn;

• ready to conceive of their role—and that of their organization—as an actor in a larger network or system;

• able to deploy and/or influence significant resources for systems change (for example,  human and financial capital, intellectual property, and brand identification).

                                                                              
We have learned that these innovative leaders can come from anywhere and are active everywhere—working through and beyond the nonprofit sector. They are philanthropists, nonprofit leaders, social entrepreneurs, and public sector leaders, as well as business executives, financial industry leaders, urban planners, engineers, students, and seniors.
                                                                              
The Institute engages with leaders and their organizations or networks both on short-term projects and in longer-term relationships that often become full partnerships or joint ventures. Our greatest impact is created over time as we deepen our knowledge of an individual leader and his or her context, challenges, and opportunities.