Donnelly School of Leadership and Social Innovation

Society's toughest problems require leaders who can focus and inspire a diverse group of stakeholders to identify and deliver shared solutions. Such an approach is called collective or systems leadership. At the Donnelly School of Leadership and Social Innovation, we attract undergraduate and graduate students seeking purpose and meaning at the intersection of work and values. Donnelly faculty and students approach problem solving with a sense of purpose – a desire to improve everything from neighborhood safety in a local community to the environmental conditions for people halfway around the world.

In the past, advocates of innovation and value argued for a simplistic view of the role of corporations, government and powerful non-profits in our society. The Donnelly School of Leadership and Social Innovation joins many others reconsidering such long-held assumptions. We look for dialogue and opportunities to co-create value at the intersection of markets, businesses, governments, and society to promote more accountable capitalism and a more just and sustainable world. Rather than seeing this diverse involvement and wider perspective as an impediment, we see the public and social sectors — true social innovation — as the best way to confront challenging and often systemic issues in support of both business success and social progress.