About CLRI

The Canadian Leadership Research Institute is a Canadian non-profit dedicated to advancing leadership research, education, and innovation across civilian and defence contexts.

Mission

To foster rigorous, applied research on leadership through collaboration with academic, professional, and community partners — and to translate that research into education and practice that strengthens organizations.

Vision

A Canadian hub connecting leadership research, practice, and policy in defence and beyond where insights generated in academic and operational contexts inform one another, and where practitioners, researchers, and policymakers can work across disciplinary and institutional boundaries.

How we work

CLRI organizes its work around four interconnected areas. Together they form a pipeline from inquiry to practice and back again.

1. Defence research. Applied research on how leadership and management are practiced in military, defence, and public-sector institutions.
2. Education and training. Workshops, seminars, courses, and certifications for professionals at all career stages, including custom programs for corporate, government, and defence clients.
3. Community engagement. Conferences, public lectures, and partnerships — including connecting external researchers with Canadian Armed Forces contexts and matching CAF leaders with relevant researchers and trainers.
4. Funding activities. Directing grants and contracts to university partners and supporting scholarships, knowledge mobilization, and awareness initiatives that strengthen the broader research ecosystem.

Governance

CLRI operates under a board of directors with a mix of permanent and rotating members. Day-to-day operations are coordinated by an Executive Director and director of Knowledge Development and Dissemination, supported by directors of Finance, Programs and Partnerships. Subject matter experts — academics, emerging scholars, and practitioners — lead specific projects.

Bilingual posture

CLRI works in both English and French, reflecting Canadian linguistic duality and the practical realities of working with the Canadian Armed Forces and federal partners.