Members' Conferences

The International Leadership Forum (ILF) is an Internet-based think tank composed entirely of top leaders who meet annually in La Jolla, California, and in task forces throughout the year online, to discuss and make policy recommendations on the implications, for all the world's peoples, of advances in science and technology.

Top leaders have always been too busy to give the time for extended residential gatherings designed to create intensive and prolonged deliberation on any matters, let alone major social issues. For that reason they have never before been mobilized to deal with the great contemporary problems that could undoubtedly benefit from their attention. The Internet now makes it possible for these leaders to engage in such deliberations at their convenience and in brief segments of time. Such is the power of the Internet and, consequently, the International Leadership Forum.

This unprecedented approach to the formation of a think tank by restricting it to top leaders has two advantages over other policy formation groups: First, the extraordinary pressures and responsibilities associated with those at the very top of their organizations or fields has in certain cases resulted in their developing extraordinary perspective and wisdom that sometimes surpasses that of specialists. Second, by combining their already considerable power, connections and influence, the policy recommendations they produce can be delivered with special clout.

The ILF is a natural next step for WBSI, evolving as it has from the Institute's highly regarded School of Management and Strategic Studies (1981-1991), which launched the field of distance education. For more information link to ILF questions and answers, or review the descriptions of Policy Forums. You may also view the current roster of ILF Fellows.