About Us

The Founder The Founder of the Institute

Dr. Syed Jamal Haider has been a scholar-practitioner for more than twenty-seven years. He brings a high degree of practical relevancy to his consulting and teaching practice as a result of his diverse working experience in the industry and higher education settings. During his fourteen years working at the largest multinationals in United States – Cargill, Incorporated and HSBC Finance Corporation – Dr. Haider worked on myriad projects in leadership and organizational development, including performance management, career development, team building, process improvement, and management and leadership development in five different competencies: personal, interpersonal, business, project management and technical. As a Professor of Leadership, he also taught at George Mason University, South Korea, and Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan. Moreover, for five years he served as the Director and Professor of Leadership and Management Program at the University of Saint Mary, USA. He is author of the book, Transformation Leadership, a two-year research study of market conditions and organizational factors, including leadership style, culture, mission and strategy to analyze the economic performance and profitability of a subsidiary of a multinational firm. Research signified that leadership is the driving factor behind a high-performance culture to achieve organizational goals. His research experience also includes conducting focus groups in United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia to assess skill standards to improve training and developmental planning practices of multinationals. Moreover, he has received numerous awards for establishing on-going learning processes to keep students and employees’ knowledge and skills current and competitive with the marketplace.

Dr. Syed Jamal Haider

  • Doctorate in Leadership and Management (Ed.D., 2010), University of St. Thomas (UST)
  • Master of Business Administration (MBA, 2007), UST
  • Master of Educational Leadership (M.Ed., 2002), UST
  • Master of Business Communication (MBC, 2000), UST
  • Bachelor of Science, Information Systems (B.Sc., 1989), MN State University, Moorhead.
  • High School Diploma (1982), Lahore American High School

The Need for SLM

The story goes that if the aliens were to contact humanity and ask to meet our leaders, we would be left looking at each other not knowing where to take them – we have such a dearth of leadership at every level of our society! In a world where leadership is the driving force behind change and progress, the need for effective leaders has never been more critical.
  • Leaders are people with values. Honesty and integrity are the hallmarks of their character.
  • They have a clear vision of the future, and the ability to communicate it in a persuasive manner.
  • Leaders can influence behavior and thinking and are skilled at gaining commitment and inspiring individuals to surpass self-imposed limitations.
  • They are calm under pressure, confident, and predictable during crisis. Leaders continually ask questions, probing for information, and testing their own perceptions.
  • They look for ways in which things can be improved and encourage innovation and risk taking in identification and implementation of change.
  • They bring out the best in people through trust, respect, listening, inspiration, sacrifice, and by setting an example.
Therefore, Institute for Strategic Leadership and Management has been established with the mission to fill the leadership void. We aim to develop world-class leaders of tomorrow who would act as change agents and transform their communities, organizations and nations.

Dean's Message

The mission of SLM is to develop world-class leaders of tomorrow. Therefore, we start with an emphasis on values. Honesty and integrity are virtues in all individuals but have special significance for leaders. Integrity is the correspondence between word and deed and honesty refers to being truthful. Without these values, leadership is compromised. Leaders know themselves. Part of their secret is that they know their strengths and development needs and align their talents with their vision and goals. Therefore, self-awareness is the first step to becoming a leader. While leaders come in every size, shape, and disposition – short, tall, young, old, male, and female – there is at least one ingredient that all leaders share: concern with an over-arching vision. World-class leaders have a clear vision of the future, and the ability to communicate their vision in a persuasive manner. Leaders can influence behavior and thinking and are skilled at gaining commitment and inspiring individuals to surpass self- imposed limitations. Researchers at the Center for Creative Leadership found that leaders are emotionally intelligent – calm under pressure, confident, and predictable during crisis. Leaders continually ask questions, probing for information, and testing their own perceptions. They stay alert to ways in which things can be improved, and strongly encourage innovation and risk taking in identification and implementation of change. They think strategically and are extremely aware of the external environment and its impact on their goals. Also, they bring out the best in people through trust, respect, fairness, listening, inspiration, sacrifice, and by setting an example. In the MPhil Leadership and Management program, we will teach the theory, tools and the practice of leadership, but only you can liberate the leader within you to make a difference in your life and make an impact in the lives of others. Yes, there are many challenges on the way to leadership development, but then the greatest gift of all is to live life to its fullest potential and tap into one’s leadership gifts.
Now the question is: Are you ready to take the leadership challenge?