The creation of a leadership institute is founded upon the recommendations of six key reports listed below:

• The Officer Professional Development Review Board Report of 1995 (the Morton Report),
• Defence Minister Young's Report to the Prime Minister on the Leadership and Management of the CF in 1997,
• The Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Deployment of CF to Somalia in 1997 and
• The Royal Military College Board of Governor's Study Group Report of 1998.
• The Departmental Strategic Vision “Shaping the Future of Canadian Defence: A Strategy for 2020 (Defence Strategy 2020) and
• Strategic Guidance for the CF Officer Corps and the Officer Professional Develop System (Officership 2020)