Leadership coaching can be intimidating. You’re coaching leaders, people who make the tough calls and influence thousands of other people.
In my coaching journey, I’ve talked to hundreds of experts and industry leaders. Just like everyone else, they also face challenges and need support.
“How do I get unstuck? How can I get results?” It’s all about listening to what they need and connecting with them person-to-person.
Good thing, there are dozens of institutions with programs and tools to help you. Take the Center for Creative Leadership for example. A pioneer in executive and leadership education, it has the experience to back you up.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll take you through what makes CCL unique, its core competencies, and values. Let’s also dive into how you can become certified and how they compare to other similar providers.
What Is the Center for Creative Leadership?
The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) is a globally recognized nonprofit platform that develops purpose-driven leaders.
They teach leadership that’s human first. That means it’s based on people’s situations, research of how leadership actually works and is meant to last.
Because of that, CCL is ranked as one of the top providers of executive and leadership training.
Center for Creative Leadership founder
CCL was founded by H. Smith Richardson and his wife, Grace Jones Richardson.
H. Smith Richardson, who built the Vicks VapoRub empire, believed that creativity and leadership skills should be developed on purpose instead of by chance.
Meanwhile, Grace Richardson, a passionate philanthropist, helped establish the Smith Richardson Foundation. This became the inspiration behind CCL’s commitment to societal progress.
Center for Creative Leadership history
Founded in 1970, CCL started with a radical idea for its time: Leadership can be learned.
It was ahead of its time. Introducing a practice-based, data-driven approach to leadership education.
For over 50 years, CCL’s evidence-based programs have trained more than a million professionals in 160 countries.
They also introduced the first leadership development programs for women and led leadership research that is still referenced widely today.
6 Best Center for Creative Leadership Programs: Snapshot
The organization’s portfolio includes a range of core and specialized leadership training experiences.
Here are some of their most standout programs:
- 360 Assessment Certification Course: Best for coaches looking to implement an evidence-backed coaching tool.
- Leadership Development Program: Best for executives and leadership coaches who want to learn how to turn strategy into action.
- Better Conversations Every Day: Professionals who want to hone practical communication skills for managers and teams.
- Lead 4 Success: Best for emerging leaders looking to sharpen the essentials of leadership.
- Amplify: Best for non-profit organization leaders who want training for advancing their advocacies.
- Women’s Leadership Experience: Best for women leaders and coaches who want to build confidence and impact.
6 Center for Creative Leadership Courses
Exploring CCL’s lineup of programs? From certifying in assessment tools to developing leadership and communication skills, you’ll find CCL’s programs helpful for your coaching business.
Selecting the right one for you depends on your coaching goals. Think about whether you’re locking into just one skill or if you need something more general.
Consider also how much time you can spend on training. Some programs can be completed in a day as a one-time session. Others take months to finish.
Here are six available CCL courses you can explore:
1. Center for Creative Leadership coaching certification: 360 Assessment Certification Course
Best for: Coaches, consultants and HR professionals who want to add research-backed tools in their practice
With the 360 Assessment Certification Course, you become certified in delivering, administering, and interpreting CCL’s industry-standard 360 assessments. You’ll learn how to select the right assessment, prepare reports, and create meaningful development plans.
- Accreditation: Not ICF-accredited
- Duration: 10 hours
- Format: Online modules, live sessions
- Price: $2,500
- Location: Online
- Recognition: International
Pros:
- Access to CCL’s industry-proven 360-degree assessment tools
- Flexible and accessible learning
Cons:
- More expensive than other basic coaching programs
2. Center for Creative Leadership Leadership Development Program
Best for: Mid to senior-level leaders and executives, leadership coaches who want to gain self-awareness and strategies for improving team performance
CCL is best known for its Leadership Development Program, a five-day immersive research-based training for leaders. With their flagship offer, you’ll build the leadership skills and confidence to help you succeed both personally and professionally.
- Accreditation: Not ICF-accredited
- Duration: Five days (within a five-month journey)
- Format: Live, instructor-led
- Price: $8,250
- Location: Online, in-person
- Recognition: International
Pros:
- Immersive research-driven program
- Recognized globally in executive and leadership development circles
- Offers both virtual and face-to-face formats
Cons:
- Five days is a significant time commitment if in-person
- Mainly for senior executives (limited applicability to coaches)
3. Better Conversations Every Day
Best for: Anyone who wants to improve their communication skills
Better Conversations Every Day will teach you how to break down communication barriers and have better conversations in the workplace. The end goal is to build a collaborative culture where you can freely discover and get real work done.
- Accreditation: Not ICF-accredited
- Duration: Eight hours
- Format: Live, instructor-led
- Price: $1,350
- Location: Online
- Recognition: International
Pros:
- Suits a broad audience
- Compliments coaching practices that focus on interpersonal communication
- Lower cost and time commitment than flagship programs
Cons:
- More general and less comprehensive than leadership courses
4. Lead 4 Success
Best for: Emerging leaders, first-time managers and other professional staff aiming for leadership positions
Lead 4 Success drills down on the fundamentals of leadership: self-awareness, communication, influence and learning agility. You’ll get hands-on activities, peer-learning support and knowledge of evidence-based research models when you enroll.
- Accreditation: Not ICF-accredited
- Duration: 16 hours
- Format: Live, instructor-led
- Price: $1,850
- Location: Online
- Recognition: International
Pros:
- Straightforward content you can apply immediately
- Stepping stone before going through other CCL programs
Cons:
- Limited depth compared to other CCL offers
5. Amplify
Best for: Non-profit leaders, coaches who want to explore coaching for non-profit organizations
Amplify equips social leaders with the mindsets and skills they need to make a difference. Its main focus is adapting an evaluation approach so you can accurately measure your impact.
- Accreditation: Not ICF-accredited
- Duration: Six weeks
- Format: Self-paced
- Price: $250
- Location: Online
- Recognition: International
Pros:
- With real-time feedback and data-driven insights
Cons:
- Limited applicability to coaching
6. Women’s Leadership Experience
Best for: Women leaders and coaches who will benefit from gender-specific training
Women’s Leadership Experience is one of the specialized programs that CCL offers.
You’ll learn in context, talking about the unique challenges that women face. The goal is to build your confidence and leadership skills so you can advance further.
- Accreditation: Not ICF-accredited
- Duration: Five days
- Format: Live, instructor-led
- Price: Available upon inquiry
- Location: Online, in-person (up for discussion)
- Recognition: International
Pros:
- Immersive experience
- Facilitates strong networking and peer support
Cons:
- Content is specifically just for women
- Time-intensive for the five-day format
Center for Creative Leadership Training
At the heart of CCL’s training is the philosophy that leadership can be learned. You can become a leader when you:
- Become self-aware and understand your impact
- Improve your communication skills to inspire and engage others
- Build your influence and your relationships
- Develop the agility to learn and adapt to changes
- Create leader capacity for both individuals and the organization
All of these values can be found in their programs and resources.
16 Center for Creative Leadership competencies
The age-old question goes, “What makes a good leader?” CCL studied this and came up with a list of 16 core competencies every leader should have.
Use this benchmark for your business leadership coaching clients:
- Strategic perspective: You need to see things big picture and simplify complex problems.
- Being a quick study: Learning is your superpower and you understand new technical and business knowledge fast.
- Decisiveness: You can make quick choices and step into action when an opportunity comes your way.
- Change management: You know your way around change and helping the organization smoothly ease into shifts.
- Leading employees: You can attract, inspire, and mentor other employees.
- Confronting problem employees: You are fair and decisive when managing employees who act out.
- Participative management: You collaborate, working and listening with other members.
- Building collaborative relationships: You don’t function by yourself and instead build productive relationships with others.
- Compassion and sensitivity: You genuinely care and watch out for other people’s needs.
- Putting people at ease: You have a positive vibe about you and a good sense of humor that draws people in.
- Respect for differences: You value people from different backgrounds and cultures.
- Taking initiative: You’re no stranger to taking charge and being assertive.
- Composure: Even when things turn into a mess, you exercise self-control.
- Work-life balance: No one area of your life consumes you. You both make the most out of your personal and professional lives.
- Self-awareness: You know exactly what your strengths and weaknesses are and you’re willing to improve.
- Career management: You know how to use career management techniques, like mentoring and giving feedback.
The Center for Creative Leadership’s handbook of leadership development
The CCL Handbook of Leadership Development contains decades’ worth of insights on effective leadership.
It covers:
- Leadership theories
- Practical case studies
- Assessment frameworks
- How-to guides for feedback, team building, and creating coaching cultures
- Practical exercises to improve self-awareness and communication
Comparison of the Center for Creative Leadership Coaching Training vs. Other Organizations
Many organizations offer coaching training. So how does the Center for Creative Leadership fare?
ICF and iPEC are two world-class institutions known for strengthening core coaching skills. Generally, they use a more generic life coaching framework, which applies to more niches like wellness and creativity coaching.
Meanwhile, CCL stands out because:
- It has a research-based methodology and assessment tools.
- It typically serves larger teams and organizations instead of individual coaches.
- It has a very niche target audience, unlike ICF’s broad base.
Note: CCL is not accredited, unlike iPEC and ICF. But it’s recognized by the industry globally, so it will help get clients as a leadership coach.
Center for Creative Leadership reviews
Real reviews show the transformative power of CCL experiences:
- Amy Reece, executive coach: “The CCL philosophy is really lovely and in the right spirit: using the instruments with absolute confidentiality and to support high-performance efforts.”
- Dawn Traynor, healthcare leader: “I walked away from this course not only knowing how to facilitate the assessment for teammates in our organization but with a much deeper understanding of myself as a leader.”
- Natalie Dean Hawkins, assistant manager: “The program helped me become much more self-aware and evaluate my leadership skills.”
- Charlotte Wells, client services manager: “This course will change the fundamentals of how you think through leadership, team building, workplace conflict, and networking.”
How Much Do Certifications at the Center for Creative Leadership Cost?
CCL programs and certifications are an investment. Here’s a breakdown of costs:
| Program | Cost |
| 360 Assessment Certification | $2,500 |
| Leadership Development program | $8,250 |
| Better Conversations Every Day | $1,350 |
| Lead 4 Success | $1,850 |
| Amplify | $250 |
| Women’s Leadership Experience | Available upon inquiry |
They also offer other fully customized organizational solutions, but these are priced based on scope and number of participants.
How much does the Center for Creative Leadership earn in revenue?
CCL is a top-tier executive education provider. Their annual revenue is estimated to be around $165 million, reflecting their global reach and recognition.
If you want to get into the business and become a leadership coach, learn about how much salary you can earn as a leadership coach here.
Does the Center for Creative Leadership offer executive coaching?
Yes, it’s their bread and butter. They can offer it as standalone engagements or customize it to fit existing leadership programs in an organization.
They provide support in one-on-one, group, or enterprise-wide formats. Their coaches are trained and supervised to maintain CCL’s high standards and competencies.
Formal training like this can help you start your coaching business and get coaching clients.
How to Get the Center for Creative Leadership Certification
Ready to become a CCL-certified coach? Here are nine steps to guide you on your coaching journey:
- Do your research: Look at what CCL offers and if it’s a good fit with your coaching goals. It won’t directly teach you how to be a leadership coach, but give you the tools you can implement with your clients.
- Register for the course: Visit the CCL website and enroll. There are no prerequisites required so you can just hop in online.
- Complete the prework: Before the live sessions, do any of the assigned prework or learning modules (if any).
- Attend the live session: Make sure you’re present during the virtual sessions and actively participate. Set a reminder so you don’t miss out.
- Practice: Apply what you learned by practicing through role plays or real client conversations.
- Complete the coursework: Submit any tasks like reflection papers or case studies.
- Receive your certification: Once you’re done with everything, you get a certificate and a digital badge.
- Leverage your credentials: Upload your badge to your LinkedIn profile and let your network know.
- Continue learning: Explore other programs to get the latest updates on coaching. Think about what tools and systems you still need to offer value and stand out.
It’s Time to Take the Lead
The Center for Creative Leadership is more than a training provider. It’s a transformative partner for coaches and organizations who want to build real, sustainable leadership capacity.
Whether you’re a new coach or looking to scale your practice, CCL’s approach buffs up your coaching insights and toolkit.
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