Get Certified in Informed Leadership.
A Professional Standard for Responsible Leadership
ILS Certified Leaders are trusted to use influence responsibly.
Leadership is one of the only professions still operating without a formal competency benchmark.
The Informed Leadership Standards™,
introduces a measurable, assessable, and certifiable benchmark for responsible leadership practice.
This is not another leadership course.
It is certification against a defined professional standard.
Why Certification Matters Now
Influence has consequences.
Leadership decisions shape:
• Culture
• Psychological safety
• Governance confidence
• Reputational risk
• Organisational sustainability
• Human wellbeing
Yet in most leadership spaces, capability is self-declared.
As scrutiny increases, across ethics, AI, inclusion, power dynamics and wellbeing, leadership without verification carries increasing exposure.
This applies whether you are leading people, a corporate division, a scaling business, a community, or a movement.
Professionalisation is no longer optional.
It is expected.
Without a Standard:
Leadership capability is claimed, not evidenced
Ethical responsibility varies by personality
Employers & stakeholders cannot independently verify competence
Influence expands without structured accountability
Development remains fragmented & unanchored
With ILS Certification:
Your leadership is independently assessed
You meet a defined benchmark
You hold a recognised professional designation
Your capability is evidenced, not implied.
Your standards are maintained over time
This is not self-declared leadership.
It is verified professional standing
The 8 Informed Leadership Standards:
Responsible Leadership is not a single skill. It is the integration of multiple leadership capabilities under pressure.
Certification is assessed across these 8 Standards Layers
(demonstrated in practice, not simply completed):
Self-leadership & Nervous System Regulation - Lead yourself before you lead others. Manage stress, stay grounded under pressure.
Relational & Psychological Safety Leadership - Create environments where people feel safe to speak up and bring their full selves.
Power, Authority & Ethical Leadership - Understand and use your power responsibly. Navigate authority without abuse.
Trauma-Informed & Harm-Aware Leadership - Recognise how trauma impacts teams. Lead without causing unintentional harm.
Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Identity Safety - Go beyond performative DEI. Create genuinely inclusive spaces.
Systems Awareness, Results & Impact - See the bigger picture. Understand how your decisions ripple through systems.
Ethical AI, Data & Future-Ready Leadership - Navigate AI responsibly. Lead in a rapidly changing technological landscape.
Challenge, Change, Coaching & Complex Leadership Conversations - Have the hard conversations. Lead through ambiguity and transformation.
How certification works
A rigorous professional standard with an inclusive ethos
ILS is designed to be both rigorous and welcoming. It recognises that responsible leadership is developed over time & that leaders who are willing to learn & lead consciously should have access to a clear, recognised standard.
If you are committed to responsible leadership, you are welcome here.
Entry and application
To maintain the integrity of the standard, all leaders complete a short application and agree to our charter before joining. This ensures everyone entering the ILS pathway is aligned with responsible leadership practice.
Applications are welcomed from leaders who are:
Willing to reflect and take responsibility for their leadership
Open to learning and integration
Committed to ethical influence and relational awareness
Ready to be part of a professional leadership standard
In most cases, leaders who are aligned with these values are welcomed into the ILS pathway.
The Informed Leadership Standards Charter
All leaders joining ILS agree to a professional leadership charter.
This charter reflects a shared commitment to:
Responsible and ethical leadership
Awareness of power, influence and impact
Respect for people and communities
Continued reflection and development
Leadership that does not cause avoidable harm
Integrity in how leadership is practised and represented
The charter ensures the standard remains meaningful, trusted and aligned with its purpose.
After applying & agreeing to the ILS Charter, you complete the ILS Readiness Assessment. This places you on a personalised learning & integration pathway (not generic training) towards certification . You don't repeat what you already know, you focus only on what will deepen, strengthen, & future-proof your leadership. With the use of before-&-after leadership assessments, you can see real growth over time & you gather the evidence that you need to achieve your certification & designation - ILS Certified Leader.
Certification Framework:
Professional leadership charter
Verified certification (not self-declared)
Evidence-based assessment
Recognised designation (ILS Certified Leader)
Maintained standard (CPD + reassessment)
This is not self-declared leadership.
It is assessed & maintained professional standing.
Maintaining the Designation
Certification is not a one-time achievement.
To protect the integrity of the standard, certified leaders:
• Complete 12 hours of CPD annually
• Undergo reassessment at three years
• Maintain alignment with the ILS Charter
Certification may be suspended or withdrawn where standards are not upheld.
Professional standing requires ongoing responsibility.
Leaders May Choose The Level Of Support That best Fits Their Certification Journey
Pathway to Certification & ILS Membership
Certification Pathways
All pathways lead to the same
ILS Certified Leader designation.
The difference is the level of support and integration.
(Up to 12 months)
CORE
For leaders seeking independent certification with structured community support.
Certification leading to the ILS Certified leader designation.
MONTHLY FOR 12 MONTHS
£55 + VAT
or
PAY IN FULL
£550 + VAT
INCLUDES STANDARD ILS MEMBERSHIP (£33+VAT PER MONTH OR £330+ VAT PER YEAR)*
FIRST 20 FOUNDING MEMBERS FIXED ILS MEMBERSHIP RATE FOR LIFE
ILS Readiness Assessment
Leaders community with support
Access to full ILS learning & AI integration suite
Leaders community
Monthly networking
Quarterly online Live CPD
ILS Certification Assessment fee
Pay Monthly £55 +VAT
Pay Yearly £550 + VAT
* See below ILS membership details Reassessment at 3 years occurs assessment fee & expected standards must be maintained.
6 month minimum commitment.
ACCELERATE
For leaders who want structured guidance to achieve certification efficiently.
Includes facilitated small group support & Integration.
Includes everything in
'CORE'
MONTHLY FOR 12 MONTHS
£165 + VAT
or
PAY IN FULL
£1650 + VAT
INCLUDES ENHANCED ILS MEMBERSHIP (£83+VAT PER MONTH OR £830+ VAT PER YEAR)*
FIRST 20 FOUNDING MEMBERS FIXED ILS MEMBERSHIP RATE FOR LIFE
Monthly small group reflective practice sessions
Monthly learning & Integration call
Weekly Certification readiness support
1 high priority 1:1 advisory call per year
Pay Monthly £165 +VAT
Pay Yearly £1650 + VAT
* See below ILS membership details Reassessment at 3 years occurs assessment fee & expected standards must be maintained.
6 month minimum commitment.
1:1
For leaders wanting 1:1 support with an element of community embedding the standard into their public positioning & professional practice
Includes everything in 'CORE'
MONTHLY FOR 12 MONTHS
£499 + VAT
or
PAY IN FULL
£4990 + VAT
INCLUDES STANDARD ILS MEMBERSHIP (£33+VAT PER MONTH OR £330+ VAT PER YEAR) PLUS REASSESSMENT AFTER 3 YEARS*
FIRST 20 FOUNDING MEMBERS FIXED ILS MEMBERSHIP RATE FOR LIFE
Monthly 1:1 Leadership Mentorship call - 60 mins
1 In-person day per year
Monday WhatsApp 1:1 support
Up to 2 high priority 1:1 advisory calls per year
Fast-track certification readiness support
Pay Monthly £499 +VAT
PAY YEARLY £4990 + VAT
* See below ILS membership details includes Reassessment fee after 3 years - expected standards must be maintained.
6 month minimum commitment.
AUTHORITY 1:1 - VIP
For high-level leaders wanting 1:1 and small group reflection to aligndeeply with the ILS standards.
Advanced Integration & strategic visibility
Includes everything in 'ACCELERATE'
MONTHLY FOR 12 MONTHS
£749 + VAT
or
PAY IN FULL
£7490 + VAT
INCLUDES ENHANCED ILS MEMBERSHIP (£83+VAT PER MONTH OR £830+ VAT PER YEAR) PLUS REASSESSMENT AFTER 3 YEARS*
FIRST 20 FOUNDING MEMBERS FIXED ILS MEMBERSHIP RATE FOR LIFE
Monthly 1:1 Leadership Mentorship Call - 90 mins
2 In-person days per year
Mon & Thurs WhatsApp VIP 1:1 support
Up to 4 high priority 1:1 advisory calls per year
Fast-track certification readiness support
Pay Monthly £749 +VAT
PAY YEARLY £7490+ VAT
* See below ILS membership details includes Reassessment fee after 3 years occurs -expected standards must be maintained.
6 month minimum commitment.
Annual membership & maintenance
Currently Included in Certification Pathways for first 12 months
To maintain recognition, leaders hold annual ILS membership
STANDARD
Membership includes:
Annual review
Public listing on the ILS register when certified
Yearly CPD check
Continued access to AI Integration tools
Monthly Online Networking
Quarterly Online CPD
Informed Leadership Community
MONTHLY
£33 +VAT
or
FIXED RATE FOR LIFE FOR FIRST 20 FOUNDING MEMBERS
PAY YEARLY
£330 +VAT
ENHANCED
Membership includes:
Everything in Standard
Monthly small group reflective practice sessions
2 high priority 1:1 advisory calls per year
MONTHLY
£83 +VAT
or
FIXED RATE FOR LIFE FOR FIRST 20 FOUNDING MEMBERS
PAY YEARLY
£830 +VAT
Reassessment
(3 years after certification)
Reassessment Readiness Assessment
Feedback
ILS Organisational Certification Assessment
£350 +VAT
Recognition may be reviewed, suspended or withdrawn where standards are not upheld.
Payment may be made annually, quarterly, or monthly under a 12-month agreement.
Founding Cohort (2026)
Leaders certified during the formative stage of ILS will hold:
ILS – Founding Certified Leader
Founding member rates are protected for as long as membership remains active.
This is not early access.
It is early stewardship recognition.
AI Supported Learning Integration
As part of the standard, leaders have access to intelligent AI support tools designed to help you:
Think through complex decisions
Prepare for difficult conversations
Integrate learning into real situations
Reflect on leadership challenges
Strengthen ethical reasoning
These tools are not shortcuts.
They support regulated & responsible practice .
They do not replace leadership.
Who are Informed Leadership Standards for?
The Informed Leadership Standards are for leaders who hold meaningful influence over people, culture or systems.
ILS welcomes leaders across sectors including:
• Corporate and institutional leaders
• Founders and scaling business leaders
• Senior educators and system leaders
• Coaches and mentoring professionals operating with systemic responsibility
• Community and movement leaders
ILS is for Leaders who:
Lead people, teams, communities or movements
Hold influence and want to use it responsibly
Are open to reflection, growth & accountability
Care about the impact of how they lead
Want their leadership to be trusted, not just visible
Believe leadership should be both effective and ethical
ILS isn't for Leaders who:
ARE SEEKING quick TACTICS
avoid feedback
who prioritise visibility over informed practice
Are unwilling to evidence their leadership practice
You do not need to be a finished or perfect leader to join.
You do need to be open to learning, integrating & role modelling responsible leadership.
Professional Designation
Leaders who successfully meet the Informed Leadership Standards and complete the certification process are awarded the professional designation:
ILS Certified Leader
This designation signifies that a leader has:
Completed the Informed Leadership Standards pathway
Demonstrated responsible leadership in practice
Met the external certification requirements
Committed to the Informed Leadership Charter
ILS Certified Leaders may use this designation across professional profiles, biographies, websites and organisational materials as a mark of responsible, informed leadership. You will also be listed as Certified on the ILS site.
The ILS Certified Leader designation signals leadership that is:
Developed, through structured standards-based learning and integration
Evidenced, through real leadership practice & demonstrated capability
Recognised, through certification against the Informed Leadership Standards
It communicates to organisations, teams and communities that this leader is committed to responsible, ethical and informed leadership practice.
Why ILS is different
Traditional Leadership Programmes
ILS Certification
Attendance - based
Evidence - based
Self-declared
Competence independently assessed
One - time completion
Renewable professional standing
Optional ethical alignment
Charter-bound commitment
Training provider
Professional standards body
Joining the Informed Leadership Standards is entry into a recognised professional standards and certification pathway.
You begin with an Informed Leadership Readiness Assessment & are placed on the most relevant pathway, so time is not wasted repeating learning you have already integrated.
Leaders are supported to apply the standards to real decisions, conversations, power dynamics & leadership challenges in their current roles and environments.
Certification is reviewed, verified and awarded against the Informed Leadership Standards.
Leaders gather & demonstrate evidence of responsible leadership practice.
Leaders who meet the standards receive the professional designation:
ILS Certified Leader
This signals leadership that has been developed, evidenced & verified.
ILS certified leaders remain part of a professional standards membership committed to responsible leadership, continued reflection
& maintaining the integrity of the standards over time.
What Leaders are saying
“The Readiness Assessment showed me where I was not as aligned as I assumed. It clarified risks I hadn’t named but could feel at times in my work" AM, Founder
Built on:
Evidence-informed leadership frameworks
Governance and ethical leadership research
Whole-system wellbeing models
Behavioural leadership assessment methodology
Founding leadership movement
The first intake will form the
Founding Certified Cohort (2026)
Leaders recognised for setting the benchmark for informed leadership.
Responsible Leadership is not claimed.
It is developed, evidenced and recognised.
Professional Impact
Certification provides:
• Verified professional standing
• Increased credibility in governance-sensitive environments
• Structured accountability for leadership practice
• Clear differentiation from unregulated leadership
• A recognised benchmark aligned with future leadership expectations
The Leadership you choose:
Informed Conversations
Responsibility
Accountability
Ethical Awareness
Sustainable High Performance
Human- First AI
Results matter,
but how you achieve them matters more.
Leadership influence carries consequence.
How power is exercised matters.
How people are impacted matters.
The Standard exists to move leadership beyond performance and toward accountable practice.
Real leadership. Responsible leadership. Informed leadership.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is this a course or a professional standard?
The Informed Leadership Standards are a professional leadership standard and certification pathway.
While there is structured learning and integration, ILS is not a traditional course or coaching programme.
It exists to develop, evidence and externally recognise responsible leadership in practice.
Who is this for?
ILS is for leaders across business, education, coaching, community and organisational settings who:
lead people or hold influence
care about the impact of how they lead
want to lead responsibly and consciously
are open to reflection, learning and integration
You do not need to be a perfect leader to join, only willing to lead responsibly.
Do I need to be a senior or experienced leader?
No, ILS welcomes leaders at different stages of experience, provided they hold responsibility for people, decisions or influence & are open to developing responsible leadership practices.
Experienced leaders often join to evidence & deepen the leadership standard they already hold.
Will I have to redo learning I’ve already done?
No. All leaders complete a readiness assessment at entry.
This ensures your pathway reflects your current experience and development areas.
ILS builds on prior learning and experience rather than repeating it unnecessarily.
How does certification work?
Leaders work through the Informed Leadership Standards and integrate them into real leadership practice.
To achieve certification, leaders demonstrate evidence of responsible leadership aligned to the standards.
Certification is reviewed, verified and awarded against the ILS framework.
Those who meet the standards receive the professional designation:
ILS Certified Leader
How long does the process take?
The pathway is designed to integrate alongside real leadership roles and responsibilities. Timeframes vary depending on experience, pace of integration and chosen pathway. Most leaders move through the core pathway over several months rather than days or weeks, as the focus is on meaningful integration rather than fast completion.
Is there an application process?
Yes, a short application & signing of our charter is required.
This ensures all leaders entering ILS are aligned with the values of responsible, informed leadership and are willing to uphold the leadership charter.
Most leaders who are open to learning and responsible leadership are welcomed.
What is the Informed Leadership Charter?
All leaders joining ILS agree to a professional leadership charter that reflects a shared commitment to:
responsible and ethical leadership
awareness of power and influence
respect for people and communities
continued reflection and development
leadership that does not cause avoidable harm
The charter ensures the standard remains meaningful and trusted.
What does the ILS Certified Leader designation represent?
It signals that a leader has:
completed the Informed Leadership Standards pathway
demonstrated responsible leadership in practice
met external certification requirements
committed to the ILS leadership charter
It communicates leadership that has been developed, evidenced & recognised.
Will employers recognise this certification?
ILS is establishing itself as the professional standard for responsible leadership. Like B Corp transformed how organisations demonstrate responsibility, ILS is setting the benchmark for how leaders demonstrate ethical capability. Early adopters gain the advantage of differentiating themselves at a lower price as the standard gains wider recognition.
Can I switch pathways later?
Yes. You can upgrade to a higher tier or choose core at any time. If you downgrade, you'll retain access to content you've already completed.
Why does this matter now?
Why does this matter now?
Because leadership influence has never been more visible or impactful.
Because organisations and communities are asking deeper questions about trust & integrity.
The future requires leaders who are not only capable, but responsible.
ILS exists to raise the standard of leadership for the future.
Can Organisations become certified in ILS?
Yes organisations can gain Certification, they just need to have 80% of their leaders that are ILS certified & they need to submit some addition evidence for their assessment.
Informed Leadership Standards
Where Responsibility Meets Results.
Email: [email protected]
Phone or WhatsApp : +447970484228
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