Coaching Leaders for a Complex World

The most notable time commitment is the six live online modules, which are each four hours per day for 4-5 consecutive days. You can see the full schedule above. Prior to each module, you will have 4-6 hours of independent study or reflection and at least 2 hours of practice with other members of the cohort, scheduled at your convenience.

There are no prerequisites for this program. People who are brand new to coaching will learn everything they need to get started, and those with experience or prior training will have ample opportunity to deepen their practice.

Yes. You will receive at least ten mentor coaching hours with a PCC or MCC-certified coach. Some of these hours will be individual, when you meet 1:1 with your mentor or submit recordings of yourself coaching for the mentor to review with written feedback. During most modules, you will meet in a consistent group with your mentor to practice coaching and to give and receive feedback.

Yes, absolutely! We built this program for a variety of potential participants: people who want to become professional coaches, people who want to be more “coach-like” in their role as manager or leader, and anyone looking for a transformative personal and professional growth experience grounded in adult development and complexity. 

Coach development is human development. The skills and orientations we practice as coaches–building trusting relationships based on clear agreements, listening to learn, asking questions that evoke new awareness–are helpful in a wide variety of settings and help us better navigate the complex challenges of life and work.

Yes! We know that some coach training organizations design their programs as a set of individual courses. While this provides a measure of flexibility to the participant, it has certain disadvantages compared with a cohort-based program. We believe that the best way to learn is to coach, be coached, and watch others coach. This is best done in the context of deep and trusting relationships that take time to develop. In this program, you will spend 8-10 months with a small and diverse group of practitioners. In the plenary, we will have direct instruction, coaching demonstrations, and rich conversation. In breakout rooms, you will discuss key concepts and, more often, practice specific coaching skills and entire conversations. Your mentor group of 4-6 people will meet each module for group coaching with your mentor. And you will have a rotating trio of partners to practice with between modules. Community is not an aspect of this program, it is an essential component.

At the end of this program, you will have completed all training, mentoring, and performance evaluation requirements for PCC certification with the ICF via the Level 2 path. In addition, the ICF requires that people pursuing a PCC credential also have 500 hours of coaching experience with 25+ clients. You will complete 20-30 of these hours through the program. Most coaches need 1-3 years to complete the remaining hours before they are ready to apply for their PCC credential. Learn more about credentialing on the ICF’s website.

The ICF awards three levels of coach certification: Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and Master Certified Coach (MCC). While the ACC credential signifies a solid foundation in coaching skills and a commitment to professional standards, the PCC demonstrates a deeper level of mastery and experience. This advanced certification often gives you greater credibility and trust with clients and organizations, opening the door to more significant coaching opportunities and engagements. Given the nature of the PCC standards, many coaches report greater personal growth on their journey to becoming a PCC than they did during their initial training, allowing them to navigate more complex client situations and facilitate more profound transformations. Ultimately, achieving the PCC distinguishes you as a more experienced and capable coach within the global coaching community.

You can begin practicing coaching from the first day of the program. In fact, we encourage you to do so! Many people get experience by offering pro bono coaching to friends, neighbors, and family. Others practice their coaching skills with colleagues or direct reports. While you do not need to have paying clients during the program, those who choose to pursue certification with the ICF will need paid experience, as described here.

Growth Edge Coaching (GEC) is Cultivating Leadership’s developmental coaching program. It includes three courses that teach people to listen to how clients are making meaning, adapt to their developmental needs, and conduct a Growth Edge Interview to help clients better understand their mental map of reality. While many coaches take GEC courses, it is valuable to a wide range of practitioners. GEC offers Continuing Coach Education Units (CCEUs) with the ICF, but it is not a coach training program. By contrast, Coaching Leaders for a Complex World meets all requirements for Level 2 certification (PCC) and is explicitly aligned to the ICF’s Core Competencies. The two programs complement each other well for coaches seeking a solid foundation in adult development for their practice.

At this time, all course materials and live sessions are available only in English, and it is expected that you will be able to participate fully. If you do not feel comfortable coaching and being coached in English, we recommend you register with at least one friend or colleague with whom you can practice in your preferred language. Many of the facilitators are multilingual and have experience coaching in multiple languages. We are happy to make small accommodations where possible, but cannot guarantee that we can adapt to any specific language.

If your goal is to become a part- or full-time professional coach, this program is a great place to start. Upon completion, you will be eligible to apply directly for an advanced coaching credential with the ICF (once you meet the coaching experience requirement). You will develop deep relationships with more than a dozen practitioners around the world, and join a growing community of coaches dedicated to deep, transformative work with clients. You will receive guidance from your mentor coach and during the final module on managing client relationships and the business-side of coaching. And, through your affiliation with the ICF, you will have access to a global network that opens doors to vital connections and continuous learning opportunities.

In the future, we intend to offer partial scholarships for the program. For the September 2025 and January 2026 cohorts, we are delighted to be able to offer everyone a 20% scholarship, reducing the price from $14,900 USD to $11,900 USD.

Yes. We offer the possibility of payment in four equal installments over 4-8 months, depending on the date of registration.