Certified Leadership Development Strategist® (CLDS)
Now Included with Brandon Hall Group Institute Membership
The only Leadership Development Strategist Professional certification that focuses on the learning journey where the exam taker feels they have acquired new competencies and skills that can be applied in their organization, because we are backed by evidence-based insights, not theory.
By signing up, you’ll access this certification plus all Institute Membership benefits including our research library, expert community, and analyst support – at no additional cost.
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Self-paced Online Certification
Earn a Certified Leadership Development Strategist (CLDS) professional certification through Brandon Hall Group’s Certification Program.
Designed for Your Business
Professionals who attain Certified Leadership Development Strategist designation receive CLDS credentials and a digital badge to be displayed on a CV, in a bio, on social profiles and in email signatures.
Self-paced Online Certification
Earn a Certified Leadership Development Strategist (CLDS) professional certification through Brandon Hall Group’s Certification Program.
Designed for Your Business
Professionals who attain Certified Leadership Development Strategist designation receive CLDS credentials and a digital badge to be displayed on a CV, in a bio, on social profiles and in email signatures.
Earn a Certified Leadership Development Strategist (CLDS) professional certification through Brandon Hall Group’s Certification Program. Professionals who attain the CLDS designation receive credentials and a digital badge to be displayed on a CV, in a bio, on social profiles, and in email signatures.
Advantages of this learning path
Self-paced Online Certification
Access your courses anytime, anywhere, with a computer, tablet or smartphone.
Show Your Milestone
Add credentials to the back of your name on your email and professional networks.
Always Available
Self-paced online program. One year to complete.
The More, The Better
Full Institute Membership Benefits – Access our extensive research library, connect with HR leaders, and receive customized analyst support alongside your certification.
Award Winning Formula
Leveraging our HCM Excellence Awards we teach you how to create programs that measurably benefit the organization.
Learning Journey
Videos, quizzes and interactive content designed for a proven learning experience.
Ready to be a Certified Leadership Development Strategist with additional resources to excel?
Start your journey with Brandon Hall Group Institute Membership now!
Three Phase Course
Our comprehensive Resource Guide covers the 24 competencies every HR professional needs to succeed. This includes thought-leading research insights, use cases, and executive interviews to prepare you to apply your new skills on the job every day.
Commitment
You should plan on committing approximately 30 hours to complete the certification, and you have one year to complete it. This includes reading through the resource guide and the exam time.
Enhanced Value
Your certification is now included in the Brandon Hall Group Institute Membership, giving you unlimited access to research, online courses, networking opportunities, and customized analyst support – all designed to help you implement what you learn.
Phase 1: Proven Learning Experience
24 Lessons
96 Questions
Phase 1 consists of 96 questions across 24 competencies that every Leadership Development Strategisst professional should posses. These competencies better prepare you to implement your new skills on the job. Learning styles differ, so while we do provide a PDF Resource Guide for studying, you also have the option of following the interactive learning journey within the platform itself.
Strategic Skills
- Design Thinking
- Ideation
- Strategic Planning and Execution
Leadership Skills
- Consulting
- Business Acumen
- Leadership and Change Advocacy
Interpersonal Skills
- Coaching and Mentoring
- Inclusive Leadership
- Collaboration
Technical Skills
- Data & Analytics Fluency
- Technology Fluency
- Learning Agility
Performance Skills
- Leadership Succession & Pipeline Development
- Leadership Performance Management
- Performance Consulting
Modeling Skills
- Leadership Pipeline & Talent Modeling
- Organizational Design and Effectiveness
- Change Management
Development Skills
- Leadership Experience Design
- Leadership Equity & Opportunity
- Team Performance
Delivery Skills
- Leadership Development & Performance Alignment
- Leadership Analytics & Insights
- Technology Leadership
Phase 2: Real-World Application
Phase 2: Scenario-Based Application
In Phase 2, you’ll apply what you’ve learned to a real-world scenario built from one of seven Brandon Hall Group Excellence Award-winning leadership development programs. After reviewing all seven, you’ll choose one and develop a complete response: identifying the business need, designing a leadership development solution, planning its implementation, building a change management approach and defining measurable benefits. Guided by a structured template and the Excellence in Practice companion, you’ll show how the CLDS competencies work together to solve real business, leadership and organizational challenges.
Consistent Frontline Leadership Capability at Scale
Accelerating Future Leaders Through Real-World Experience
Building a Coaching Culture
Preparing High-Potential Individual Contributors for People Leadership
Making Leadership Development a Sustained Work Ritual
Senior Leaders Aligned for the Next Era of Growth
Directors Ready to Lead Strategic Change
Phase 3: Graduate
Phase 3: Graduate Organizational Case Study
In the final phase, you’ll take everything you’ve learned and apply it to your own organization. Using a six-section framework that builds on your Phase 2 work, you’ll develop a complete case study for a leadership development initiative, whether completed, in progress or planned. You’ll cover the business need, solution design, implementation, change management and measurable benefits. Your submission will be reviewed by a board of Brandon Hall Group evaluators and assessed for practical application, strategic alignment and your command of the CLDS competencies.
“I found the case studies really interesting. It can be easy to be trapped in the bubble of our own context. Stepping outside my current day-to-day and stepping into another company / industry / challenge was both broadening and provocative.”
Micah Jacobson
Sr. Director, Global Enablement Innovation Strategy at Salesforce.
“I found this course to be very relatable to my current work profile at Colgate Palmolive. The topics covered provide a good amount of knowledge each professional should possess. The assessments allow us to think from various perspectives and are well laid out for learning retention. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this program.”
Rakhi Dadoo
Global Learning Design Manager at Colgate Palmolive.