Entry Point Certification

CLP —
Certified Leadership Practitioner

Practitioner → Emerging → Team → Operational → Strategic → Executive

For practising leaders who can demonstrate team-level leadership capability through verified workplace evidence. The entry point to LII certification.

Apply for CLP View Digital Passport
CLP

What Is Assessed

CLP uses the same four-component model as all LII levels. Each component has a fixed weighting. No component can be waived. No score compensates for another.

Capability Evidence Portfolio

40%

The primary source of evidence. The portfolio demonstrates the candidate's leadership-adjacent activity and its impact on their team or workplace. Evidence must show that something changed because of what the candidate did — not merely that they were present and active.

  • Records of team interactions led or significantly contributed to
  • Documented contributions to team tasks with outcomes identified
  • Stakeholder testimonials confirming specific contribution and effect

Professional Practice Review

20%

Multi-source input on the candidate's professional practice. Assessors look for feedback that addresses specific behaviours — not generic character references — and performance data linked to the candidate's contribution.

  • 360° feedback or equivalent multi-source input
  • Performance metrics or outcomes attributable to the candidate
  • Development record showing intentional, gap-targeted learning

Strategic Project

20%

Evidence of a team-level task, project, or initiative in which the candidate played an identifiable leadership-adjacent role: planning, coordinating, communicating, or making decisions about how work is done. The outcome must be documented.

  • What the candidate specifically decided or organised
  • Documented outcome — not just process description
  • Recent, workplace-based — not a hypothetical or training exercise

Panel Assessment

20%

A structured interview and scenario-based assessment conducted by an independent LII assessor. The candidate draws on real workplace experience to respond to leadership scenarios and articulate their development.

  • Specific examples drawn from real workplace experience
  • Responses must corroborate the submitted portfolio
  • Honest self-assessment of strengths and development gaps

Evidence recency window: All CLP evidence must be dated within 24 months of submission. Minimum requirements: 12 months of team-adjacent workplace experience, at least one completed team-level project, one external testimonial from a supervisor or colleague, and a signed candidate declaration of authenticity.

Capability Standards

CLP candidates are assessed against four capability domains. Each domain has specific descriptors that define what verified performance looks like at this level.

Leadership Self

The candidate demonstrates reliable self-management in a leadership-adjacent role: meeting commitments, managing their own performance, responding constructively to feedback, and showing awareness of their impact on colleagues. Evidence must go beyond stating intentions — it must show consistent behaviour over time.

  • Consistent record of meeting commitments and managing own performance
  • Constructive response to feedback, evidenced over time — not a single instance
  • Demonstrated awareness of impact on colleagues, not just self-report

Team Contribution

The candidate demonstrates active contribution to team performance: supporting colleagues, coordinating tasks, contributing to a productive team environment, and taking ownership of outcomes within the team context. Evidence must show a measurable difference to team output or experience — not just participation.

  • Documented support of colleagues and coordination of team tasks
  • Ownership of outcomes within the team context, not just individual tasks
  • Evidence of a measurable difference to team output or team experience

Communication & Influence

The candidate communicates clearly and professionally with colleagues and supervisors, adapts communication to context, and demonstrates the ability to influence outcomes through professional dialogue. Evidence must show communication that produced a result — not merely that the candidate communicated.

  • Clear, professional communication with colleagues and supervisors
  • Communication adapted to context and audience
  • At least one example where dialogue produced a specific result

Personal Impact & Development

The candidate takes active ownership of their professional development: identifying specific gaps, acting on feedback, engaging in deliberate development activity, and demonstrating measurable growth over the assessment period. Reflection must move beyond describing what happened to analysing what changed and why.

  • Specific development gaps identified, not generic self-improvement goals
  • Deliberate development activity undertaken during the assessment period
  • Reflective analysis of what changed and why — not just a description of events

Who This Level Is For

You're ready for CLP if…
  • You hold a current role with team-adjacent leadership responsibility — leading tasks, coordinating colleagues, or contributing to team delivery
  • You can draw on 12+ months of team-adjacent activity for evidence
  • You can document at least one team-level project or initiative where you played an identifiable leadership role and can describe the outcome
  • You have a supervisor or colleague who can provide a specific testimonial about your contribution and its effect on the team
  • You are ready to reflect analytically on your development — not just describe what you did
Consider waiting if…
  • Your professional experience is primarily individual contribution with no team coordination or leadership-adjacent responsibilities
  • You cannot identify a specific instance where something in your team or workplace changed because of your leadership
  • You have less than 12 months of relevant workplace experience to draw on for evidence
  • You are at the very beginning of your career and have not yet had the opportunity to demonstrate leadership-adjacent impact
  • You are unsure — submit an application and LII will confirm your readiness within 3 working days at no charge

Not sure which level is right? Take the Leadership Diagnostic or contact the LII assessment team for a no-obligation readiness conversation.

The Assessment Process

The same five-stage process applies across all LII certification levels. For CLP, the standard journey from application to certification is 12–16 weeks.

Apply & Level Confirmation

Submit your application online. An LII assessor reviews your experience profile and confirms CLP as the appropriate level within 3 working days. No fee is charged until your level is confirmed.

Foundational Baseline Assessment

Before formal submission, your evidence base is reviewed through the FBA — a structured readiness check with your assigned assessor. This confirms your evidence has sufficient quality, specificity, and demonstrability to proceed. An FBA outcome of Not Yet Ready carries no penalty and no fee.

Portfolio Build

You build your four-component evidence portfolio from your existing workplace experience. No attendance. No modules. No new learning required. This phase typically takes 10–14 weeks, supported by a named LII candidate liaison.

Independent Assessment & Panel

Your portfolio is assessed by an independent LII assessor. Internal verification follows. A structured panel interview with your assessor completes the evidence review — you are assessed on your own experience, in your own words.

Certified & Verifiable

Certification decision issued with written feedback. Your LII Digital Passport activates immediately — a W3C Verifiable Credential accessible via QR scan or API. Certification designation is issued via Digital Passport.

Your CLP Digital Passport

Every CLP certification generates a W3C Verifiable Credential — employer-verifiable in real time via QR scan or API. Your credential shows your certification level, assessment basis, and component grades. You control what is shared and with whom.

Accessible at verify.lii.institute · Valid for 3 years · Annual CPD renewal required

Illustrative demonstration — not a live certification record.

← First Level
View All Certifications Next: CEL — Certified Emerging Leader

Ready to Apply for CLP?

Submit your application and LII will confirm your level within 3 working days. No fee until your level is confirmed. Written feedback on all assessment decisions.

Apply for CLP Ask a Question First

Why this credential can be trusted

Trust depends on the standard, the assessment decision, candidate rights and the ability to inspect the resulting credential.

Independent assessment

Workplace evidence is assessed separately from learning or development delivery.

Evidence-based decision

The certification or recognition decision is based on submitted evidence against the applicable LII requirements.

Moderation

Internal verification and panel moderation form part of the decision process described by LII.

Governance

Governance, quality assurance and institutional responsibilities are documented publicly.

Appeals

A public appeals route is available for eligible certification and accreditation decisions.

Verifiable credential

The Digital Passport provides the stated route for independent credential checking.

Governance Standards & Frameworks Appeals Policy