The Executive Coaching Certification Built on the Intelligent Leadership Method
Train in John Mattone's method and the MLEI assessment, and walk into every engagement as the coach the room already trusts.
Why This Certification Exists
You have led teams, sat in the hard rooms, and carried the results. What you have not had is a coaching method with your name on the certificate. The Intelligent Leadership Executive Coaching Certification trains you in John Mattone's method and the MLEI assessment, so you walk into every engagement as the executive coach the room already trusts.
Taught by John Mattone, ranked the world's #1 executive coach by Global Gurus six times (2019-2026). Join 800+ certified coaches in 55+ countries.
"Character drives competence."- John Mattone
What Is the Intelligent Leadership Executive Coaching Certification?
The Intelligent Leadership Executive Coaching Certification is the executive coach certification built on John Mattone's Intelligent Leadership method and the MLEI assessment. It is accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), carries 150 CCE units on the path to Master Level plus 42 optional (192 total), and trains senior leaders entering coaching alongside practicing coaches moving into executive work.
This is not a course in coaching skills. It is a complete operating system: a philosophy, a process, and a toolset grounded in one conviction, that character drives competence. You learn to develop leaders from the inside out, starting with the inner core (character, values, self-concept) and working outward to the outer-core competencies organizations can measure, from emotional intelligence to decision-making.
This executive coach certification serves two kinds of professionals: executives who have led for decades and want a structured method rather than an improvised one, and experienced coaches who want the credibility, tools, and peer group to win executive engagements.
Certified coaches worldwide
JMG certification records, 2026
Countries represented
JMG certification records, 2026
Total ICF CCE units: 150 to Master Level + 42 optional
ICF accreditation; breakdown confirmed by John Mattone, 2026-07
IL-trained coaches in the world's top 20
Global Gurus, 2026
Coaching Development Program
Also ranked #2 Leadership Development Program
Global Gurus, 2025 & 2026
In 2026, six coaches trained in the Intelligent Leadership method rank among the world's top 20 executive coaches, including John Mattone at #1. Check the list yourself; every name is public.
Featured In
Why Train in a Method Instead of Just Earning Hours?
Most coach training programs validate hours: you attend, you log time, you receive a certificate. A method-based executive coaching certification confers something different: a named framework, a proprietary assessment, and a repeatable process you can stand behind in front of a CEO or a board.
The market is crowded and getting more so. The number of ICF-certified coaches worldwide grew from 53,300 in 2015 to 71,000 in 2022 (ICF Global Coaching Study), and most business coaches and life coaches in that pool compete on generic coaching skills.
The difference shows up in the room. When a leadership team asks how you work, "I ask powerful questions" is not an answer that wins executive engagements. The Intelligent Leadership method gives you a diagnostic starting point, a development roadmap, and tools that produce measurable, meaningful change.
The Wheel of Intelligent Leadership
The core framework for aligning a leader's inner core and outer core. It is the map you coach from, session after session. Learn more about the Intelligent Leadership philosophy.
- Inner Core: character, values, and self-concept, the drivers beneath behavior.
- Outer Core: the measurable leadership competencies organizations see, from strategic thinking to decision-making.
- 7 Mindset Pillars: the thinking habits that sustain inside-out transformation.
The MLEI (Mattone Leadership Enneagram Inventory)
A proprietary assessment with 9 leadership profiles, taken by 10,000+ leaders including 500+ Fortune 1000 CEOs, and used by John Mattone in his 2010 coaching engagement with Steve Jobs. You learn to administer and debrief it yourself. Explore the MLEI assessment.
The STLI-360
A 360-degree instrument that gives your coaching engagements data-driven clarity on how a leader shows up at their best and under pressure. See the STLI-360.
Graduates also receive the 600+ page Coaches Resource Manual, lifetime updates to program materials, and access to a global network of certified coaches. You leave with a practice, not a binder.
How Does the Master Journey Work?
The certification follows a single ladder called the Master Journey. You enter at Level 1, a three-day immersive certification taught personally by John Mattone for $2,500, then progress through advanced stages toward the Intelligent Leadership Master Coach designation, earning 150 ICF CCE units along the way, with optional training tracks bringing the total to 192.
1Start Here
Level 1: Initial Mastery Certification
Your entry point. Three immersive days with John Mattone covering the IL philosophy, the coaching process, and the MLEI. You leave certified and ready to coach with the method.
22.25 ICF CCE units
Investment: $2,500
2Advanced Mastery
The Master Journey
Deepen your practice with advanced diagnostic work, the complex challenges real client engagements bring, mentor coaching, and fuller integration of inner-core coaching. This is where competent coaches become executive-grade coaches.
71.25 ICF CCE units
3The Designation
Intelligent Leadership Master Coach
The destination of the Master Journey. Master Coaches join an inner circle of 150+ practitioners considered for global JMG coaching projects, and carry 150 ICF CCE units behind their credential (192 with the optional training tracks).
150 ICF CCE units on the path to Master Level
The final segment is optional coach training: SalesMind Academy (32 CCEs) and Conflict Resolution (10 CCEs).
150 ICF CCE units on the path to Master Level, plus 42 optional (192 total). Level 1 is $2,500; investment for the stages beyond Level 1 depends on your pace and format.
Book a call with admissions and we will map the full journey to your goals.
Book a Call
Is the Certification Accredited by the International Coaching Federation?
Yes. The Intelligent Leadership Executive Coaching Certification is ICF-accredited. Here is what that gives you:
- An ICF-accredited provider, with mentor coaching support built into the program rather than sold as a separate add-on.
- 150 CCE units on the path to Master Level, plus 42 optional (SalesMind Academy 32, Conflict Resolution 10): 192 total, one of the highest counts in the industry.
- 22.25 ICF CCE units earned at Level 1, your first three days.
- The program's ICF-accredited curriculum covers the 125-hour education requirement for the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) via the Portfolio Path.
Accreditation matters, and it is also table stakes. Hundreds of ICF accredited programs teach to the ICF Core Competencies; what separates them is depth, method, and who teaches. The ICF itself credentials individual coaches at three levels: Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and Master Certified Coach (MCC). Each ICF level pairs educational requirements with logged coaching experience. If you are still mapping how each ICF level works and what it requires, start with our plain-language guide to ICF certification.
Who Teaches It, and Why Does That Matter?
John Mattone personally teaches Level 1 of the executive coaching certification. He has been ranked the world's #1 executive coach by Global Gurus six times (2019-2026), coached Steve Jobs at Apple in 2010, and built his method inside three decades of engagements.
World's #1 Executive Coach, 2019-2026
Global Gurus, 2026
Organizations John has worked with
JMG records, 2026
Executives personally coached
JMG records, 2026
CEO coaching roster
JMG client engagements
That track record is not decoration. The method you learn is the one John built and tested inside those engagements, and the questions you bring on day two get answered by the person who wrote the books. Elmostafa Aissoui, MCC, led the program's ICF accreditation effort over more than a year, and anchors its credentialing rigor.
You are not buying a curriculum. You are training in the working method of one of the most recognized names in executive and leadership coaching, then carrying that brand into your own coaching career.
Who Is This Executive Coaching Certification For?
Three kinds of professionals earn this coach certification. Find your door.
Executives Becoming Coaches
You have 20+ years of leadership behind you and a second act ahead, one of the most consequential career transitions you will make. The certification converts your experience into a structured coaching practice: a method so you never wing it, a recognized brand so you are never lumped in with life coaches, and a peer group of senior professionals.
See the path for executives →Experienced Coaches Leveling Up
You are already coaching and hitting a ceiling: positioning that prospective clients cannot tell apart from anyone else's, a crowded market, stalled day rates. The IL method, the MLEI, and mentor coaching give you executive-grade differentiation, and the credential signals it.
Compare certification programs →Organizations Building a Coaching Bench
HR and L&D leaders certify internal coaches in one defensible, brand-name methodology, with assessments, a shared leadership development language, and ROI measurement that ties coaching to organizational performance. Cohort delivery available.
Contact us about cohort certification →One honest note: this program is built for professionals with real leadership or coaching experience who intend to practice at the executive level. If you are comparing it against $500 online certificates, it is not the right fit, and we would rather tell you that now.
Hear From Master Coaches
Certified coaches on what the IL method changed for them: in their own words, on camera.
Jim
After 43 years in banking, Jim wanted the #1 credential to keep operating at executive level, this time as a coach.
Lorraine
An experienced coach who wanted a framework that produces real transformation, not another certificate for the wall.
How Does It Compare to Other Coaching Certification Programs?
Strong executive coaching certification programs exist, and most publish their numbers: iPEC (built around its Energy Leadership framework), Co-Active (CTI), Hudson Institute, and Georgetown among them. The Intelligent Leadership certification wins on three verifiable rows: 192 total ICF CCE units (150 to Master Level plus 42 optional), a proprietary named assessment (the MLEI), and a founder ranked #1 in the field.
ICF-Accredited
Accredited by the International Coaching Federation: 150 CCE units to Master Level, plus 42 optional (192 total).
Taught by the #1-Ranked Coach
John Mattone personally teaches Level 1. Global Gurus has ranked him the world's #1 executive coach six times (2019-2026).
Executive-Tier Cohort
Built for senior leaders and practicing coaches moving into executive work, with a proprietary named assessment: the MLEI.
We built a full side-by-side comparison of executive coach certification programs so you can check every row yourself: accreditation, CCE hours, mentor coaching, assessments, executive focus, price, and format. We win the rows that matter for executive work; we do not claim to win every row.
See the Full Program ComparisonFor aspiring coaches mapping which credentials matter in a coaching career, read what certifications coaches actually need.
What Do Certified Coaches Say?
"I like that your program has a structure to it but still has the ability to expand and contract. You have a roadmap a lot of other coaching training I have taken does not have."
“I am not sure exactly what to say. I could say a lot of things. Great. Awesome. Tremendous. Life changing. All positive. The best thing to say, I think is..Thank you. For you to share, as you did, during the training, your heart, your experience, your significant body of work was quite something. Remarkable, I would say. Thank you very much John.”
“Thank you very much for three fantastic days of community and learning. Through your diligence and hard-work you have managed to capture many of the concepts I have held for years about developing leaders. Again, thank you for your time and investment in me. To your continued growth and success.”
“It has been a great honor to be part of this remarkable webinar last week. I am thankful to you and your son who convinced me. I am proud to be part of the Intelligent Leadership Family. I had a blast. It was intense, clear and meaningful. I realized the value of following a strong process.”
“It truly is incredible how your IL executive Coaching approach is gaining such an explosive interest and engagement. You have developed an incredible approach and worked hard to package it for others to benefit from your years of experience. I am so pleased to be part of that family.”
Read more from graduates on the coach testimonials page.
How Do You Get Started?
Book a Call
A 20-minute call with admissions to review your goals and confirm fit. No pressure, no obligation.
Begin the Master Journey
Progress toward the Intelligent Leadership Master Coach designation at your own pace, with mentor coaching along the way.
You have spent a career becoming an example for others to follow. The next step is learning to develop that in someone else, from the inside out. If you are ready to do the work, start with an honest conversation about where you are today.
Prefer We Reach Out?
Leave your details and the admissions team follows up on your goals and fit. No pressure, no obligation. Ready to pick a time yourself? Book a Call.
Nicholas Mattone
CEO, John Mattone Global
Further questions? Email nick@johnmattone.com or call +1 774-836-5010
Get Certification Details
Tell us where to send the details. On the next page you pick a time for your call.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a certified executive coach?
Enroll in an ICF-accredited executive coach training program, complete the training, and practice with real clients. In the Intelligent Leadership program, you start with Level 1, a three-day certification taught by John Mattone, then progress through the Master Journey toward the Intelligent Leadership Master Coach designation. If you also want to become ICF certified as an individual (ACC or PCC), that is a separate application you make directly to the ICF.
How much does the executive coaching certification cost?
Level 1, the entry certification, is $2,500 and includes three days of training with John Mattone, MLEI certification, and 22.25 ICF CCE units. Investment for the later stages of the Master Journey depends on your pace and format; book a call with admissions for a full picture.
Do I need coaching experience to enroll?
No. The program is designed for two profiles: senior business leaders entering coaching with deep leadership experience but no formal coach certification, and practicing coaches moving into executive work. What matters is real professional experience and the intent to coach leaders.
Can I complete the certification online?
Yes. Cohorts run live online, in formats built to fit an executive schedule, so location does not limit you. The next cohorts run July 28-30, 2026 and September 22-24, 2026; format details are covered in your admissions conversation.
What tools will I be certified to use?
Graduates train on the Wheel of Intelligent Leadership, the MLEI assessment with its 9 leadership profiles, and the STLI-360. You also receive the 600+ page Coaches Resource Manual with lifetime updates, so your coaching and leadership development engagements run on proven instruments from day one.
And when you are ready to build the business side of your practice, the SalesMind Academy program shows certified coaches how to win clients. See SalesMind Academy on the For Executives page.
How is this different from a leadership coaching certification?
Leadership coaching develops managers at every level; executive coaching works with senior business leaders where stakes and scrutiny are highest, and where emotional intelligence under pressure gets tested. This certification trains you for both through one method, with executive and leadership coaching integrated in the Intelligent Leadership framework, so you do not need a separate leadership coaching program later.