Intelligent Leadership Certification Level 1: Where the Journey Starts
Three immersive days with John Mattone. You leave certified in the IL method and the MLEI, ready to coach with it.
What is Level 1 of the Intelligent Leadership Certification?
Level 1 is the Initial Mastery Certification: a 3-day immersive program in John Mattone's Intelligent Leadership method, taught by John himself, earning 22.25 ICF CCE units. It gives you the IL philosophy, coaching process, and core tools in one sitting, and it is the required first stage of the full Master Journey.
You leave with a working methodology, not a taste of one. Character drives competence is the operating philosophy; Level 1 is where you learn to coach from it.
Every certified Intelligent Leadership coach started in the same room. Level 1, the Initial Mastery Certification, is a 3-day immersive program taught personally by John Mattone. The investment is $2,500. That number is published here on purpose: you should know what the first step costs before you take it.
Level 1 is a complete program with standalone value, and it is also the first stage of the Master Journey, the full progression to the Intelligent Leadership Master Coach designation. This page covers what Level 1 includes, who it is for, and where it leads.
Built for two kinds of professionals
- ✓Leaders and practicing coaches who want the IL method working in their practice now.
- ✓Those who intend to pursue the full certification and want to start where every IL coach starts.
What do you learn in the 3 days?
Level 1 teaches the Intelligent Leadership operating system: the Wheel of Intelligent Leadership, inner core and outer core development, assessment interpretation, and the coaching process that turns them into client work. You complete the MLEI yourself before arriving, then learn to read what it reveals in a leader.
- Pre
Before you arrive
You complete the Mattone Leadership Enneagram Inventory (MLEI) and an executive coaching self-assessment, so the program starts with your own inner core on the table. Inside-out transformation begins with the coach.
- 1
Day one: philosophy and framework
The core IL frameworks: the Wheel of Intelligent Leadership, inner core (character, values, self-concept) and outer core competencies, and leadership assessment interpretation.
- 2
Day two: process and application
The coaching process in motion: stakeholder engagement, gap analysis, and action planning. What you actually do in the room, session by session.
- 3
Day three: tools and business
Leadership storytelling, deployable coaching assets, and practice-building. You leave with material you can use with a client the following week.
3.5 hours per day, live with John. Recordings available.
21.75 Core Competency credits of the 22.25 ICF CCE total.
What Level 1 is not. It is not the full certification. Advanced diagnostic training, complex client scenarios, deeper inner-core coaching methods, and the Intelligent Leadership Master Coach designation belong to the later stages of the Master Journey. Level 1 earns 22.25 of the 150 ICF CCE units on the path to Master Level (192 in total with the optional training tracks). That gap is not a catch. It is the map.
Your pre-work
Your MLEI experience at Level 1
The Mattone Leadership Enneagram Inventory is the assessment at the center of the IL coaching process: it maps the inner core traits that drive a leader's outer core behavior. At Level 1 you do not just read about it. You work with it three ways.
- 1
Complete your own MLEI
You take the assessment before day one, so you experience the instrument exactly as your future clients will.
- 2
Master administration
At Level 1 you learn to administer the MLEI and read what it reveals about the inner core of a leader.
- 3
Deliver debriefs
You practice turning an MLEI profile into a debrief conversation, the opening move of a real coaching engagement.
What you earn
Level 1 ends with a credential, not a certificate of attendance: the Initial Mastery Certification, the first credential of the Intelligent Leadership progression.
Where does Level 1 lead?
Level 1 is the first of three stages in the Master Journey: Initial Mastery gives you the foundations, Advanced Mastery deepens your diagnostic craft, and Master IL Coach status places you in the inner circle of coaches considered for global JMG engagements.
1Level 1: Initial Mastery
3-day immersive, $2,500
2The Master Journey
Advanced mastery and mentor coaching
3IL Master Coach
150+ member inner circle
One ladder: 150 ICF CCE units to Master Level, plus 42 optional (192 total). See the full Master Journey
22.25
ICF CCE units at Level 1: Initial Mastery
71.25
ICF CCE units added through Advanced Mastery
56.5
ICF CCE units added at Master IL Coach
Each stage adds capability the previous one prepared you for. The three stages sum to 150 ICF CCE units at Master Level, and optional coach training (SalesMind Academy 32, Conflict Resolution 10) brings the total to 192, one of the highest counts in the industry. Investment is $2,500 at Level 1; for the stages beyond, book a call. The complete progression, tools, and community are mapped on the full Intelligent Leadership Coach Certification hub.
Who should start at Level 1, and who should not?
Start at Level 1 if you are testing the craft before a larger commitment, staging the investment deliberately, or adding the IL method to existing consulting or L&D work. Go straight to a conversation about the full certification if you are already committed to coaching as your next career.
Start at Level 1
Level 1 is the honest test drive. A senior leader exploring a second act finds out, in three days with John, whether coaching is the work they want. A consultant gains a named method without committing to the full progression on day one.
Book a Call →Skip the staging
If you already know where you are headed, skip the staging. Senior executives building a coaching career should read how the certification serves senior executives, then book the conversation.
How the certification serves senior executives →One honest exclusion: if you are comparing this against $500 online certificates, this is not your program. Level 1 is the first rung of an executive-grade progression, not a discount credential.
Level 1 investment, published in full
JMG, the only stage with public pricing, 2026
ICF CCE units earned at Level 1
ICF accreditation, 2026-02
Coaches certified in the IL method, across 55+ countries
JMG certification records, 2026
John Mattone: ranked the world’s #1 executive coach, six times (2019-2026)
Global Gurus, 2026
What does Level 1 cost, and what comes next?
Level 1 costs $2,500. That covers the 3-day immersive program taught by John Mattone, your own MLEI assessment and pre-work, and 22.25 ICF CCE units. Investment for the later stages of the Master Journey depends on your path; that conversation happens with a person, not a pricing table.
Publishing the entry price is deliberate. Proof over hype is an Intelligent Leadership value, and knowing the cost of the first step lets you decide from facts.
When you are ready to advance, or want the full progression mapped before you begin, book a call with the team. You will get program details, curriculum, and a straight answer on fit. No obligation, no pressure.
Start the Conversation
Whether Level 1 is your first step or you want the full Master Journey mapped before you begin, the conversation starts here.
- ✓Program details and curriculum
- ✓A straight answer on fit
- ✓No obligation, no pressure
Nicholas Mattone
CEO, John Mattone Global
Email nick@johnmattone.com or call +1 774-836-5010
Get Certification Details
Fill out the form below and we will send you everything you need to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Level 1 ICF-accredited?
Yes. Level 1 earns 22.25 ICF CCE units within an ICF-accredited program. The program's ICF-accredited curriculum covers the 125-hour education requirement for the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) via the Portfolio Path. The path to Master Level carries 150 CCE units, and optional coach training brings the total to 192.
Do I get a certification at Level 1?
Yes. You earn the Initial Mastery Certification, the first credential of the Intelligent Leadership progression, along with 22.25 ICF CCE units. It marks you as trained in the IL method, and it is the same starting point every Intelligent Leadership Master Coach passed through.
Can I continue to the full certification later?
Yes. Level 1 is the designed entry to the Master Journey, not a detour from it. Advancement to Advanced Mastery and Master IL Coach status is open to Level 1 graduates. Book a call to map your progression and the investment for the stages beyond Level 1.
When does the next Level 1 cohort run?
The next cohorts run July 28-30, 2026 and September 22-24, 2026: three consecutive days, live, taught personally by John Mattone. Seats are confirmed in your admissions conversation.
How long does Level 1 take?
Three days of immersive training, plus pre-work: you complete the MLEI assessment and an executive coaching self-assessment before the program begins. Compared with programs that stretch foundations across months of evening modules, the format is built for professionals who want the method working quickly.
Who teaches Level 1?
John Mattone teaches it personally. He has been ranked the world's #1 executive coach six times by Global Gurus (2019-2026), coached Apple's Steve Jobs, and built the method across 250+ organizations. At Level 1 you learn the Intelligent Leadership system from its author.