The Leadership Excellence Certification is currently under review by CPD and IACET. Once that review has been completed and accreditation confirmed, participants will be able to count the programme towards their continuing professional development.

The certification is also aligned with the principles of ISO 45003, the global standard for psychological health, safety, and wellbeing at work.

Yes. Participants who complete all courses and knowledge checks within a pathway will receive a Dharma Academy pathway certificate.

The three pathway certificates are:

• Performance Leadership Certification
• Leading in the Modern World Certification
• Personal Mastery Certification

You will receive Dharma’s Leadership Excellence Certification once you have successfully completed all three pathway certifications.

This recognises your ability to lead others effectively, lead through complexity and change, and lead yourself with greater confidence, resilience, and self-awareness.

No. The Leadership Excellence Certification is issued by Dharma Academy, not by ISO or BSI.

The programme is aligned with the principles of ISO 45003 because Dharma Centre for Workplace Wellbeing has been appointed by the British Standards Institution (BSI) as an Associate Consultant for ISO 45003. This alignment gives the learning experience a strong foundation in psychological health, safety, wellbeing, and sustainable performance at work.

Each course has been designed to be practical, focused, and manageable for busy professionals. Lessons are short-form and typically take no more than five minutes to complete, while each course can be completed in approximately 50 minutes.

Each pathway contains around five hours of learning content in total. Participants who choose to complete the full Leadership Excellence Certification will have access to approximately 15 hours of content across all three pathways.

Because the programme is fully self-paced, members can complete the learning in a way that fits around their professional and personal commitments.

The programme is delivered entirely online through the Dharma Academy. It is self-paced, allowing members to learn at a time and pace that works around professional and personal commitments.

Members can choose to complete courses in one sitting or progress gradually over time.

Yes. The Leadership Excellence Certification is accessible 24/7 across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.

For a more seamless learning experience, members can also access both the courses and the Dharma Community through the native Dharma Academy app. This makes it easy to continue learning, revisit content, ask questions, and stay connected to the community wherever it is most convenient, whether at work, at home, or while travelling.

Yes. Each course includes knowledge checks designed to reinforce key learning points and help members confirm their understanding before progressing.

These assessments are practical and relevant to real leadership situations. They are not designed to feel overly academic or difficult for the sake of it.

The Dharma Community is a professional learning space for members of the Dharma Academy.

It gives participants a place to continue learning beyond the courses, ask questions, share reflections, and connect with other professionals who are developing healthier, safer, and higher-performing workplace cultures.

Learning does not end when a course is completed. Throughout the year, members can return to the Dharma Community for guidance, reflection, and practical support as they apply the learning in real workplace situations.

Members can ask questions about both the course content and its practical application.

Yes. The Dharma team monitors the community and provides ongoing support to help members make sense of the content and apply it with confidence.

Where appropriate, questions may also be addressed by Dharma subject-matter experts and professional partners.

Yes. Throughout the year, the Dharma team will host regular live webinars where members can ask questions, explore key leadership topics, and receive practical guidance on applying the learning in real workplace situations.

These webinars will also be recorded, so members who are unable to attend live can watch them later at a time that suits them.

No. Members can also use the community to explore real leadership challenges, reflect on workplace situations, share ideas with other professionals, and access fresh insight and practical resources throughout the year.

The purpose is to help turn learning into meaningful leadership action.

Membership includes unrestricted access to the full Leadership Excellence Certification for one year.

This includes all three pathways, all 15 courses, video lessons, written guides, knowledge checks, pathway certificates, access to the Dharma Community, and ongoing support from the Dharma team.

The Leadership Excellence Certification is offered as an annual membership, giving participants full access to the complete learning experience and Dharma Community throughout the year.

Yes. If, within seven days of joining, you feel that the Leadership Excellence Certification is not right for you, you can easily cancel your subscription and receive a full refund.

Membership is provided for a 12-month access period. Refunds are not issued after the initial seven-day period, including partial refunds for any unused portion of the annual.

Yes. We understand that not every professional has access to employer-funded development. 

To make this certification more accessible to you, the Dharma Academy offers a limited number of scholarships for reduced-rate places for self-funded professionals who are committed to developing practical, relevant capabilities for today’s workplace. Please fill out this application to apply. 

The Leadership Excellence Certification is designed for people managers, team leaders, future leaders, HR professionals, project managers, and high-potential employees.

It is particularly relevant for professionals who want to strengthen their ability to lead people effectively in a workplace shaped by change, AI, hybrid working, wellbeing pressures, and increasing complexity.

Yes. Organisations can provide access to individual leaders, selected talent groups, management cohorts, or wider leadership populations.

The programme is designed to complement existing leadership development, rather than requiring organisations to replace programmes they already use.

Yes. Dharma Academy offers team access options for organisations that want to provide the programme to multiple employees.

Team licences can be tailored according to the number of participants, the organisation’s leadership priorities, and the level of support required.

Yes. The programme has been designed specifically as a modern, practical complement to traditional leadership development.

It helps organisations build capability in areas that are often underdeveloped in conventional programmes, including psychological safety, inclusive leadership, accountability, resilience, belonging, AI-driven change, and leading hybrid teams.