Certified Leadership Practitioner
Overview
The Professional Leadership Standard
Recognition of Your Leadership Experience and Expertise
CLP is the professional benchmark for leaders in all sectors of the economy. Attaining CLP status is recognition of both your formal education and successful implementation of your leadership skills as demonstrated by your employment history. By becoming a CLP, you can:
- Define and communicate your leadership experience and expertise to potential clients and employers;
- Advance your leadership skills and knowledge through professional development and networking; and
- Help to promote the profession of leadership and increase the return on investment in your leadership journey.
Requirements
CLP: Certification Criteria
Every application to become a Certified Leadership Practitioner is individually assessed, however certified members usually possess:
- A recognised tertiary qualification in a business discipline (e.g. marketing, management, leadership) and five years' practical experience in a leadership or management role; or
- Ten years' practical experience in a leadership or management role if they do not possess a recognised tertiary qualification in a business discipline.
When assessing your application to become a Certified Leadership Practitioner, points are allocated for education, experience and acumen. The total number of CLP points that are attributed to a prospective CLP member will determine the level of certification that will be granted.
| Membership Level | Points Required | Post Nominal |
| Associate | 1000 | ACLP |
| Member | 3000 | MCLP |
| Senior Member | 5000 | SCLP |
| Fellow | 8000 | FCLP |
| Life Fellow | 15000 | LCLP |
This table is indicative only and may be subject to change. Some membership levels may require specific attributes in addition to the accumulated points; for example, applicants must also hold a doctorate or equivalent to be granted life fellow status.
CLP: Enhanced Standing
CLP members can enhance the standing of their membership over time by undertaking educational activities (such as continuing professional development or completing accredited tertiary qualifications), by demonstrating increased practical leadership responsibility (for example, following a promotion or appointment to a new role) or by providing evidence of increased leadership knowledge and acumen (for example, by having an article on leadership published in a peer-reviewed journal or making a presentation at a leadership conference).
| Professional Attributes (select highest only) | Educational Attributes (multiples allowed) | Acumen Attributes (multiples allowed) |
| 500 points Leading teams or projects | 50 points One-day leadership workshop | 500 points Present at a leadership conference |
| 1000 points Leading teams or projects for over 3 years | 750 points Undergraduate tertiary qualification | 500 points Receive leadership award |
| 2000 points Leading a business unit | 1000 points Graduate Certificate | 1000 points Publication in peer reviewed journal |
| 3000 points Leading a business unit for over 5 years | 1500 points Graduate Diploma | 1500 points Member of Board of Directors (< 200 Employees) |
| 4000 points Leading an organisation | 2000 points Masters Degree | 2000 points Teach leadership at a tertiary institution |
| 5000 points Leading an organisation for over 10 years | 5000 points Doctoral Degree | 3000 points Member of Board of Directors (>= 200 Employees) |
This table is indicative only and may be subject to change. There are many ways in which members can increase their total points and each application is assessed as a whole on its individual merits.
FAQs
A need was identified to recognise more than just the formal qualifications of leaders undertaken at accredited tertiary institutions. Leaders develop their skills throughout a lifetime journey that involves many leadership development experiences. The CLP Program provides leaders with opportunities to recognise, consolidate and communicate the many ways in which their approach has been developed throughout their leadership journey. Employment history and formal qualifications only tell part of the story – the CLP Program takes account of many more aspects of a leader’s journey and allows these to be easily communicated in a standard way to colleagues, clients and employers.
It costs $165 to join the program, which includes your first year’s membership. After the first year, an annual membership renewal fee of $165 applies. The annual renewal fee may be subject to change over time to reflect changes in the cost of administering the program, however any fee increases will be kept to the minimum required to provide the support that our members require.
The CLP program is not a course itself. It is designed to certify that the member is a leadership professional who meets a certain level of educational and experience criteria. Some potential members may be required to undertake further training or increase their leadership experience before being granted membership to ensure that they meet the required standards, however.
Please complete the online application form and upload the documentation requested on the form (e.g. résumé or CV and transcripts or certificates of educational awards — the application form provides instructions on how to upload these). We will be in touch within two business days to confirm the outcome of your application.
Anyone who is serious about a career in leadership can become a Certified Leadership Practitioner, as long as they can achieve the minimum number of points required for membership (1000 points). Some examples of members who would meet the 1000 point membership criteria include:
- Holds an undergraduate degree (750 points) and is a team leader (500 points);
- Has done 10 days of leadership workshops (500 points) and is a team leader (500 points);
- Has been a team leader for at least three years (1000 points);
- Holds a Graduate Certificate (1000 points) or higher qualification in a leadership-related discipline;
- Has been published in a peer-reviewed journal (1000 points);
- Has presented at a leadership conference (500 points) and has received a leadership award (500 points).
You would be eligible to take out Associate level membership by attaining 1000 points from any mix of the three categories of points (professional, educational and acumen), however higher levels of membership require a mix of points from several or each of the categories (for example, to reach the next level of membership titled “Member,” you must attain a total of 3000 points with at least 1000 professional points and 750 educational points.
Recognition: Becoming a Certified Leadership Practitioner provides a means of communicating to employers, clients and colleagues in a standard way your prowess as a leader and how far you have progressed in your leadership career. Your colleagues and clients can immediately determine that they are dealing with a leadership professional when they see that you are a Certified Leadership Practitioner. Once your application is approved, you will receive a framed certificate to display your affiliation or to add to your CV.
Respect: The professional working environment espoused by the CLP program provides a platform for leaders to showcase their achievements and promote their strengths to potential employers, clients and colleagues.
Support: The CLP program provides resources to help leaders become more effective in their roles and provides opportunities to network with other Certified Leadership Practitioners to form alliances, discuss initiatives and deal with leadership issues.
Applicants who already attain enough membership points will not need to take a course to join. If you fall short of the minimum point requirement or membership, you may be able to take a course that would add to your membership points and thereby make you eligible for membership. The CLP program takes account of all the relevant courses or other forms of development you have previously undertaken and considers these in conjunction with your employment history and other ways that you have demonstrated your leadership acumen to determine the number of points that will be allocated to your application and determine your level of membership. You will be required to undertake continuing development at least 25 hours per year or a total of 75 hours every three years to maintain good CLP standing. Many forms of development qualify for the continuing development requirement, including courses, conferences, seminars and self-study, amongst others. Be sure to keep detailed records of ay time spent on leadership development activity.
If you don’t meet all the requirements of membership, we would encourage you to still apply. Special consideration can sometimes be given to an applicant where they fall short in one area but exceed the requirements in other areas. If you still are not eligible for membership, we will advise what you would need to do to be eligible to join.
As well as paying the renewal fee from your second year of membership onwards (currently $165 per annum), you will need to undertake at least 25 hours of professional development each year or 75 hours every three years. Many activities qualify to meet the professional development obligation, including workshops, seminars, conferences and self-study, as long as the activity is related to the development of your leadership skills. Be sure to keep records of all professional development activity that you undertake.