Certification for business leaders
IFoBL is a cooperative of practitioners. We assess knowledge, application and leadership practice using our Leadership MOSAIC competence model.
We certify business leaders for business success.
For leaders
Independent evidence that you can really do the job. You demonstrate not only knowledge but, in the report and interview, also the ability to apply and transfer it.
Reflect on experience
You systematically put real, realistic or constructed project situations into context.
Demonstrate competence
Clear requirements, comprehensible criteria and respectful communication: your ability is assessed fairly and transparently.
Receive feedback
Individual feedback and deliberate reflection on your own leadership practice support learning and development.
Become visible
In addition to the certificate you receive a digital badge for LinkedIn and professional networks.
Project management certifications
The three certifications belong to the leadership field Project Management and build on the same competence model.
IFoBL PM Core
Career starters and people at the beginning of their leadership development
The entry-level certificate: foundational project management knowledge and an understanding of typical project situations.
IFoBL Business Manager
People responsible for a team, a product or a project
Sound knowledge and the ability to apply and transfer it, demonstrated in a written test, a report and an interview.
IFoBL Business Leader
Leaders with responsibility across team boundaries
Confirms your ability to lead complex projects successfully, make well-founded decisions and create lasting business value.
For organisations
Comparable requirements for project responsibility and leadership. Industry, organisation and role can be taken into account specifically.
Managed Certification Services
Your tailor-made certification: assessment modules matched to role and experience, put together to your requirements. On request we take care of recognition by standard holders.
Managed Training Services
Outsource the organisation of leadership training. We work like a travel agency: cost-optimised, in line with your procurement rules and without a service surcharge.
Standard Trainings
Project management fundamentals, PRINCE2®, Scrum, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, change management and design thinking: as open courses or in-house.
Leadership has many tasks. Which one is yours?
The leadership field describes the context of your leadership. The certification profile describes the requirements for your evidence of competence.
Line Management
Strengthening people. Developing teams.
Product Management
Recognising customer value. Shaping products.
Project Management
Connecting people. Realising undertakings.
Process Management
Connecting workflows. Improving effectiveness.
Innovation Management
Recognising possibilities. Enabling the new.
Change Management
Giving direction. Shaping change.
Bid Management
Understanding opportunities. Shaping bids.
Claim Management
Clarifying claims. Negotiating solutions.
Risk Management
Assessing uncertainty. Deciding deliberately.
Project Management Office
Creating an overview. Connecting project work.
More than an exam
Many certifications check whether candidates know methods, terms or processes. We want to understand how leaders actually act in complex project situations. That is why the process consists of reflection, evidence of knowledge and a personal conversation.
Applies to Business Manager and Business Leader. PM Core is an online assessment.
Reflective Experience Paper
You reflect on a real or realistic leadership situation: starting point, decisions, approach, results and insights.
Written Test Paper
A written test on the relevant TILEs with practice-oriented questions.
120 minutes
Leadership Interview
In a structured interview you discuss your experience and decisions with the assessors.
Leadership is built from many elements
The IFoBL Leadership MOSAIC™ (Model Of Strategic And Integrated Competencies) describes the full set of competencies of successful business leaders. No single competence makes a leader successful. Only their interplay gives the complete picture.
General
Understanding the context.
Placing strategy, culture and general conditions in context. Recognising interests and understanding what decisions mean for the organisation.
Methodical
Enabling impact.
Choosing suitable approaches, making goals concrete and shaping implementation. Using methods that fit the task and the situation.
Social
Connecting people.
Building trust, enabling collaboration and dealing with tension constructively. Taking responsibility together.
Individual
Leading oneself.
Reflecting on one’s own actions, taking other perspectives and acting with clarity and reliability.
We are business leaders ourselves
From energy, IT, plant engineering, services, adult education and aerospace. What unites us is decades of teaching and examining alongside our professional work. This is how we came to realise that there is no one-size-fits-all approach and no standard is a cure-all.
IFoBL is a cooperative: self-help, self-responsibility, self-administration. Regardless of the number of shares, every member has one vote. A cooperative cannot be sold or taken over.
Before the first step
What does the certificate confirm?
That you meet the competence requirements of the chosen certification profile in your leadership field. What counts are the defined assessment criteria and evidence requirements.
Which profile is right for me?
The starting point is your leadership task, your field and your existing competencies. The role examples help with a first orientation; the actual assignment follows the profile requirements.
Can the process be adapted individually?
Yes. In certain areas the certification can be adapted to customer requirements, industries or organisational contexts without compromising the comparability and integrity of the assessment.
Can an organisation use the approach for several leaders?
Yes. Leadership requirements and development needs can be described with one shared model. The certification assesses individual competencies against the requirements of the respective profile.
What do you want to achieve with your leadership?
Tell us about your task. Together we clarify the leadership field, the certification profile and the next steps.