Leading with Heart, Inc. · Coach Education & Credentialing

Training, Certification & Growth for Professional Coaches

Advance your professional coaching practice with ICF-accredited continuing education, habit change certifications, hands-on residency supervision, and next-generation AI leadership tools. Built on 29+ years of master executive coaching, our curriculum equips coaches to partner with high-stakes leaders with empathy, purpose, and psychological rigor.

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Led by Dr. Jeff Kaplan, PhD, MBA, MCC, Founder & Master Certified Coach
Former President, ICF Philadelphia · 10,000+ Hours Executive Practice

ICF CCE: Accredited training hours toward ACC, PCC, and MCC renewal
42 Hours: Comprehensive Habit Change Coach Training curriculum
2½ Days: Intensive Leading with Heart Level I Coach Certification
24/7 AI: Leading with Heart AI Coach platform integration for modern practices

Key Takeaways for Professional Coaches

Coach Challenging Leaders with Confidence: Acquire psychological frameworks and language to coach defensive, reluctant, or highly analytical executives through high-stakes transitions.
Master the Science of Habit Formation: Move beyond motivational talk. Our proprietary Habit Change Model gives you an evidence-based roadmap to overcome the 7 Barriers to Change.
Supervision, Community & Ethics: Through our Coach Residency, receive regular group supervision, peer case analysis, and deep exploration of coaching ethics, self-care, and fulfillment.
Embrace the Future with AI Integration: Learn how to complement your high-touch human coaching with our 24/7 AI Coach platform to provide client support between sessions.

Our ICF-Accredited Coach Programs

Designed for practicing executive coaches, internal organizational coaches, and experienced HR business leaders seeking advanced developmental credentials.

Level I Certification · 2½ Days

Leading with Heart Coach Level I Training & Certification

During this intensive 2½ day certification program, you will acquire practical tools for coaching challenging leaders and mastering difficult conversations for yourself and your clients. Learn directly from seasoned MCC coaches and senior HR leaders.

Coaching resistant and defensive executives effectively
De-escalating conflict and facilitating hard three-way conversations
Administering and debriefing the proprietary LwH-360™ assessment
Prerequisite: 5+ years professional coaching or senior HR experience

ICF Aligned · 42 Hours

Habit Change Coach Training

A 42-hour transformative program developing professional coaching skills fully aligned with ICF core competencies. Learn our proven habit change model and evidence-based strategies to help clients dismantle the 7 Barriers to Change.

Neuroscience and psychology of workplace habit formation
Overcoming the 7 Barriers to Change (triggers, inertia, beliefs, etc.)
Extensive peer coaching practice with immediate faculty feedback
Recorded session reviews and ICF competency alignment

Community & Supervision

Coach Residency Program

Empowers practicing coaches to deepen their personal presence and expand their corporate impact through hands-on residency experience, group supervision, and confidential case presentations.

Monthly group supervision and peer case consultation
Exploration of coaching ethics, complex boundaries, and dual relationships
Coach self-care, somatic presence, and burnout prevention
Ethical practice expansion and high-value business development

Next-Gen Technology

Leading with Heart AI Coach Integration

Learn how to integrate 24/7 AI-powered leadership guidance into your coaching packages. Grounded in Dr. Kaplan’s proprietary frameworks, our AI coach provides coachees with immediate support between scheduled human sessions.

Continuous leader support at a fraction of traditional delivery costs
Seamless hybrid delivery: human master coaching + 24/7 AI reflection
Maintains ethical boundaries and client privacy guidelines
Workshop training on prompt craftsmanship and AI coaching ethics

Alignment with ICF Core Competencies

All Leading with Heart training programs are structured around the International Coaching Federation (ICF) updated core competency model.

ICF Competency Domain	How Leading with Heart Deepens Your Mastery
1. Demonstrates Ethical Practice	Navigating complex corporate boundaries, multi-stakeholder sponsor conflicts, and coachee confidentiality with utmost integrity.
2. Embodies a Coaching Mindset	Developing somatic awareness, humility, and ongoing reflective practice through peer supervision and residency case analysis.
3. Establishes & Maintains Agreements	Facilitating clear three-way stakeholder alignment meetings between leader, sponsor, and coach with measurable milestone criteria.
4. Cultivates Trust & Safety	Creating deep psychological safety that invites vulnerable self-reflection, especially when coaching defensive or skeptical leaders.
5. Maintains Presence	Staying centered and non-judgmental during high-tension emotional expressions, organizational crises, or difficult feedback loops.
6. Listens Actively & Evokes Awareness	Hearing what is left unsaid; utilizing Dr. Kaplan’s 5 Heart-Centered Tenets to reveal underlying values, fears, and assumptions.
7. Facilitates Client Growth	Applying the Habit Change Model to help clients establish concrete behavioral routines and sustain accountability on the job.

Learn from Master Certified Coaches

Our faculty blends decades of university-level instruction with real-world executive boardrooms.

Dr. Jeff Kaplan, PhD, MBA, MCC

Founder & Lead Instructor · Master Certified Coach (MCC)

Dr. Jeff Kaplan has practiced executive coaching for nearly three decades, coaching thousands of executives and training hundreds of coaches. A former President of the ICF Philadelphia chapter and adjunct faculty member, Dr. Kaplan is dedicated to raising the standard of heart-centered coaching worldwide.

Read Dr. Kaplan’s full story →

What Coaches Say About Our Programs

“Working with Jeff and the Leading with Heart team gave me the practical tools and psychological depth I needed to transition from coaching mid-level managers to working with senior executives. The Habit Change Model is something I use in almost every client engagement.”

Clare Sautter, MS, PCC Executive Coach & Coaching Supervisor, Saint Joseph\'s University

“The Coach Residency program provided a rare, supportive space to dissect complex client cases, address ethical dilemmas, and reflect on my own presence as a coach. It has made me a substantially more grounded, effective practitioner.”

Sarah B. PCC Certified Executive Coach & Organizational Consultant

Where Our Coaches & Alumni Deliver Impact

Frequently Asked Questions by Coaches

Do these programs count toward ICF credential renewal or advancement?

Yes. Our Habit Change Coach Training (42 hours) and Level I Certification provide Continuing Coach Education (CCE) units recognized by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) toward ACC, PCC, or MCC credential renewal or advancement in Core Competencies and Resource Development.

What are the prerequisites for the Level I Coach Certification?

The Level I program is designed for professional coaches, internal corporate coaches, and senior HR business professionals who have at least 5 years of relevant coaching or talent development experience.

How is the Habit Change Coach Training delivered?

The 42-hour program is delivered virtually via live interactive cohorts over 10 to 12 weeks. Sessions include conceptual lectures, live demonstration coaching by MCC faculty, triad breakout practice, and debriefing.

What is involved in the Coach Residency program?

The Coach Residency is an ongoing practitioner community that meets monthly for group supervision, case consultation, and master classes on advanced topics like coaching ethics, spiritual grounding, somatic presence, and business building.

How does the AI Coach tool integrate with my existing practice?

We provide our certified coaches with licensed access to the Leading with Heart AI Coach platform. You can offer it to your executive coachees as a continuous reflection and accountability partner between your scheduled 1-on-1 sessions, increasing client retention and outcomes.

Explore Other Services

Discover our corporate solutions for managers and HR departments.

Services For Managers & Leaders

Targeted 1-on-1 coaching packages, 11 modular skill training programs, and proprietary LwH-360™ feedback for frontline to executive leaders.

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Services For HR Professionals

Turnkey coaching bench management and HRBP coaching skills training with approved HRCI recertification credits.

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Ready to deepen your coaching practice?

Connect with Dr. Jeff Kaplan and our faculty to learn about upcoming cohorts, registration dates, and curriculum details. Call 610-279-4805 or email admin@leadingwithheart.com.

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Or email admin@leadingwithheart.com