Yes. If you’re curious about emotional culture or emotional leadership but don’t know where to start, this is a great first step. You don’t need any prior experience with The Emotional Culture Deck or leadership development work.

This course is designed to guide you from the ground up — whether you’re a seasoned leader, a new manager, or someone simply looking to lead with more care and clarity.

No. This course is for anyone who leads — whether that’s a team, a project, a classroom, or a movement. Emotional leadership isn’t about job title. It’s about how you show up, relate to others, and create space for people to do their best work.

This 5-week interactive cohort course is designed to help you learn in-depth and then practice all the Emotional Leadership and Emotional Culture Deck skills and tools you will be introduced to in this course. Each week focuses on actionable tools you can apply immediately to your personal and professional life.

Course Details

• Duration: 5 Weeks
• Time Commitment: 2 hours per week (1-hour for self-paced lessons & challenges, 1-hour for live Course Conversation Calls)
• Weekly Conversation Calls: Led by an experienced ECD Certified Consultant with replays available if you miss them live.
• Optional Add-On: Physical Course Kit with Emotional Culture Decks.

Click here to read the course syllabus > 

You can complete the course by downloading and using the free ECD PDF, but we highly recommend using the physical Emotional Culture Deck cards.

The course is infinitely more engaging and effective with the physical cards and tools, providing a more interactive and profound learning experience. The tactile nature of the cards makes the conversations and activities real and interactive, making your learning journey much richer too.

When you enrol, you have the option to add a Physical Course Kit, which includes The ECD cards and additional tools. You can choose from the following options:

• Plus 1 Leadership Kit: Includes 1 Emotional Culture Deck + 1 physical Leadership Toolkit
• Plus 2 Leadership Kits: Includes 2 Emotional Culture Decks + 2 physical Emotional Leadership Toolkits
• Plus 5 Leadership Kits: Includes 5 Emotional Culture Decks + 5 Emotional Leadership Toolkits
• Plus 12 Leadership Kits: Includes 12 Emotional Culture Decks + 12 physical Emotional Leadership Toolkits 

What tools come in the Emotional Change Toolkit?

8 Printed ECD Tools:

• ECD Intention Setting Conversation Guide
• ECD Weekly Retro Conversation Guide
• ECD Emotional Contagion Conversation Guide
• ECD Know Yourself Handbook
• ECD Leadership Handbook
• ECD Difficult Conversations Handbook
• ECD Leadership Canvas
• ECD Reflect & Review Handbook 

Once the course begins, you’ll have 90 days to complete it.

Here’s how it works:

• The online cohort course runs for 5 weeks of structured cohort lessons, during which you’ll have weekly guidance and suggested activities.
• After the 5 weeks, you’ll have an additional 7 weeks to revisit the course materials and engage with the community at your own pace.

This gives you a total of 90 days from the course start date to complete all lessons, activities, and access the community. After this period, your access to course videos, materials, and the online community will end.

If you’d like ongoing access to the community, tools, and course content, you can choose to continue with paid membership of 99 USD per quarter.

What If I Don’t Complete the Course Within 90 Days? 

We understand that life happens, and sometimes, completing a course within 90 days isn’t possible. If you’re unable to finish for any reason, all you need to do is join as a paid member and you keep access for as ling as you remain a paid member. 

This ensures you’ll have the opportunity to revisit and complete your learning journey on a schedule that works for you.

Become an Official Elephant Rider 

Once you complete your first ECD Specialist Course, you become an Official Elephant Rider—for life. Even if you don’t continue as a paid member, you’ll always be part of our global community and recognised as someone who has completed an ECD Specialist Course.

After the Course: Your Membership Options 

Once your initial 90-day access ends, you can choose to remain a member of the Emotional Culture Community:

• Membership cost: 99 USD per quarter.

What you get as a paid member: 

• Perpetual access to the online course and its materials.
• Invitations to exclusive community events.
• Access to our growing library of tools, resources, and ongoing support.
• If you don’t remain a paid member, you’ll lose access to the online course, tools, and events—but you’ll keep your community profile and continue to be invited to local in-person Elephant Rider Chapter Meetups.

ECD Certification is a multi-stage process designed to build your expertise in emotional culture design.

You begin by completing one or more of our ECD Specialist Courses.

After completing these, you can progress to the Advanced ECD Consultant Training, where you will learn how to deliver ECD Specialist Courses and certify others.

Upon successful completion, you earn the prestigious ECD Certified Consultant status, which authorises you to train and certify ECD Practitioners.

Learn more about our ECD Certified Pathway here >

The Live Course Conversations Calls are scheduled on Thursday's New Zealand Standard Time (NZST) at 9:00 AM-10:00 AM. All live coaching calls will be recorded and made available for replay so you can access them at a time that works best for you, regardless of your timezone. 

Here’s how the 9:00-10:00 AM NZT (New Zealand Time) coaching session translates to other major timezones:

• Australia East Coast (AEST): 7:00 AM
• England (BST): 9:00 PM (previous day)
• Europe (CEST): 10:00 PM (previous day)
• USA East Coast (EDT): 4:00 PM (previous day)
• USA West Coast (PDT): 1:00 PM (previous day)

We realise these coaching times won’t be suitable for everyone, and it’s always a challenge to accommodate such a wide variety of time zones. But don’t worry! All sessions will be recorded and made available for replay, so you can catch up at a time that works best for you.

This Course is designed as a self-paced, cohort learning experience, distinct from traditional live online courses. This flexible format is designed to accommodate your unique pace and schedule, offering you the choice to engage with the course content as it suits you.

Imagine diving into the course material at your leisure – whether you're an avid learner who could complete the entire course within 3 to 5 hours or someone who prefers to absorb the lessons in smaller segments amidst other commitments. You are granted 90 days of access to all the course videos, allowing you to embark on this journey on your terms, right from the day the course begins.

While the core of the course is self-paced, we also offer guiding coaching through our optional live coaching calls. These are not your typical one-way webinars but are interactive, two-way Zoom calls where you can actively engage, ask questions, and connect with fellow Course participants. 

This unique blend of self-paced learning with the option of live interaction encapsulates our commitment to providing a flexible, engaging, and interactive learning experiences for our community.

Yes, all our ECD Specialist Courses can be delivered in-person by our Certified Consultants, who each bring unique experience and a hands-on approach to emotional culture. In-person courses offer an immersive learning experience tailored to the needs of your organisation. To find an ECD Certified Consultant near you and learn more about in-person course options, click here to find a consultant. Each consultant sets their own fees for in-person delivery, so be sure to contact them directly for more details.

This course is designed for everyone—whether you’re new to emotional culture or have prior experience. We guide you step-by-step on how to facilitate meaningful conversations around emotions and culture, making it accessible for all participants.

The Emotional Leadership Kit includes the following tools (value 281 USD):

• Know Yourself Handbook (value 43 USD)
• Leadership Handbook (value 43 USD)
• Reflect & Review Handbook (value 43 USD)
• Leadership Team Canvas (value 43 USD)
• Emotional Contagion Conversation Guide (value 22 USD)
• Difficult Conversations Handbook (value 43 USD)
• Weekly Retro Conversation Guide (value 22 USD)
• Intention Setting Conversation Guide (value 22 USD)

Digital Toolkit: When you enrol, you’ll receive PDF versions of all these tools as part of your Digital Toolkit. This allows you to print additional copies whenever you need them.

Physical Toolkit Add-On: If you choose to add on a Physical Leadership Kit during enrolment, you’ll receive printed and folded copies of all the tools plus The Emotional Culture Deck, ready to use right out of the box. This provides added convenience if you prefer a tangible, pre-prepared version of the materials.

While all ECD Specialist Courses share some crossover, each has a unique primary focus:

• Emotional Change Strategy: For those who lead, or are impacted by change.
• Emotional Leadership Development: For those working in leadership or leadership development.
• Emotional Stakeholder Engagement: For those managing relationships and partnerships with stakeholders or customers.
• Emotional Culture Crafting: For those responsible for shaping team or organisational culture.

Each course offers specific tools tailored to its focus, but all provide powerful emotion strategies for leading self, people and teams.

After completing the course, you’ll retain access to all materials for an additional 6 weeks, and your 90-day all-access pass to the Emotional Culture Community gives you ongoing support and networking opportunities. After this period, you can choose to extend your membership to continue accessing tools, events, and support. 

The cost of ECC (Emotional Culture Community) Membership is 396 USD per year (Save 20% when you pay annually). As a member, you’ll get access to a wide range of exclusive benefits designed to deepen your expertise and keep you connected to a global community of emotional culture practitioners. Membership includes:

• Full access to the ECD Tool Library: Over 130 tools and resources to help you solve workplace, leadership, change, and stakeholder challenges.
• Exclusive community events: Including Global Elephant Rider Meetups, ECD Unconference, Monthly Member Check-Ins, and Coaching Calls & Masterminds.
• Emotions & Work Webinars: Learn from seasoned academics and emotion experts about the science of emotions.
• Elephant Rider Speaker Series: Gain insights from practitioners through case studies and real-world applications of The ECD.
• Ongoing learning and support: Stay at the forefront of emotional leadership with continuous opportunities to connect, learn, and grow.

Membership provides a comprehensive platform for ongoing professional development, networking, and support in your journey as an emotional culture leader.

Whether you’re learning in a guided cohort or going at your own pace, you’ll get 90 days of access to the course materials, tools, and community from the day you enrol.

• Cohort learners: The course is designed to run over 5 weeks, but you’ll still have an additional 7 weeks to revisit lessons, catch up, and complete any activities.

• Start Anytime learners: You can set your own pace and complete the course in whatever rhythm works for you — as long as it’s within the 90-day window.

What If I Need More Time?

Life happens. If you don’t complete the course within 90 days, you’ve got options.

Keep Access by Becoming a Member

If you’re finding value and want to stay connected, you can keep access to the course by becoming an ECC Member for 99 USD per quarter.

This gives you:

• Ongoing access to all course content

• Continued entry to community events and tools

• The ability to complete the course in your own time

  You can cancel anytime before your 90-day period ends — no hard feelings.

When you enrol, you’ll choose either the Cohort-Based or Start Anytime version of the course. Both include self-paced learning — the key difference is whether you want live coaching and a shared group journey (Cohort-Based) or full flexibility to learn on your own schedule (Start Anytime).

You’ll need to pick one format when you enrol.

If you choose Cohort-Based and later realise you’d prefer the Start Anytime version, you’ll have the option to switch — just reach out to our team to discuss what’s possible.

This course is the first step in your journey to becoming an ECD Certified Consultant. After earning your ECD Leadership Practitioner Badge, you can continue along the ECD Certification Pathway, advancing through specialised courses and facilitating ECD Leadershgio workshops and gaining more in-depth knowledge. Each step brings you closer to earning your full Certified Consultant status and eventually progressing to Master ECD Leadership Consultant. For a detailed breakdown of the certification pathway, click here to read the full ECD Certification Pathway Overview.

Cohort-Based vs. Start Anytime

Two ways to learn. Same powerful outcome. 

Everyone learns differently. That’s why we offer two flexible formats for our ECD Specialist Courses — Start Anytime or Cohort-Based.

Both include practical tools, structured lessons, and self-paced video content. The difference?

How much structure, connection, and live interaction you want around that learning.

Cohort-Based Learning:

Self-Paced + Live Support

Want structure and real-time connection as you learn?

Cohort-Based courses blend self-paced lessons with live weekly sessions and shared momentum.

What to expect: 

• 5-week guided learning journey: Move through the content at your own pace, week by week.

• Live coaching calls: 60-minute interactive sessions with a mentor and group (replays available).

• Peer support: Connect with a global cohort, share reflections, and ask questions in real time.

• Flexible pace + fixed rhythm: Roughly 2 hours of learning per week, inside a shared journey.

Choose this if: 

You like self-paced learning with accountability, live support, and community built in.

Start Anytime Learning:

Fully Flexible, Go Solo

Need maximum freedom? Start Anytime gives you everything up front — no fixed timeline, no live calls — just you and the tools.

What to expect: 

• Enrol anytime, start right away 

• Go entirely at your pace: Spread it out or binge it. You’ve got 90 days.

• Self-guided journey: Short videos, activities, and practical templates for solo learning.

• Full toolkit access: Same lessons, tools, and structure — just on your timeline.

Choose this if: 

You want to learn independently, on your schedule, without waiting or syncing with a group.

Both formats are self-paced. 

One adds live momentum. The other gives you full freedom.

Either way, you’ll earn your ECD Certified Practitioner Badge and be ready to lead with emotion.

Two Ways to Learn: Cohort-Based or Self-Paced, Start Anytime 

We offer two flexible ways to learn, depending on your preferences and schedule: Cohort-Based Courses or Self-Paced Courses. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences to help you decide which format is right for you:

1. Online Cohort-Based Courses 

Best for learners who: 

•  Thrive in a structured learning environment.
• Want real-time interaction with peers and mentors.
• Appreciate live discussions and feedback.

Key Features: 

•  Fixed start and end dates: The course runs over 5 weeks, but you can move through the content at your own pace within that time.
• Weekly live Course Conversation Calls: Join 60-minute live sessions led by experienced ECD Certified Consultants. These calls are designed to:
  • Explore real-world applications of The Emotional Culture Deck.
  • Share insights, challenges, and ideas with a global community of learners.
  • Receive feedback from mentors and peers.
• 2-hour weekly time commitment: Expect to spend about 2 hours per week on videos, activities, and calls.
• 90 days of access: After the 5-week course ends, you’ll have an additional 7 weeks to revisit materials and engage with the community.
• Community support: Stay connected with mentors and peers throughout your 90-day cohort-based course learning journey.

Pricing: Typically higher than the Self-Paced option due to the added value of live calls, mentorship, and community engagement.

2. Self-Paced, Start Anytime Online Courses 

Best for learners who: 

• Need maximum flexibility to learn on their own schedule.
• Prefer to start right away without waiting for a cohort.
• Enjoy working independently at their own pace.

Key Features: 

•  Start anytime: Enrol whenever it suits you and begin learning immediately.
• Self-paced learning: Complete the course on your schedule, whether in a few days or over several weeks.
• 4-6 hours total time commitment: The course is broken into short, easy-to-follow video lessons with practical activities and small assignments.
• 90 days of access: You’ll have three months to complete the course and revisit key concepts as needed.
• Independent learning: While there’s no live interaction, you’ll still have access to a comprehensive toolkit and structured lessons designed for immediate application.

Pricing: Lower than the Cohort-Based option, as it doesn’t include live calls or ongoing mentorship throughout the 90-day cohort-based course.

Which Option is Right for You? 

•  Choose Cohort-Based if you value structured learning, real-time interaction, and direct feedback from experienced mentors.
• Choose Self-Paced if you need flexibility to learn at your own pace and want to start immediately.

Whichever option you choose, you’ll gain the tools and knowledge to lead with emotional intelligence and confidently apply what you’ve learned in real-world situations.

Still have questions? Reach out to us, and we’ll help you find the best path for your learning journey!

We designed the deck to help you reduce herd mentality and group think. We've been in too many workshops where the alpha male or female dominates the discussion and anchors the discussion by being either the first to speak or the loudest in the room. By giving everyone in a workshop their own deck, you allow both the introverts, extroverts and ambiverts all to contribute equally and you will be able to switch easily between individual reflection and group discussion. 

Yes, absolutely! You can still attend and fully participate in the weekly Course Conversation Calls, even if you haven’t completed the suggested lessons for that week.

These live sessions are designed to be flexible and inclusive, allowing you to:

• Engage with other learners on the course.
• Learn through live discussions, Q&A, and breakout room activities.
• Practice using the tools and concepts from the course, regardless of how far along you are in the lessons.

While completing the suggested lessons beforehand can enhance your experience, the calls are an open and supportive space where you’ll still gain valuable insights and practical knowledge to apply in your leadership journey.

The live weekly Course Conversation Calls are held every Thursday from 9:00 am to 10:00 am NZT, starting one week after the course begins.

We understand that this time won’t suit everyone who would like to join a cohort course. As a small (but mighty) growing team, we’re currently unable to offer more timezone options, but we’re always working toward expanding accessibility as we grow.

To help you plan, here’s what the call time translates to in other regions:

• Asia (Singapore, Hong Kong): Thursday, 4:00 am SGT/HKT
• North America (Los Angeles): Wednesday, 12:00 pm PST
• North America (New York): Wednesday, 3:00 pm EST
• Europe (London): Wednesday, 8:00 pm GMT
• Please check these exact times >

If you can’t attend live, all sessions are recorded and available for you to watch later. This way, you can still benefit from the discussions, Q&A, and activities at a time that works best for you.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we grow and improve!

Yes, this course is different from the Emotional Culture Crafting Course.

Here’s a quick overview of the difference:

• The Emotional Culture Crafting Course is designed to provide a broad introduction to The Emotional Culture Deck (ECD) and its many applications across various contexts, such as team culture, leadership, and stakeholder engagement. It’s the ideal starting point for anyone new to the ECD or looking to explore its versatility.
• The Emotional Leadership Development Course, however, focuses specifically on emotional leadership. It takes a deeper dive into how leaders can use The ECD to:
  • Build emotional self-awareness and resilience.
  • Establish emotional cultures for leadership teams and organisations.
  • Create leadership charters and define expected behaviours.
  • Influence trust, connection, and psychological safety through emotional intelligence.

This course is perfect for leaders, managers, and coaches who want a hands-on learning experience tailored to enhancing their emotional leadership skills and applying them directly in their workplace.

A Note About Our Course Evolution 

Until 2024, we only offered one online course—the ECD Online Masterclass. At the end of 2024, we introduced three new courses, called ECD Specialist Courses, each designed to tackle specific leadership challenges. The Emotional Leadership Development Course is one of these Specialist Courses.

If you completed the original Masterclass course before 2025, this course is your next opportunity to:

• Go deeper into The ECD’s uses and applications.
• Explore new tools, activities, and frameworks developed since the original Masterclass.

What About Other ECD Specialist Courses? 

Each Specialist Course focuses on a unique challenge, though there is some overlap in their foundations:

• Emotional Change Strategy Course: For those leading or impacted by organisational and personal change.
• Emotional Leadership Development Course: For those in leadership roles or working in leadership development.
• Emotional Stakeholder Engagement Course: For those managing and building relationships with stakeholders, partners, or customers.
• Emotional Culture Crafting Course (formerly Masterclass): For those responsible for managing and influencing team or organisational culture.

Each course comes with tailored tools, strategies, and workshop methods designed to meet its specific focus.

Learn More 

• Watch the course preview video on the landing page for a quick overview of what this course offers.
• Check out the Course Syllabus to understand the content and how it differs from other courses.
• For further details, our ECD Certification Pathway document provides deeper insights into all ECD Specialist Courses.

Still unsure? Reach out to us—we’re happy to help guide you!

While we don’t currently offer scholarships, for every cohort, we periodically run special scholarship opportunities and discounts. Keep an eye on our website or reach out to us directly for updates on upcoming scholarship options.

We’re always looking for ways to make our courses more accessible, so this may be something we explore in the future. For now, if you have any questions about pricing or course options, please don’t hesitate to reach out—we’d love to help!

Yes, upon successfully completing this course, you’ll receive an ECD Emotional Leadership Practitioner Certificate and a Practitioner Badge. This certificate demonstrates your training in using The Emotional Culture Deck to apply our Emotional Leadership tools.

Yes! After completing this course, you’ll be equipped with the tools, techniques, and confidence to facilitate sessions with your own teams, groups, or clients. The course provides you with a downloadable Leadership Toolkit, which includes workshop plans, templates, and materials you can use to run emotional leadership sessions. 

If your goal is to go even further and certify others or deliver this specific ECD Emotional Leadership Development Course or any of our other official ECD Specialist Courses, you can continue on the ECD Certification Pathway to become an ECD Certified Consultant. 

Only ECD Certified Consultants are authorised to deliver the official ECD Emotional Leadership Development Course (or any other ECD Specialist Courses) under our branding.

Let us know if you’d like more information about taking the next step after completing this course!

Our in-person courses are delivered by ECD Certified Consultants and Masters who’ve been endorsed to facilitate this course live. They bring their own style and experience, but the content, tools, and learning outcomes are the same. You’ll still earn your ECD Certified Practitioner badge and unlock the same certification pathway.

Pricing is set by each of our independent ECD Certified Partners and varies by location, group size, and format. Most courses range between 450–950 USD. You’ll also receive 90 days of access to our global Elephant Rider Community — including live events, tools, and support — just like online learners.