ECD Emotional Leadership Development Course - 11 June 2025

Become a Certified Emotional Culture Deck Leadership Practitioner!

This course is designed to enhance leadership development by equipping leaders with the tools to understand and manage emotional drivers and dynamics for themselves, their people and teams.

The course focuses on developing emotionally aware leaders who can effectively foster a positive workplace culture. Participants will engage in practical activities that promote self-awareness, team cohesion, and emotional intelligence, all grounded in The Emotional Culture Deck framework.

Game-Changing Leadership Development 

Harvard Business Review highlights emotional intelligence (EI) as essential for leadership success, shaping decision-making, team dynamics, and overall performance. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2023 report ranks EI skills—self-awareness, empathy, emotional regulation, and curiosity - among the top 10 most in-demand for the future. As workplaces grow more complex, the ability to lead with emotional acumen isn’t just beneficial - it’s vital. That’s where the ECD Leadership Development Program closes the gap. Designed to equip leaders with the emotional intelligence skills they need to inspire, engage, and navigate challenges effectively, this program helps turn leadership potential into lasting impact.

What to Expect

This hands-on course is designed for immediate application, ensuring that you can translate insights into action as soon as you return to your workplace

You can expect from this 1-day course experience:

• Active learning through interactive activities and group discussions.
• Learning how to use and embed our ready-made Emotional Culture Deck (ECD) Leadership Tools.
• Understanding the power of emotions in leading others effectively.
• Development of effective emotion-led leadership strategies.
• Exploration of personal leadership and team leadership
• Post course Follow Up Group Coaching Call

Who Should Attend?

The program is designed for a diverse range of professionals who want to enhance their leadership capabilities, foster a positive workplace culture, and drive meaningful change. It is ideal for:

• Organisation Development Managers: Focused on building adaptable, resilient organisational cultures through effective leadership
• HR Professionals and Business Partners: Who support and train their leaders to develop emotional intelligence within the workplace
• Coaches and Consultants: Specialising in personal and professional leadership development
• Project Leaders: Who oversee transitions and want to ensure they are carried out with emotional intelligence.
• Team Leads and Supervisors: Who manage day-to-day team dynamics and want to lead with a deeper understanding of emotional drivers.
• Aspiring and experienced Leaders: You could be a developing leader OR if you are an experienced leader who wants to deepen emotional intelligence understanding, then this is the course for you.

Whether you are leading initiatives within your organisation or providing expert advice to others, the Emotional Leadership Development Course provides the tools and insights necessary to develop more effective, emotionally aware leaders and teams.

What is Included in the Course?

Enrol and participate in the ECD Emotional Leadership Development Course and unlock a wealth of resources (valued over NZD$600) as well as become a Certified ECD Emotional Culture Deck Leadership Practitioner:

• ECD Emotional Leadership Toolkit - Valued at $400 NZD: Get this toolkit, filled with a selection of physical and downloadable resources designed for immediate impact.
• Your Own Emotional Culture Deck - Valued at $165 NZD: Receive your personal ECD, an essential tool for applying course principles in real-world settings, adding even more value to your toolkit.
• Exclusive 60-Minute Group Coaching Call: Enhance your course experience with a group coaching call, scheduled eight - nine weeks post-course. Hosted via zoom, this session provides an opportunity to solidify your learning, address any questions, and ensure you're applying your new skills effectively. Whether you attend live or watch the replay later, this call is a key step in your continued development.
• ECD Emotional Leadership Certificate of Practice: A formal acknowledgement of your dedication to enhancing your Emotional Culture Deck skills.
• 90-Day All Access Pass to our Online Elephant Rider Community – Valued at $175 NZD: By enrolling and completing this course, you gain 90 days of access to online ECD resources, expertise, and continued support, all designed to flip the traditional approach to change and leadership.
• Continued Learning Discount: Enjoy a 50% discount on your future purchases of The Emotional Culture Deck via Master Certified Consultant Denise Hartley-Wilkins

Your ECD Leadership Toolkit

You get access to a Leadership Toolkit (physical and digital) of practical, actionable tools that you will learn to apply during the course, ensuring you can implement what you've learned immediately and effectively within your teams or consulting practices.
Here's what's included, a comprehensive resources valued at $400 NZD:

• ECD Know Yourself Handbook:  a personal guide to help you pinpoint what makes you tick, react, and interact with others.
• ECD Leadership Handbook: a handbook that helps leaders to identify the emotional culture they want to intentionally craft and influence and use it to guide the way they show up and lead the people they serve.
• ECD Weekly Retro Check-in: one of our most simple and powerful tools that facilitates human conversations 
• ECD Conversation Guide - Intention Setting: an impactful and simple activity that gives a structured approach for people and groups to share and discuss their emotional intentions, leading to greater emotional intelligence and stronger relationships.
• ECD Difficult Conversations Guide: a reflective guide that helps you plan for, and facilitate difficult conversations in a way that builds trust and strengthens the relationship
• ECD Emotional Contagion Guide: as humans we are walking 'mood conductors'; this guide helps leaders identify, understand, and manage the emotions that drive them and their interactions and the impact on the people they lead.
• ECD Leadership Canvas and Workshop Plan: a strategic tool for leadership teams to visually map out and guide the emotional culture of their team or organisation. It's like a charter that captures the team's aspirations for their culture and how they want to lead.
• ECD Reflect and Review Canvas: a structured tool for teams and individuals to learn from past experiences, drawn on the lessons, and plan for the future. It fosters alignment within teams, ensuring a cohesive approach to tackling challenges and celebrating successes.

What is the Emotional Culture Deck?

The Emotional Culture Deck is the fastest growing game in the world for better workplace culture. It is currently used by over 400,000 people in over 55+countries.  It is a uniquely powerful way to create human conversations about what really matters in the workplace. It nudges vulnerability, builds empathy, creates connections and fosters trust within teams.

Click here to learn more about The ECD and watch the origin story video of the founder of riders&elephants sharing the story behind the game.

Who Uses The Emotional Culture Deck?

The ECD is trusted by some of the world’s largest and most successful organisations, including Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, educational institutions, and government agencies. From tech giants to healthcare providers, leaders across various industries

About the facilitator, Denise Hartley-Wilkins

Denise has been dedicated to championing better workplaces and working lives for the last 25 years.

A recognised expert in people and culture, Denise is an experienced executive coach and a skilled educator. Working globally at executive and board levels, she has helped to set the benchmark for excellence in leadership and people development.

As one of only four Master-Level Certified Emotional Culture Deck (ECD) Consultants and a mentor in the ECD community, Denise is among the most experienced ECD practitioners worldwide. Her expertise spans leadership development, team building, workplace culture, change leadership, conflict management, and employee experience.

She is a PCC coach with the International Coaching Federation and a qualified Team Coach practitioner with the Global Team Coaching Institute.

Denise is a former National President, and Distinguished Fellow of Human Resources Institute of New Zealand and a Chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (UK). You can find out more from her LinkedIn profile.

Will refreshments be provided during the workshop?

• Water is available through the day. 
• Coffee, tea and snacks will be available during morning tea break.  You will need to bring or buy your own lunch (a café is on site).