Institute for Leadership Development

What Institute for Leadership Development does

The Institute for Leadership Development (ILD) is a Berlin-headquartered professional services firm specializing in leadership development, negotiation training, and ethical leadership consulting. It was founded by Dr. Rasmus Tenbergen (MPA, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government), who serves as Managing Director alongside Dr. Sebastian Lorenz. The firm operates through an integrated three-pillar model — Verhandlung (Negotiation), Führung (Leadership), and Ethik (Ethics) — unified by the proprietary 'Leadership by Negotiation' methodology. Service delivery combines in-person workshops, one-on-one executive coaching, and organizational consulting, with a small team of nine credentialed practitioners distributed across offices in Berlin, Munich, Bielefeld, Weinstadt, Esslingen, and Bernau.

ILD's product portfolio includes the Harvard-method-based Verhandlungstraining (negotiation training), Online-Verhandlungscoachings (virtual coaching introduced around the Corona crisis), the Verhandlungs-Bots interactive learning tool, the Political Advocacy and Leadership multi-media program developed for the German Government's Future Investment Program, and the annual NQ Verhandlungswettbewerb (negotiation competition featuring Siemens and Daimler teams). The firm also publishes Dr. Tenbergen's salary negotiation guide 'Gehaltsverhandlungen führen' via Amazon and Haufe. Revenue is generated primarily through quote-based, customized training, coaching, and consulting engagements with corporate, government, non-profit, and individual clients, supplemented by book sales and online programs.

Name

Institute for Leadership Development

Legal name

Institute for Leadership Development

Website

https://ifld.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ILD is a Berlin-based professional services firm founded by Dr. Rasmus Tenbergen that delivers negotiation training, executive coaching, and ethical leadership consulting to corporate, government, non-profit, and individual clients across Germany and Europe, anchored by the proprietary 'Leadership by Negotiation' methodology and a nine-person expert practitioner team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Leadership Development and Professional Training Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Conflict Management, Negotiation & Difficult Conversations (EDABAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH)

Keywords

• Leadership development training
• Executive coaching services
• Negotiation training programs
• Organizational consulting services
• Ethical leadership advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Training Services: In-person and virtual training programs on negotiation, leadership, and ethics for corporate clients and individuals.
2. Executive Coaching: One-on-one coaching and advisory services for executives and leaders in business, politics, and society.
3. Consulting Services: Organizational development, strategy development, and change management consulting engagements.
4. Publication Sales: Sale of publications including 'Gehaltsverhandlungen führen' (salary negotiation guide) as a pocket book via Amazon.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Institute for Leadership Development (ILD) delivers professional training, executive coaching, and consulting services across three interconnected practice areas: Negotiation (Verhandlung), Leadership (Führung), and Ethics (Ethik). Offerings include Harvard-principled negotiation training, individualized executive coaching, organizational and change-management consulting, online negotiation coaching, the proprietary "Leadership by Negotiation" methodology, the multi-media "Political Advocacy and Leadership" educational program, the interactive Verhandlungs-Bots learning tool, and the annual NQ Negotiation Competition. The firm also publishes and distributes the salary-negotiation guide "Gehaltsverhandlungen führen" through Amazon.

Product overview

The Institute for Leadership Development (ILD) is a leadership development and training organization that operates as a single integrated offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings center on three interconnected working areas: negotiation training (Verhandlung), leadership development (Führung), and ethics in leadership (Ethik). The institute provides a range of services including in-person and online negotiation coaching, training programs, and consulting. Key products include the Political Advocacy and Leadership multi-media educational program, the Leadership by Negotiation methodology, the Verhandlungs-Bots interactive learning tool, and the NQ Negotiation Competition. The three core areas are designed to be interconnected, with a focus on 'Leadership by Negotiation' as the unifying concept, emphasizing that effective leaders must be skilled negotiators. Services are delivered through training sessions, coaching, and consulting engagements, with offerings available in Germany and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Verhandlungstraining (Negotiation Training) Negotiation training program grounded in the Harvard Principled Negotiation approach, designed for corporate clients, government bodies, and individuals seeking to achieve win-win outcomes through structured negotiation techniques.
• Leadership by Negotiation Proprietary leadership development methodology developed by Dr. Rasmus Tenbergen that integrates negotiation, leadership, and ethical considerations, asserting that a good leader should be a skilled negotiator to unlock an organization's full potential.
• Political Advocacy and Leadership Multi-media educational program developed by Dr. Rasmus Tenbergen for the German Government's Future Investment Program, covering political advocacy and leadership concepts and delivered to companies, universities, and other organizations.
• Online-Verhandlungscoachings (Online Negotiation Coaching) Virtual one-on-one and group coaching sessions providing negotiation guidance and support through online platforms, offered before, during, and after the Corona crisis to maintain continuity of negotiation training.
• Verhandlungs-Bots (Negotiation Bots) Interactive AI-driven learning tool that lets users learn negotiation skills through conversational bots guiding them through negotiation scenarios and techniques, accessible via the ILD website.
• Coaching und Beratung (Executive Coaching and Consulting) Specialized individualized coaching and consulting service providing tailored support for executives and organizations in developing leadership techniques and negotiation skills, with engagements typically structured around specific client objectives.
• NQ Verhandlungswettbewerb (NQ Negotiation Competition) Annual national negotiation competition (NQ®) organized by ILD in cooperation with corporate partners such as Siemens and Daimler, where teams compete in structured negotiation exercises to test and showcase negotiation skills.
• Gehaltsverhandlungen führen (Salary Negotiation Guide) Published pocket guide (Haufe TaschenGuide) authored by Dr. Rasmus Tenbergen on how to conduct salary negotiations, sold through Amazon and Haufe as a tangible reference publication for individual professionals.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of BonncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research and teaching partnership under a formal cooperation agreement. ILD works with the university for research and educational activities in leadership development.
• Forum for Creative LeadershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Forum for Creative Leadership (Führung 9 punkt 0®) network of leadership trainers and consultants. Joint course programs and network collaboration.
• Harvard UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Rasmus Tenbergen holds an MPA from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government
• German Government - Future Investment ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated 'Political Advocacy and Leadership' multi-media educational concept for the Future Investment Program of the German Government, delivered to companies, universities, and other organizations

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Black Swan Group: Boutique negotiation training firm founded by former FBI lead hostage negotiator Chris Voss. Closest analog to ILD's negotiation-training practice: similar methodology-first positioning, Harvard-rooted content, and an emphasis on training and coaching individual executives and corporate teams.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Nonprofit research and leadership development institution offering executive coaching, programs, and assessments. Mirrors ILD's leadership-by-experience teaching philosophy and academic-to-corporate training funnel at much larger scale.
• Haufe Akademie: Germany's leading corporate training provider, publishing house and seminar business — the dominant domestic competitor for ILD's negotiation, leadership, and ethics training mandates across German-speaking enterprises.
• Harvard Program on Negotiation (PON): Harvard-affiliated research and executive education program — the academic source of the Harvard Principled Negotiation method that ILD explicitly teaches. Comparable as a negotiation-only training and publishing entity serving executive and policy audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with large leadership development and executive coaching practice. Sells very similar executive leadership and development services as ILD but at massive scale, often bundled with talent and executive search.
• Development Dimensions International (DDI): Global leadership and talent development firm offering training, coaching, and assessment products. Competes with ILD for corporate leadership-training budgets via standardized, scale-priced programs.
• Simon-Kucher & Partners: Global consulting firm specializing in pricing, sales, and negotiation strategy. Overlaps with ILD on negotiation advisory for senior executives but operates at very different scale and breadth of services.
• Egon Zehnder: International executive search and leadership advisory firm with a deep executive coaching practice. Comparable to ILD's senior-level coaching and leadership advisory for political and corporate clients.
• IMD Business School: Switzerland-based executive education provider delivering MBA, executive MBA, and leadership programs. Comparable in the leadership and negotiation executive-education category for senior executives, particularly in DACH-region European corporates.
• INSEAD Executive Education: Top-tier European business school with a large executive education portfolio including leadership, negotiation, and organizational change programs — addressing the same senior cohort that ILD targets but at institutional scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-leadership-development_2

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Leadership Development