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Phases and processes: From nomination to award.
Phases and processes: From nomination to award.
The annual submission, qualification, nomination, and evaluation process for the ILD Leadership Awards follows a clearly defined, multi-stage procedure. All stages of the process are planned, coordinated, and supported by the award management team, which also monitors compliance with established quality and evaluation standards.
A company-specific participation package is provided for each nominee, containing all relevant information, documentation, and process steps pertaining to their nomination. The contents and requirements of the participation package are explained in greater detail during the nomination phase.
The submission phase marks the start of the annual award process. During this period, suitable leaders, entrepreneurs, and teams may be proposed for the ILD Leadership Awards.
Nominations may be submitted via the following channels, among others:
by mentors via the ILD website,
by members of the award jury,
by the award management team (in such cases, the award management team does not have voting rights during the subsequent evaluation of the proposed individual or team),
through recommendations from the Institute for Leadership Dynamics (ILD) network.
Important Information
Nominations may only be submitted within the submission period specified above.
Mentors (submitters) may use, for example, the contact form on the website or the email address (mailto:leadership-award_at_leadership-institute.de) for this purpose.
After the submission deadline has passed, proposals will only be considered in justified exceptional cases and at the discretion of the award management team.
Submitting a proposal does not create an entitlement to admission to the subsequent stages of the award process. Submitted proposals are first reviewed during the admission phase.
Legal Notice
There is no legal entitlement to the acceptance of submitted proposals, admission to the selection process, a nomination, or the granting of an award.
The organizers expressly reserve the right to reject proposals without stating reasons, to deny admission of applications to the process, or to refrain from making a nomination or granting an award. Recourse to the courts is excluded.
Upon receipt of a nomination proposal, the award management team contacts the mentor or submitter. A semi-structured interview is conducted to discuss the proposal jointly, ensuring a better understanding and appreciation of the leadership performance, the background of the nomination, and the submitted examples. At the same time, the subsequent stages of the award process and the requirements of the qualification phase are explained.
Qualification Requirements
To qualify for the subsequent selection process, the following requirements must be met:
Review of Eligibility
The award management team carefully reviews all submitted documentation regarding content, completeness, and plausibility, as well as the verifiability of the leadership achievements, practical examples, and references presented.
To further ensure quality, the award management team reserves the right to contact additional mentors, supporters, or selected references if deemed necessary for the evaluation of the nomination.
Should there be legitimate doubts regarding the integrity of the submitted information, or significant ambiguities that would prevent a fair and transparent evaluation, the award management team may request supplementary information or reject the nomination’s admission to the subsequent stages of the process.
Decisions regarding admission to the nomination process are made by the award management team at its reasonable discretion, based on the information provided and in accordance with the established eligibility criteria.
Admission Decision
Following the conclusion of the kick-off interview with the mentor (submitter)—and any supplementary discussions with supporters of the nomination, as well as a review of all admission requirements—the award management team makes the decision regarding admission to the subsequent stages of the award process.
The decision is based on the completeness and plausibility of the submitted documentation, the clarity and substantiation of the leadership achievements described, and fulfillment of the defined admission criteria.
The mentor (submitter) will be informed of the admission decision promptly. If admission is granted, the nominated individual proceeds to the subsequent nomination phase, and the next steps are coordinated jointly.
Legal Notice
There is no legal entitlement to the acceptance of submitted proposals, admission to the selection process, nomination, or the granting of an award.
The organizers expressly reserve the right to reject proposals without stating reasons, to deny admission to the process, or to refrain from proceeding with a nomination or award presentation. Recourse to legal action is excluded.
Following the completion of the eligibility check, the award management team fully compiles the confirmed nominations. This involves systematically consolidating and documenting all available rationales, references, practical examples, and supplementary information derived from the submitted documents and personal conversations.
The complete nomination dossiers are then made available to the respective award jury via the secure ILD Award portal, serving as the basis for the subsequent assessment and decision-making (evaluation) process.
During the nomination phase, the award management team contacts the nominated individuals to conduct a personal kick-off meeting (either online or in person). The aim of this meeting is to gain a better understanding of the nominee, their approach to leadership, their experience, and their motivations.
A semi-structured interview is conducted for this purpose. The insights gained are documented, verified with the nominee, and prepared in a standardized format for the award jury. This ensures that all jury members have a consistent, well-founded, and comparable basis of information for the subsequent evaluation phase.
Legal Notice
There is no legal entitlement to the acceptance of submitted proposals, admission to the selection process, a nomination, or the granting of an award.
The organizers expressly reserve the right to reject proposals without stating reasons, to exclude applications from the process, or to refrain from making a nomination or granting an award. Recourse to the courts is excluded.
Review of confirmed nominations and secret ballot to select award recipients by the independent external award jury.
Award Management: Award Management has the right to make proposals and is responsible for advising, coordinating, moderating, and documenting the annual selection and decision-making process (evaluation). In principle, Award Management does not have a vote in the final selection process, except in cases where the jury repeatedly fails to reach an agreement or in the event of a tie in the third round of voting (see below). Award Management requires jury members to maintain confidentiality and comply with data protection regulations.
If profiling methods are used, Award Management conducts results and feedback discussions with the nominees (an online feedback session lasting approximately two hours), prepares the results, and presents them to the jury.
Award Jury: The annual award jury reviews the confirmed nominations (shortlist), which are then re-examined during a “Final Call Meeting.” Only the award jury has voting rights regarding the final decisions. Awards are granted based on a two-thirds majority principle in the first round of voting. A simple majority principle applies in the second round of voting. If a third round of voting becomes necessary, Award Management (acting as a team) holds an additional vote to resolve potential ties. Jury members who also serve as mentors for confirmed nominations are not permitted to vote on those specific nominations. The award jury commits to maintaining confidentiality and complying with data protection regulations.
Legal Notice
There is no legal entitlement to the acceptance of submitted proposals, admission to the process, nomination, or winning the award. The organizers expressly reserve the right to reject proposals without stating reasons, to exclude applicants from the process, or to make no nomination. Recourse to the courts is excluded in this regard.
The announcement of the secret jury vote results and the ceremonial presentation of the ILD Leadership Awards take place annually in Berlin (tentatively scheduled for October 1, 2026). The aim is for all award recipients to attend the ceremony together with their mentors and experience this special moment in person.
Receiving the award in absentia is possible only in justified, exceptional cases. In such instances, the award management and the incumbent award jury reserve the right to postpone the presentation of the award to a later date.
Communication and marketing activities surrounding the award ceremony are carried out in close coordination with the key stakeholders—specifically the award recipients, their mentors, the nominators, and, where necessary, the members of the award jury—before, during, and after the event. We place particular importance on handling personal information and publications responsibly and in compliance with data protection regulations.
