In this course, you will discover the importance of understanding context and its impact on the individual as a leader. You’ll consider how you define leadership and explore how organisations work through an exploration of the “what” and “why” of your own working environment. You will also look at who stakeholders are and their important role in today's business, before discussing the differences between leadership and management, and the importance of credibility.

This course is aimed at leaders and managers who have five to six years experience and who are beginning to manage teams, customers and clients more regularly or more directly. A majority of those taking this course will have a technical or professional early career, but are progressing professionally so are starting to grapple with the issues of team and organisational leadership. By the end of this course, you will be able to: – Describe the context in which your organisation operates. – Identify common challenges related to leadership. – Explain how leadership is impacted by the nature of how organisations are structured in order to deliver their goods or services. – Identify the key stakeholders in your leadership constellation. – Work effectively with your key stakeholders. – Explain the difference between leadership and management. Many topics covered in the course are also explored in the instructors book How to Lead Smart People (Mike Mister and Arun Singh, Profile Books 2019).