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Leadership

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Leadership

This course is part of Professional Success Skills Specialization

Instructor: Gies College of Business, University of Illinois

11,158 already enrolled

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3 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

155 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

3 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

155 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Describe different decision-making processes, including the pros and cons of each approach.
Recognize ethical components to managerial decisions, including common ethical decision-making traps.
Identify the traditional/waterfall approach to project management.
Recognize emotionally intelligent leaders.

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

10 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Professional Success Skills Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 3 modules in this course

In this course, you will develop and strengthen your capacity to lead and recognize leadership exhibited by others in your organization. The professional business skills related to leadership gained through this course will help you to succeed working in any organization.

This module starts with a course introduction, then will introduce different types of decision-making processes and will highlight some common decision-making biases that can affect managers, including a number of ethical decision-making traps.

What's included

11 videos5 readings1 assignment1 peer review1 discussion prompt

11 videosTotal 59 minutes

Meet Professor Elizabeth Luckman2 minutes
Course Introduction1 minute
Meet Professor Michael Bednar2 minutes
Meet Professor Geoffrey Love3 minutes
Introduction to Decision Making in Organizations4 minutes
Rational, Boundedly Rational, and Intuitive Decision-Making10 minutes
Biases in Human Decision Making10 minutes
Prospect Theory and How Losses Loom Larger than Gains9 minutes
Ethical Decision Making Traps7 minutes
Rationalization5 minutes
Ethical Decision Making Tests6 minutes

5 readingsTotal 94 minutes

Syllabus10 minutes
About the Discussion Forums4 minutes
Updating Your Profile10 minutes
Module 1 Readings60 minutes
Module 1 Glossary10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Decision-Making and Ethics: Quiz30 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Decision-Making and Ethics: Peer Review Assignment60 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Getting to Know Your Classmates10 minutes

In this module, you will learn about the life cycle of a project when using the traditional model for project management. Why is it called waterfall, and how does that dictate the process? The focus will be on the first state of the project life cycle, project initiation.

What's included

21 videos3 readings9 assignments

21 videosTotal 115 minutes

What is a Project?8 minutes
Waterfall Approach to Project Management3 minutes
Initiating a Project7 minutes
Meet Our Expert - Harshad Desai2 minutes
Insight from an Expert on the Waterfall Approach2 minutes
Stakeholder Management10 minutes
Meet Our Expert - Garrett Whitsitt1 minute
Insight from an Expert on Managing Stakeholders3 minutes
Project Scope11 minutes
Scope Example7 minutes
Project Priorities14 minutes
Insight from an Expert on Project Priorities2 minutes
Work Breakdown Structure9 minutes
Insight From an Expert on the Importance of Planning5 minutes
How to Use Sticky Notes to Create a Work Breakdown Structure3 minutes
Introduction to Project Libre - Mac3 minutes
Introduction to Project Libre - PC2 minutes
Creating a Work Breakdown Structure Using ProjectLibre5 minutes
Organizational and Team Structure11 minutes
Meet our Experts - Sean Bauer and Andrew Howard3 minutes
Insight from an Expert on Structuring the Project Team5 minutes

3 readingsTotal 80 minutes

Module 2 Readings60 minutes
Module 2 Glossary10 minutes
ProjectLibre and Excel Files Used in Examples10 minutes

9 assignmentsTotal 110 minutes

Waterfall Approach - The Basics: Quiz30 minutes
What is a Project? Practice Quiz10 minutes
Initiating a Project Practice Quiz10 minutes
Stakeholder Management Practice Quiz10 minutes
Project Scope Practice Quiz10 minutes
Scope Example Practice Quiz10 minutes
Project Priorities Practice Quiz10 minutes
Work Breakdown Structure Practice Quiz10 minutes
Organizational and Team Structure Practice Quiz10 minutes

This module starts by defining leadership, then introduces key components of effective leadership.

What's included

9 videos1 peer review

9 videosTotal 56 minutes

Defining Leadership for Today's World10 minutes
Self-Awareness in Leadership9 minutes
The Emotionally Intelligent Leader5 minutes
Making Effective Decisions4 minutes
Making Ethical Decisions10 minutes
Communicating for Trust Development7 minutes
Motivating Yourself and Others5 minutes
Growing as a Leader5 minutes
Concluding the Course1 minute

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Applying Leadership Fundamentals60 minutes

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Instructor

Instructor ratings

(46 ratings)

Gies College of Business, University of Illinois

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

19 Courses140,903 learners

Offered by

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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Reviewed on Jan 29, 2026

This was a clear and well-written reflection with good insights on leadership.

Reviewed on Dec 7, 2022

Very well prepared, informative and knowledgeable Coursera course on Leadership skills.

Reviewed on Jul 8, 2025

Leadership fundamentals identify the process and meaning of different types of decision-making techniques.

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