Inclusive Leadership: The Power of Workplace Diversity (Coursera)

Inclusive Leadership: The Power of Workplace Diversity (Coursera)

This course will equip and empower you to be a highly inclusive leader. You will learn principles, perspectives and practices that help to reap the power of workplace diversity. Workplace diversity has expanded beyond traditional demographics such as gender, race, and ethnicity. Those categories always will matter. In today’s workplace, diversity also encompasses nationality, religious background, sexual orientation, age, ability, experience, and diversity of thought, among other characteristics. Leaders will need to consider all of these aspects of diversity – among all stakeholders. That includes current and prospective employees, customers, clients , students, peers, and anyone else with whom a leader interacts.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Employees are expecting - if not demanding - equal opportunities and work/life balance. They want to work in environments where others value and respect their unique skills and experiences. They seek contexts where they have a strong sense of belonging, where they can “be themselves.” They want their distinct perspective to be heard. As researchers Bernadette Dillon and Juliet Bourke asserted, meeting those expectations necessitates “a new capability that is vital to the way leadership is executed.” That capability is inclusive leadership, which this course defines as “Processes of social influence that strive to value and respect everyone involved in achieving a goal.” Everyone includes members of non-dominant and dominant groups. You will learn six signature traits of inclusive leadership: Commitment, Courage, Cognizance of Bias, Curiosity, Cultural Intelligence, and Collaboration. These traits are based on groundbreaking global leadership studies by Deloitte University researchers Bernadette Dillon and Juliet Bourke. You will explore a wide range of traditional and timely topics. Examples include listening, feedback, inclusive meetings, emotional intelligence, belonging, microaggressions, and micro-affirmations.
The course is designed for current or aspiring leaders in ANY type of organization or institution – working in formal or informal roles, to achieve ANY type of goal. In addition, four Spotlights illuminate these special topics: The Workplace, Privilege, Implicit Bias, and Power. Each module has video lessons, a quiz, and a summary of key concepts. Each lesson includes 1-2 discussion prompts, self-reflections, assigned materials, and optional materials that allow you to delve more deeply into the lesson. In addition, a Resources section for the course shares a wealth of information and insight to further expand your learning.
I’m so glad that you chose this course. Best wishes for a productive and enjoyable learning experience.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Inclusion Matters
In this module, you will learn perspectives on inclusion. We will explore the meanings of inclusion and why inclusion is important for promoting workplace diversity. The lessons will provide a foundation for becoming a highly inclusive leader. The first lesson offers a definition of inclusion. The second and third lessons deepen this definition by describing and giving examples of four factors of inclusion (belonging, uniqueness, equity, and non-discrimination). The fourth lesson explains how organizations benefit from inclusion. It also defines diversity in the workplace. And, it discusses the relationship between inclusion and diversity. The module concludes with a Spotlight on The Workplace. Please note that the Resources section of our course has a glossary of key concepts from this module.

WEEK 2
Inclusive Leadership Matters
In this module, you will learn perspectives on inclusive leadership. The first lesson reviews traditional theories of leadership and offers the definition of leadership that we will use in our course. The second lesson explains how we define inclusive leadership. The next two lessons delve into self-awareness, a crucial aspect of inclusive leadership. The module concludes with a lesson on the benefits of inclusive leadership and a Spotlight on Privilege. Please note that the Resources section of our course has a glossary of key concepts from this module.

WEEK 3
Six Signature Traits of Highly Inclusive Leaders
In this module, we will explore six signature traits of inclusive leadership. Researchers Bernadette Dillon and Juliet Bourke conducted a large-scale international project to study how leaders around the world were responding to changes related to inclusion. They identified six signature traits of highly inclusive leaders. The first lesson provides an overview of the six traits. The next lessons offer an overview of each trait and explain how inclusive leaders enact those traits. The module concludes with a Spotlight on Implicit Bias. Please note that the Resources section of our course has a glossary of key concepts from this module.

WEEK 4
Communication and Inclusive Leadership
In this module, we’re going to explore a variety of communication practices related to the six signature traits of inclusive leaders. Communication refers to the wide variety of ways that humans share meaning with one another, including communicating with oneself! Each lesson in this module provides information and ideas for how to communicate inclusively - how to show others that they are valued and respected. In the first lesson, we will explore a few communication topics that are especially relevant to members of non-dominant groups in the workplace. The following lessons delve into various communication topics, including intrapersonal communication, listening, microaggressions, micro-affirmations, feedback, and inclusive meetings. The module concludes with a Spotlight on Power. Please note that the Resources section of our course has a glossary of key concepts from this module.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Fundamentals of Effective Team Management (Coursera) Coursera
Starweaver

Fundamentals of Effective Team Management (Coursera)

Welcome to our comprehensive course on team management! In today's dynamic and interconnected world, the ability to lead and manage teams effectively is a critical skill for success in various professional domains. This course has been thoughtfully designed to provide you with the knowledge, strategies, and tools necessary to excel in team management. Throughout the program, we will explore various aspects of team leadership, from building high-performing teams to fostering a culture of trust and productivity.

Sep 21st 2026
1 Week
An Introduction to Consumer Neuroscience & Neuromarketing (Coursera) Coursera
Copenhagen Business School

An Introduction to Consumer Neuroscience & Neuromarketing (Coursera)

How do we make decisions as consumers? What do we pay attention to, and how do our initial responses predict our final choices? To what extent are these processes unconscious and cannot be reflected in overt reports? This course will provide you with an introduction to some of the most basic methods in the emerging fields of consumer neuroscience and neuromarketing. You will learn about the methods employed and what they mean. You will learn about the basic brain mechanisms in consumer choice, and how to stay updated on these topics. The course will give an overview of the current and future uses of neuroscience in business.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector, Nonprofit Organizations, Nonprofit Leadership and Governance (Coursera) Coursera
The State University of New York

Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector, Nonprofit Organizations, Nonprofit Leadership and Governance (Coursera)

This course introduces you to the nonprofit sector, nonprofit organizations, and the concepts of leadership and governance. While this course has been developed with North American culture in mind, we do appreciate that in other parts of the world the nature of the nonprofit sector, nonprofit organizations, nonprofit leadership and governance may not be the same. Nevertheless, it is our hope that much of the course content will still be of value to those in other parts of the world.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace (Coursera) Coursera
ESSEC Business School

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace (Coursera)

Diversity is a fact. It is also paradoxical. We need to be capable of seeing and hearing differences in order to reap the benefits of diversity. But seeing and hearing differences hone our discriminating reflexes and can also lead to discrimination. If you take this MOOC, you will: 1. understand this paradox, 2. understand its dynamics, and 3. identify ways to manage it, so that you can better channel the diversity potential in the workplace for greater performance and innovation.

Sep 14th 2026
4 Weeks
Organisational behaviour: Know your people (Coursera) Coursera
Macquarie University

Organisational behaviour: Know your people (Coursera)

Organisations have changed and now, more than ever, personnel management is crucial to organisational success. In this course you’ll explore a range of concepts, theories and methodologies that will help you navigate and optimise your work environment. Via structured learning activities (video lectures, quizzes, discussion prompts and written assessments) you will be exposed to the latest best-practice leadership strategies to enable your employees to achieve more at work.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Subsistence Marketplaces (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Subsistence Marketplaces (Coursera)

The foundation for this course lies with unique synergies between pioneering research, teaching, and social initiatives through the Subsistence Marketplaces Initiative. Unique to this approach is a bottom-up understanding of the intersection of poverty and the marketplace. The goals of this course are to help you develop an understanding of marketplace activity in the radically different context of subsistence where much of humanity resides and survives, and for you to design solutions that can be implemented by individuals, businesses, and social enterprises through economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable products for subsistence marketplaces.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Diversité et inclusion sur le lieu de travail (Coursera) Coursera
ESSEC Business School

Diversité et inclusion sur le lieu de travail (Coursera)

La diversité est une réalité indéniable dans le monde d'aujourd'hui. Les mouvements de femmes, le militantisme pour les droits civiques, Black Lives Matter, la mondialisation et bien d'autres encore ont tous contribué à attirer l'attention sur l'importance de la diversité et de l'inclusion. Les questions de diversité occupent systématiquement les deux faces d'une même pièce. D'une part, les mouvements sociaux ont historiquement mis en lumière les inégalités subies par les femmes et les groupes minoritaires. D'autre part, la diversité apporte des perspectives différentes et potentiellement nouvelles, qui peuvent être source d'innovation et de changement.

Sep 21st 2026
4 Weeks
Ethical Leadership Through Giving Voice to Values (Coursera) Coursera
University of Virginia

Ethical Leadership Through Giving Voice to Values (Coursera)

This course offers an action-oriented introduction to Giving Voice to Values (or GVV), an exciting new approach to values-driven leadership development in the workplace, in business education and in life. GVV is not about persuading people to be more ethical, but instead it starts from the premise that most of us already want to act on our values, but that we also want to feel that we have a reasonable chance of doing so effectively.

Sep 14th 2026
4 Weeks
Introduction to Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

Introduction to Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Coursera)

We will introduce methods to perform systematic reviews and meta-analysis of clinical trials. We will cover how to formulate an answerable research question, define inclusion and exclusion criteria, search for the evidence, extract data, assess the risk of bias in clinical trials, and perform a meta-analysis.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Management Foundations in the Hospitality Industry (Coursera) Coursera
University of North Texas

Management Foundations in the Hospitality Industry (Coursera)

This course is an introduction to motivation, leadership, communications, decision making, and leading people through effective management of human resources (HR), ethics, social responsibility, and managing consumer experiences in the hospitality industry by examining service-driven management foundations.

Sep 21st 2026
4 Weeks
The Factors that Influence the Effectiveness of Boards and the Governance Process (Coursera) Coursera
University at Buffalo,The State University of New York

The Factors that Influence the Effectiveness of Boards and the Governance Process (Coursera)

The third course in this Specialization introduces you to the factors that influence how effective boards of directors will be in carrying out their roles and responsibilities and hence the impact they have in shaping the success of the organization they govern. While this course has been developed with North American culture in mind, we do appreciate that, in other parts of the world, the nature of the factors that influence the effectiveness of nonprofit boards of directors may vary. Nevertheless,it is our hope that much of the course content will still be of value to those in other parts of the world.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks
International Leadership and Organizational Behavior (Coursera) Coursera
Università Bocconi

International Leadership and Organizational Behavior (Coursera)

Leaders in business and non-profit organizations increasingly work across national boarders and in multi-cultural environments. You may work regularly with customers or suppliers abroad, or be part of a globally dispersed cross-functional team, or an expatriate manager on an international assignment. You may be a member of a global online community, or a development aid worker collaborating with an international network of partner organizations. In all of these contexts, your effectiveness as a leader depends on how well you understand and are able to manage individual and collective behaviors in an intercultural context.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks