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

Surviving Disruptive Technologies (On Demand) (Coursera) Coursera
University of Maryland, College Park

Surviving Disruptive Technologies (On Demand) (Coursera)

The purpose of this course is to help individuals and organizations survive when confronted with disruptive technologies that threaten their current way of life. We will look at a general model of survival and use it to analyze companies and industries that have failed or are close to failing. Examples of companies that have not survived include Kodak, a firm over 100 years old, Blockbuster and Borders.

Jul 27th 2026
4 Weeks
Conversations that Inspire: Coaching Learning, Leadership and Change (Coursera) Coursera
Case Western Reserve University

Conversations that Inspire: Coaching Learning, Leadership and Change (Coursera)

Coaching can inspire and motivate people to learn, change and be effective leaders, among other roles in life. Although most attempts are “coaching for compliance” (coaching someone to your wishes or expectations), decades of behavioral and neuroscience research show us that “coaching with compassion” (coaching someone to their dreams and desires) is more effective.

Aug 3rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
La gestión de personas y equipos (Coursera) Coursera
IESE Business School

La gestión de personas y equipos (Coursera)

En una ocurrente frase, Peter Drucker, pionero en el campo de la gestión empresarial, afirmó en una ocasión que las personas tienen una tendencia perversa a comportarse como seres humanos. Con ello quería señalar algo que es evidente: que las personas no somos máquinas y, por ello, no somos programables. Sin embargo, sí que tenemos unas necesidades que satisfacer, y unas características comunes. Y conocerlas - qué motiva a las personas en el ámbito laboral, qué necesidades buscan satisfacer, y por qué - ayuda a entender mejor el comportamiento en las organizaciones.

Aug 3rd 2026
4 Weeks
Global Postharvest Loss Prevention: Fundamentals, Technologies, and Actors (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Global Postharvest Loss Prevention: Fundamentals, Technologies, and Actors (Coursera)

This course provides an overview of the issue of postharvest loss of grains by exploring essential physical, technical, and social dimensions of postharvest supply chains and loss prevention methods globally. Each year, estimates suggest that 1/3 of all food produced is lost or wasted, making postharvest loss a critical global food security and sustainability issue of today. Key knowledge areas are presented including: an overview of postharvest loss; supply chain activities such as harvesting, drying, and storage; economics and markets; an introduction to the network of actors working in this field.

Jul 27th 2026
4 Weeks
Understanding Korean Politics (Coursera) Coursera
Yonsei University

Understanding Korean Politics (Coursera)

This course will select six most outstanding issues in contemporary Korean politics and will engage in an in-depth, interactive inquiry of those issue. They include Korean politics in history, institutional setting of Korean politics, and dynamics of political culture in Korea, profiles of political leadership, myth and reality of the developmental state and the Korean economic miracle, and debates on Korean unification. The course will expose students to contending theories and empirical reality at first hand.

Aug 3rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Removing Barriers to Change (Coursera) Coursera
University of Pennsylvania

Removing Barriers to Change (Coursera)

What does it mean to truly change something? How does one persuade others to change? How do we reduce roadblocks to change? In this course, you’ll learn about the barriers to change and how to become more effective in inspiring change within others and your organization.

Aug 3rd 2026
4 Weeks
Emprendiendo en STEM (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad Austral

Emprendiendo en STEM (Coursera)

El objetivo de este curso es inspirar a las mujeres que están en el mundo de la ciencia, la tecnología, la ingeniería y las matemáticas (STEM, siglas en inglés) a descubrir su espíritu emprendedor y adquirir herramientas prácticas para la creación y el crecimiento de compañías. Se propone hacerlo a través de 6 módulos de formación en las habilidades básicas de un emprendedor para inspirarse y animarse.

Aug 3rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Women's Leadership: Boost your skills and drive change (Coursera) Coursera
Inter-American Development Bank - IDB

Women's Leadership: Boost your skills and drive change (Coursera)

In this course, you will be able to learn about the importance of female leadership in Latin America and the Caribbean for the growth and development of economies, democracies, and societies. It focuses on gender equality as a fundamental pillar for sustainable and inclusive growth in the region.

Aug 3rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Bridging the Gap between Strategy Design and Delivery (Coursera) Coursera
Brightline Initiative

Bridging the Gap between Strategy Design and Delivery (Coursera)

In today’s competitive business environment, organizations are facing unprecedented levels of change and disruption. Only 1 out of 10 executives based on a global survey admit that their organizations successfully deliver all of their strategic initiatives. This course will help you as a leader of your organization to bridge the costly and wasteful gap between strategy design and delivery.

Aug 3rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
idea 2 IMPACT: An Introduction to Translating Assistive Health Technologies and Other Products (Coursera) Coursera
University of Pittsburgh

idea 2 IMPACT: An Introduction to Translating Assistive Health Technologies and Other Products (Coursera)

idea 2 IMPACT (i2I) is an online, 6-week course that will guide you step by step through the experience of developing an innovative and entrepreneurial idea in the area of assistive technology (AT). Each week, you will focus on a stage of the translational process as you work in teams to identify a problem, analyze stakeholders, define a solution, describe its benefits, research the competition, articulate differentiators, and create an action plan.

Jul 31st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Lean Management Fundamentals (Coursera) Coursera
Starweaver

Lean Management Fundamentals (Coursera)

The Lean Management Fundamentals course is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of Lean principles and practices. Lean management is a systematic approach that focuses on eliminating waste, optimizing processes, and creating value for customers. This course will equip participants with the knowledge and skills to apply Lean methodologies in their organizations, leading to improved efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction.

Aug 3rd 2026
1 Week