Leadership and organizational behavior (Coursera)

Leadership and organizational behavior (Coursera)

Leadership is everywhere. It is involved in nearly every social action, in some form. Many people who have the potential to be leaders do not realize it. Many who become leaders do not know how to manage those responsibilities. Great leaders can inspire change; bad leaders can cripple their followers with stress and frustration. What differentiates these two is a clear vision, an effective plan, and knowledge of how people work.

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

In this class, you will learn the foundations of psychology at work, so that you can better understand others and guide them to shared goals. Along the way, you will answer these questions:

  • Why do you want to be a leader?
  • What kind of leader can you be?
  • How can you persuade and influence people?
  • How can you motivate and inspire people?
  • Whether you are a formal or informal leader.

What You Will Learn

  • Develop a style of leadership that is suited to your strengths and the needs of the situation.
  • Design tasks for yourself and others that are motivating and effective.
  • Communicate your perspective to others in a credible and persuasive way.

Course 1 of 3 in the Leadership and Critical Thinking Specialization

Syllabus

WEEK 1: Why do you want to be a leader?
WEEK 2: What kind of leader do you want to be?
WEEK 3: How can you persuade and influence people?
WEEK 4: How can you motivate and inspire people?

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

Related Courses

Liderazgo de equipos (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Liderazgo de equipos (Coursera)

En este curso, aprenderá cómo construir su equipo, mejorar el trabajo en equipo y la colaboración, y mantener el desempeño del equipo a través del aprendizaje y la mejora continuos. Específicamente, aprenderá las mejores prácticas para componer un equipo y alinear los objetivos individuales y del equipo. También aprenderá a establecer roles, construir estructuras y administrar la toma de decisiones para que su equipo sobresalga.

Oct 5th 2026
4 Weeks
Liderar equipes (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Liderar equipes (Coursera)

Neste curso, você aprenderá como construir sua equipe, melhorar o trabalho em equipe e a colaboração e sustentar o desempenho da equipe por meio de aprendizado e melhoria contínuos. Especificamente, você aprenderá as melhores práticas para compor uma equipe e alinhar as metas individuais e da equipe. Você também aprenderá como estabelecer funções, criar estruturas e gerenciar a tomada de decisões para que sua equipe se sobressaia.

Oct 5th 2026
4 Weeks
Moving the Needle at Work: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Moving the Needle at Work: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (Coursera)

This course aims to assist managers and aspiring leaders to better understand their own identity, enhance their awareness of their own needs and the needs of others, improve their ability to lead inclusive teams, and create safe and thriving workplace environments where a diversity of opinions and perspectives are welcomed.

Oct 5th 2026
4 Weeks
Business Implications of AI: A Nano-course (Coursera) Coursera
EIT Digital

Business Implications of AI: A Nano-course (Coursera)

In this course you will learn what Artificial Intelligence is, from a leaders point of view. How shall we, as leaders, understand it from a corporate strategy point of view? What is it and how can it be used? What are the crucial strategic decisions we have to make, and how to make them? What consequences can we expect if we decide on doing AI-projects and what kind of competences do we need? Where shall we start, and what could be a good second as well as third step? What implications for the organization can we expect? These are the questions answered in this course.

Oct 5th 2026
4 Weeks
Negotiation Fundamentals (Coursera) Coursera
ESSEC Business School

Negotiation Fundamentals (Coursera)

This course gives you access to negotiation practical tools and best practices gathered by Professor Aurélien Colson & his team from assignments in more than seventy countries and in a wide set of sectors, be they services, industry, high tech, or public organizations. In an interactive manner, this course will help you, among other topics: get prepared for any negotiation; avoid traps; know how to prompt value-creating partnerships; structure an effective negotiation sequence; bargain in an efficient and respectful manner; overcome deadlocks; and much more!

Oct 5th 2026
4 Weeks
Managers du changement (Coursera) Coursera
ESSEC Business School

Managers du changement (Coursera)

L’objectif de ce Mooc est de montrer aux managers le rôle clé qu’ils jouent dans les projets de changement. Ce Mooc donne des éléments de réponses concrets à la question « Comment manager le changement au quotidien avec son équipe ? ». Pour cela ce Mooc propose 6 séquences avec des analyses, des outils et de nombreux témoignages. Le contenu de ce Mooc est illustré par des témoignages de managers de l’entreprise COVEA.

Oct 5th 2026
1 Week
Liderazgo para el Siglo XXI: proyecto final (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad de los Andes

Liderazgo para el Siglo XXI: proyecto final (Coursera)

Este curso está diseñado para acompañarte en seleccionar un desafío personal de liderazgo y aplicar herramientas con las cuales realizarás experimentos y evaluarás el ciclo de diagnóstico y acción en tu tema. Asimismo, serás consiente de cómo en el proceso, el fracaso y la resiliencia te ayudarán a avanzar en tus restos de liderazgo. Al finalizar este curso estarás en capacidad de: Utilizar herramientas de diagnóstico y acción para avanzar en un proyecto de liderazgo propio; Practicar y profundizar el uso de narrativas y otras herramientas de comunicación (con uno mismo y con otros) para fortalecer el ejercicio personal de liderazgo; Desarrollar resiliencia, una habilidad que permite perseverar en proyectos de liderazgo.

Oct 5th 2026
4 Weeks
Organizational Analysis (Coursera) Coursera
Stanford University

Organizational Analysis (Coursera)

In this introductory, self-paced course, you will learn multiple theories of organizational behavior and apply them to actual cases of organizational change. Organizations are groups whose members coordinate their behaviors in order to accomplish a shared goal. They can be found nearly everywhere in today’s society: universities, start-ups, classrooms, hospitals, non-profits, government bureaus, corporations, restaurants, grocery stores, and professional associations are some of many examples of organizations.

Sep 28th 2026
5-12 Weeks
International Organizations Management (Coursera) Coursera
University of Geneva

International Organizations Management (Coursera)

This course provides an introduction to International Organizations and the United Nations, and explores how business and management tools can be applied in these settings to achieve better, more effective results. With a focus on cross-sector partnerships in a changing world, the course offers you insights into the inner workings of international organizations and the challenges they face today.

Oct 5th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Impact from digital transformation: A Nano course (Coursera) Coursera
EIT Digital

Impact from digital transformation: A Nano course (Coursera)

You believe that a lot of industries will fundamentally change due to digital power the upcoming 5 to 10 years? You believe that what often today have been called "disruption" might happen to an industry of your specific interest? You believe in the value of becoming able to predict how that kind of change will evolve in order to do digital transformation and thereby avoid ending up with big problems in the future? Then this course is for you.

Sep 28th 2026
4 Weeks
Leadership Through Social Influence (Coursera) Coursera
Northwestern University

Leadership Through Social Influence (Coursera)

This course will provide learners with a systematic general framework for analyzing persuasive influence situations. Learners will be able to identify different challenges faced by persuaders and to fashion appropriate strategies for addressing those challenges. The broad goal is to provide learners with not only an extensive persuasion tool kit, but also with an understanding of how different tools are useful in different situations.

Oct 5th 2026
4 Weeks
Women in Leadership: Inspiring Positive Change (Coursera) Coursera
Case Western Reserve University

Women in Leadership: Inspiring Positive Change (Coursera)

This course aims to inspire and empower women and men across the world to engage in purposeful career development and take on leadership for important causes - to lead change with more conviction and confidence - and improve our workplaces and communities for all. By offering more complex understandings of issues related to professional women and work, the course will help you increase self-knowledge about your own values and vision, as well as enhance your capabilities as a leader, manager, and team contributor. We will examine the opportunities, challenges, trade-offs, and organizational dynamics experienced by women in work organizations, as well as reflect on and practice effective individual behaviors.

Oct 5th 2026
5-12 Weeks