Free Leadership Courses & Certifications

The u.lab: Leading From the Emerging Future course by edX and MITx will help introduce the learners to leading a profound personal, environmental, and social transformation. Amidst the climate changes, COVID-19 pandemic, and global protests against racial injustice, it is important to develop the capacity to lean into the future. Developing compassion and courage in the face of fear and prejudice is the need of the hour. 

Participants of this course will be trained in this new method developed by MIT, called Theory U. It will teach the learners how to lead changes in government, business, and civil society contexts worldwide. u.lab will guide the participants in applying Theory U to their personal matters and building their capacity to lead a transformative change in the process. Participants will develop a new approach to social and environmental challenges. They will learn the art and practice of deep listening, gathering data by listening, how to stay connected with their deeper sources of inspiration, and how to address deeper root issues. Participants will be capable enough to work towards the well-being of others as well as themselves.

The ‘Educational leadership’ online certification course is offered as a massive open online course to enhance the significance of leadership in educational organizations that leads them towards development. The students are given an opportunity to discuss the tools and techniques to gain leadership skills within the context of an educational institution. This free online course is provided by the Swayam online portal and the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL). This elective course is approved by the All India Council for Technical Education and is conducted for eight weeks through an online virtual environment.

The course instructor for this program is Prof. Atasi Mohanty from the center for education technology at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. The candidates of this training will acquire theoretical and practical knowledge of the concepts of educational management and administration. The students of the ‘Educational leadership’ online training program are given the certificate and credit points for this humanities and social sciences program.

Leadership and Team Effectiveness Certification will discuss understanding by leadership, who is the leader? What type of leadership can a person do or perform? And what a leader has to perform as a leader of the group. 

Also the difference between a manager and a leader: who is a manager? His job in planning, organizing, leading, and controlling and how a leader performs the job of a leadership activity will be taught in the course.

Leadership and Team Effectiveness Classes aim to explain the patterns of leadership roles for team effectiveness in noneconomic organizations compared to economic organizations.

All enrolled candidates get a Leadership and Team Effectiveness Certification from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) under the Swayam Initiative by the Government of India. 

The Management - Becoming an Effective Leader program is an introductory-level training from the business and management field. The eight-week-long course focuses on what makes a successful and efficient leader. If candidates devote at least five to ten hours of their time to the program every week, they should complete it comfortably. 

The edX online Management program provides an all-encompassing framework, including the critical roles and responsibilities of a manager. These include planning, leading, organizing, and controlling operations. Students will also get familiar with the significance of managerial decision-making, and its influence in an organization. The curriculum aims at exploring the science and art of management.

Nebraska’s first liberal arts private institution, Doane University, provides the Management - Becoming an Effective Leader certification training through edX. Stephanie LaPuma, with over 12 years of professional experience, teaches the students. The edX certification, available at a fee, boosts your career advancement opportunities and acts as an excellent incentive to complete the training. 

The learners can take the programme in a self-paced mode via two different tracks; verified and audit track. The audit track is for the leaners who want to take the course free of cost till a specified date. 

The Tsinghua University based course on Leadership in a New Era A Course at Tsinghua SEM by McKinsey certification is an amateur level program that will give enormous insights into the new themes and trends of business functions. The candidate will be exposed to real and prominent business practices and gain first-hand knowledge from a global perspective. The course will bring many executive leaders such as CEOs from several organizations into a face to face interaction with students. Leadership in a New Era A Course at Tsinghua SEM by McKinsey Course will cover insight on several business functions ranging from finance, marketing organization to strategy, operations, and sustainability. 

The student will get to adopt the field-and-forum principle for learning and will be equipped with the knowledge to use real-life practices in decision making and problem-solving. Leadership in a New Era A Course at Tsinghua SEM by McKinsey Course duration will be for a good amount of 8 weeks and will be available in two languages for video transcripts. It will be an intermediate level course and the students may need to have knowledge of business administration.

The Leadership and Influence course by edX helps the candidate to acquire skills such as being a good leader and believing in oneself. The course has been designed in such a way that it brings out the leadership qualities within oneself. It would also help the participants to achieve a goal. 

Upon the completion of the leadership and influence course, the candidates will be able to build up their own tool of strategies. The course involves decision forums, assignments, quiz and evaluation at the end of the course. All the terminologies have been well elaborated and explained.  The team of tutors have designed exercise which will help individuals pinpoint their problems in daily life. 

The candidate will be given a verified certificate once they complete the course successfully. This certificate will be a power booster to the CV in terms of getting salary hikes, better posts in the job or creative and effective team.

The programme of The Essence of Leadership: Explorations from Literature provides a significant learning chance for all the individuals interested to learn skills related to leadership quality. The duration of this Essence of Leadership: Explorations from Literature training course programme is 7 weeks. The programme is designed by the IIMBx in collaboration with the platform of edx. 

The course of The Essence of Leadership Explorations from Literature is a virtual learning course. Participants interested in pursuing this course curriculum should invest 2-4 hours each week.  The Essence of Leadership: Explorations from Literature certification course curriculum is a self paced online learning venture. The programme offered here is an intermediate course. Participants will learn all the skills for acquiring great leadership skills by correlating the methods and concepts from the areas of literature. 

The candidates will learn about how to manage different situations. Learners will learn about the different aspects of leadership and management from the stories created in the literature. This Essence of Leadership: Explorations from Literature training course consists of basic understanding and concepts from classic literature. Verified certification for this course curriculum is available after completing the Essence of Leadership: Explorations from Literature training course. Aspirants who are interested in achieving verified certification have to pay the course certification fee.

Learners of the Innovation Leadership online course will become guides and innovation leaders of the 21st Century. Taught by Dr Bill George- Former Medtronic Chair and CEO, the Georgia Institute of Technology offers the online programme. Learning packages for corporate training are also available.

With three learning modules based on illustrative charts, reflection essays, exercises, and discussion topics, edX’s Innovative Leadership course aims at an intermediary study level. Students can avail English transcripts and video recordings of the class, enabling self-paced learning. The syllabus supports self-exploration of motivations, leadership skills, and purpose towards innovation.

Students become adept in the principles and practices of innovation and leadership to grow innovative ideas. Driven by personal examples and illustrations, this six-week Innovative Leadership course by edX originates from a Business and Management subject perspective. Candidates can opt for an opportunity to highlight their achievement with a verified certificate by paying the necessary fee.

The u.lab: Leading Change in Times of Disruption course has been thoroughly designed to ensure that the candidates are able to fully grasp all the basics of theory U. Considering the lack of self-understanding is one of the most prominent hindrances in one’s professional aspects of life, this course by edX, in association with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been rigorously designed, keeping in mind the depth & impact of the topic. 

The u.lab: Leading Change in Times of Disruption certification course can act as a perfect getaway for anyone desiring a total personal transformation. The course, on an introductory level, thoroughly talks about the impact of the awareness-based systems change, so that the candidates can gradually develop their own ideas into real-world entities & change. The candidates will understand various real-world applications of theory U. With the addition of personalized issues, candidates will get to be an important part of the global community.

Today’s fast-paced world puts forward several challenges that require us to be flexible at all times. These challenges affect various aspects of the social structure, including communities, businesses, organizations, and even our families. The Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles MOOC at edX will enable you to gain the necessary leadership skills to create a positive impact.

The Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles online certification program at edX aims to teach leadership’s fundamental principles so that you can persuade people to face challenging problems and generate the aptitude to flourish through the risks that accompany change. You will also discover schemes for leading in a dynamic world where adoption is crucial.

Through the learnings of HarvardX & edX’s Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles course, you will become adept at passing prudent judgments on tasks you face as a leader. Moreover, you will explore various means to address complicated organizational systems effectively to maximize team output. In collaboration with Harvard University, the curriculum features the institution’s trained instructor who’ll disburse the learnings across a span of four weeks.

There are two options for you to pursue the online programme, namely, paid and free modes. In the former, you will have unlimited access and a certificate of completion. In the latter mode, you will have access only for a limited duration. 

Many people who have the potential to become great leaders, never realise it. On the other hand, many people who become leaders fail to rise to the occasion and manage the responsibilities that come with the leadership position. A great leader should know how people work, have a clear vision and an effective plan, and should be able to inspire change. You can learn all that and more with the Leadership and Organizational Behaviour certification course. 

The Leadership and Organizational Behaviour online course will challenge you to explore who you are and who you could be as a leader. In just four weeks, this programme will help you develop your leadership style, depending on your strengths and the ability to adapt your behaviour according to the prevailing situation.

The Leadership and Organizational Behaviour training programme will enable you to apply basic psychology principles at the workplace. That way, you will better understand the people around you and guide them towards your shared goals. There’s also a chance of receiving a course completion certificate for candidates who wish to advance their career, at the expense of a small fee. The candidates can learn the course either by paying the fee or free of cost. In the free mode, they will have access to the course only for a limited period. 

Leadership is often seen as a tool to increase productivity, but it must be used to create a positive environment that can help people flourish and perform better. Leadership focused on Human Flourishing Online Certification by Edx aims to create a new form of leadership that focuses on human flourishing, developing leaders who drive better results.

The world needs leaders who are self-aware and sensitive enough to understand the people’s needs around them. Leaders should guide others to be willing to learn more and present a positive vision for the future. The Leadership Focused on Human Flourishing Certification Syllabus will help learners precisely master these core ideas.

Besides, the Leadership Focused on Human Flourishing training program talks about how a true leader works towards others’ growth and development. The course is extremely relevant for professionals in managerial positions as they must use tact to increase productivity and create a positive environment for their employees. Students will get the opportunity to learn the necessary skills for free through this course and earn an official certificate for the same. THe students can take the programme in two varied tracks; verified and audit. When joining the course in the free audit mode, they can access it only for a limited duration. 

If you aspire to shape and lead your organisation, the Rise to Leadership: Become a CEO programme by edX can help you achieve that. This four-week training is designed for professionals determined to acquire a C-level executive position within their organisation. One needs more than mere determination to become a CEO. This programme covers six essential capabilities that differentiate a standard employee from a CEO.

Through the Rise to the Leadership certification course, the instructor will help you explore skills such as delivering results, building an innovation-driven culture, and attracting talent. In addition to this, you will learn about formulating strategies and the skill to communicate with stakeholders such as investors and board members effectively.

Moreover, the edX Rise to Leadership course will allow you to step into the shoes of CEOs to comprehend their mindset. By pursuing this course, you will understand how CEOs deal with strategic challenges and take effective actions. The course is offered by Babson College, USA. The programme instructor is a Lecturer of Strategy at the business school. You can learn the course in two varied tracks; verified and audit. The audit mode is free of cost and it gives a limited period of access to the programme. 

Research has proven happiness at work to be a driver of a successful and meaningful career. The Happier Employees and Return-On-Investment programme by edX will help you achieve this very objective. The course is intended to drive a healthier work environment by means of a happier workforce. Professionals will learn to drive and establish a culture of happiness at work.

Furthermore, this four-week training programme is an offering of the University of Texas in Austin, USA. The Happier Employees and Return-On-Investment course houses an extensive curriculum that deals with the five critical determinants of happiness in a professional setting. Your programme instructors will help you explore the importance of creating a healthy, happy professional landscape. 

Additionally, you will learn the skills and techniques to build a happier and more fulfilled organisational culture. The edX Happier Employees and Return-On-Investment online course is a self-directed programme. You can learn the modules by following a schedule of your own. 

The difficulty level of this course is estimated to be suitable for beginners also. Moreover, this course can help you build a reputation as a happy and considerate professional within your organisation. You have two enrolment options to join the programme, namely, free audit and verified tracks. In the free audit mode, you can get access to the programme for a limited period. 

One must be an expert communicator to become a good leader. Every day edX communicates with our teams, collaborators, bosses, customers, and colleagues. Therefore, having strong interpersonal skills is indispensable when it comes to managing teams and communicating within your organization. Keeping that in mind, edX has curated the Effective Communication for Today’s Leader online course.

With the Effective Communication for Today’s Leader online course by edX, you will be able to enhance your business environment and be a positive leader using functional group and interpersonal communication. The course will touch on listening levels, assertive communication, performance feedback, empathetic responses, and many more during the four weeks.

The Effective Communication for Today’s Leader program is associated with the Humanities and Soft Skills micro masters program. If you want to have an additional incentive and a reward for completing the program, you can also purchase the certificate option. This certificate can be attached to your CV and resume and linked to your LinkedIn account. While enrolling in the free track, you can audit the programme for a limited duration. 

Professionals all across the globe are trying to maintain appropriate work-life balance and lead fulfilling lives. The Get Beyond Work-Life Balance online course by edX is developed to educate you on the significance of inclusive leadership for creating productive work environments.

The Get Beyond Work-Life Balance training will teach you the strategies for managing flexibility at workplaces. The skills you gain from this course will enable you to make a positive change as an individual, a leader, or a team member. During the course, you will explore various concepts through engaging video lectures, exciting case studies and short quizzes. 

You also get access to a forum to discuss topics like technology, challenges, communication, solutions and myth-busting. edX’s Get Beyond Work-Life Balance course will help you build a personal work-life plan to implement the learnings in real life and manage your life and work effectively. A certificate will also be offered upon course completion if you took the course by paying the fee. You can audit the programme for a limited duration free of cost. 

The Leading with Effective Communication certification course is a four-week-long online programme developed to equip you with effective communication skills. During the course, you will study the strategies to improve your approach to communication. You will also know the significant role communication plays in inclusive leadership.

Throughout the Leading with Effective Communication online programme by edX, you will build an action plan to implement the learnt strategies in your life and work. Also, you will understand how effective communication is based on the inclusive leadership mindset of accountability, humility, empowerment, and courage. Besides, Edx will provide you with an e-certificate on completion. 

The Leading with Effective Communication training consists of real-world examples and research to teach the concepts. The various topics covered are listening, communicating across differences, dialogue processes, testing assumptions, expressing authentically, debunking everyday communication myths and more. There will also be several short quizzes, video lectures, case studies, etc., to strengthen your understanding. There are two different modes in which you can take the course; verified and free audit. In the verified mode, you can access the course materials unlimitedly and get a certificate for completion; in the free mode, you will have a limited duration of access to the programme. 

Success requires knowledge and know-how of functions, domains, people, technology, and processes. The Language of Leaders: Learn to Speak with Confidence online course will teach you all that and help you become a powerful communicator.

Through the course, you'll learn to touch the aspirations and emotions of people you speak with. You will learn the language of leaders and how to speak with great confidence. Also, the course will cover how to make your speeches impactful and enhance eloquence.

The Language of Leaders: Learn to Speak with Confidence by edX will be taught by Swati Sengupta, a faculty member of the State Bank of India. Besides, it is an introductory course in communication and runs for 4 weeks. You can complete the course by devoting 1-3 hours per week.

The Language of Leaders: Learn to Speak with Confidence is a certification programme. It is self-paced and offers two enrolment options: free auditing and paid benefits.

The Essentials of Program Strategy and Evaluation Online Course is part of the Effective Philanthropy Learning Initiative by the Stanford PACS Center on Philosophy and Civil Society. The course deals with the strategic framework concerning social programs run by governments or nonprofit organizations.

The Essentials of Program Strategy and Evaluation Training Course is taught over 4 weeks with the help of online reading materials. The course instructor is Paul Brest, former Dean and Professor Emeritus, Standard Law School, Stanford University.

The Essentials of Program Strategy and Evaluation Syllabus is designed in a way to equip learners with the knowledge of philanthropy and non-profit initiatives. The course assessment will be based on assignments and exams. You will have the provision to archive the course after the end of every session.

This Business Management course is offered by the online educational platform Futurelearn and developed by the University of Michigan. This online training is conducted by Mike Barger who is a clinical professor in Michigan's Ross School of Business teaching crisis leadership and entrepreneurship. 

The High Stakes Leadership: Leading in Times of Crisis course delves into topics of leadership and crisis management which are crucial for business management. In the course, strategies are discussed to perform business during crises like the pandemic and execute the crisis management techniques. This online leadership in crisis programme gives expert guidance with business leaders and knowledge about the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) world and how it has made crisis a relatively familiar phenomenon. The High Stakes Leadership: Leading in Times of Crisis training programme deals with topics highly relatable to the COVID-19 pandemic. The learners are taught about business and managing the healthcare crisis.

Being able to adapt to the changing times is an important characteristic of business management in organisations and this course deals with traits of flexibility and adaptability that makes a company strong. Also, it helps with the understanding of how to develop resilience in an organisation and predict crises or threats to the firm and prepare the organisation in advance for such uncertain times. 

The practical tips and techniques provide a noteworthy learning experience for four weeks on the strategic designing frameworks with the potential to tackle any kind of crisis that may hit the organisation.