Understanding Management and Leadership

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Overview

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Organizations don’t appoint managers simply as a career milestone. They place managers in roles that directly influence team performance, workplace culture, and business success. If you’re aspiring to become a manager, recently stepped into a leadership role, or want to strengthen your people management skills, this course is for you. In this course, you will develop practical management skills and leadership skills to succeed in modern workplaces. You will understand how organizations evaluate the manager role, and how managerial authority and influence are earned through ethical leadership, accountability, and strong decision making. You will build the ability to motivate teams, improve team performance, and practice effective people management through real-world scenarios and reflective activities. You will also learn how to deliver impactful coaching and feedback, create psychological safety, and align team efforts with organizational goals through clear vision setting and communication skills. By the end of this course, you will be able to apply performance management, strengthen workplace leadership, and confidently handle the responsibilities and challenges that come with managing people and driving business success.

Syllabus

Understanding Management: The Big Picture

In this module, you will learn why organizations place managers in their roles for strategic purposes and not simply to create career progression opportunities. You will examine the true intent behind the manager's position and understand that the role carries significant responsibility and burden. You will explore how managers can sometimes lose sight of the broader purpose behind their placement and why reconnecting with that purpose is essential for effectively managing the performance of others. You will reflect on the importance of this responsibility and how it contributes to organizational outcomes and team performance. By the end of the module, you will be able to explain the purpose, responsibilities, and demands of the manager's role with greater clarity and motivation.

Building Managerial Authority

In this module, you will learn how authority and influence are built into the manager role by design, and why they are not fully granted by title alone. You will examine the common misconception that authority automatically comes with a manager's designation and understand why meaningful and effective influence must be earned through behavior and practice. You will explore the specific actions and leadership behaviors that help you gain respect of your direct reports and strengthen your credibility as a manager. By the end of the module, you will be able to identify and apply the behaviors that build earned authority and meaningful influence in your management role.

Driving Team Performance

In this module, you will learn how effective leaders go beyond supervising people and processes and move past routine tasks such as timekeeping, coaching, and evaluating direct reports. You will explore what separates a capable manager from a truly effective one by focusing on the ability to motivate and inspire the people you work with. You will examine the leadership qualities and behaviors that help you elevate your impact and strengthen your influence on team outcomes. By the end of the module, you will be able to recognize and apply the qualities that enable you to become a highly effective manager who drives team performance.

Managing and Coaching with Vision

In this module, you will learn how to provide effective feedback and coaching to your direct reports, even when the message involves performance improvement and difficult conversations. You will explore why feedback and coaching can be challenging and how to deliver them in a way that is actionable, meaningful, and constructive. You will also examine how your role as a leader goes beyond stating expectations and requirements to clearly communicating the path to success. You will develop the skills and confidence to describe what success looks like so your team understands goals, standards, and direction. By the end of the module, you will be able to deliver effective coaching and feedback and clearly communicate a practical vision of success.

Course Quiz, Project, and Wrap-Up

In this final module, you will bring together all the knowledge and insights you have gained throughout the course. As part of the final project, you will create a personalized readiness plan based on a given scenario, outlining how you will lay the foundation for team success by adapting your leadership style, providing effective team coaching, and creating a clear vision for success. This practical exercise will help you apply course concepts to a real-world strategy. You will also review a peer’s readiness plan to gain additional perspectives and insights. The module concludes with a course summary, a glossary of key terms, and a final exam.