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University of Colorado Boulder

Leading Oneself with Self-Knowledge

University of Colorado Boulder via Coursera

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Overview

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Before we can lead others well, we must first learn to lead ourselves well. Knowing thyself is the starting point on this journey. In this course, you will come to understand the importance of three forms of awareness, craft a personal identity, gain understanding of how you work best, learn to be strategic with your time and energy, manage cognitive biases, mental models and better understand your worldview. This course can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s Master of Engineering in Engineering Management (ME-EM) degree offered on the Coursera platform. The ME-EM is designed to help engineers, scientists, and technical professionals move into leadership and management roles in the engineering and technical sectors. With performance-based admissions and no application process, the ME-EM is ideal for individuals with a broad range of undergraduate education and/or professional experience. Learn more about the ME-EM program at https://www.coursera.org/degrees/me-engineering-management-boulder.

Syllabus

  • Preparing for Takeoff: Building Awareness for Navigational Clarity
    • Every flight begins with pre-checks—and awareness is your first instrument. This week, you’ll build the foundation of self-leadership by developing habits of curiosity about your own thoughts, motivations, and behaviors. You’ll explore self-awareness, situational awareness, and social awareness to better understand how you show up in the world. By the end, you’ll begin tuning your internal instruments to navigate leadership with greater clarity and confidence.
  • The Pilot’s Edge: Build on What Makes You Exceptional
    • Now that your instruments are calibrated, it’s time to understand what kind of aircraft you’re flying. This week, you’ll identify your core strengths, values, and unique superpowers—the traits that give you lift when used with intention. While we’ll acknowledge your weaknesses, the goal isn’t to fix everything—it’s to fly smarter by leaning into what already works. By the end, you’ll begin designing a strengths-based strategy for how you lead yourself and others.
  • Define Your Call Sign: Identity and Intentional Growth
    • This week, you’ll map your internal cockpit—exploring how your self-concept shapes your behavior and decisions. Through intentional change theory, you’ll examine your ideal self, real self, and ought self, then contrast them with your narrative and future selves. These models will help you clarify who you are, who you’ve been, and who you’re becoming. By the end, you’ll design your own high-performance alter ego—a mindset tool elite performers use to lead with intention under pressure.
  • Fuel and Flight Time: Mastering Energy, Time, and Timing
    • Every pilot knows that managing fuel is just as important as watching the clock. This week, you’ll learn why energy—not time—is your most critical resource for sustained performance and personal effectiveness. You’ll also discover your natural rhythms and identify when you work best, so you can align high-focus tasks with high-energy windows. By the end, you’ll begin designing your day like a seasoned aviator—maximizing output without burning out.
  • Flying by Instruments: Mastering Mental Models and Biases
    • In our final week, you’ll learn how your internal “navigation system” shapes the way you see the world—and how others experience you. Mental models, cognitive biases, and unconscious patterns act like filters on your windshield, sometimes distorting reality without you realizing it. You’ll uncover the hidden mechanics behind perception and decision-making, and how they influence your leadership. With this awareness, you’ll begin to fly with clearer vision—more grounded, more curious, and more equipped to lead with perspective.

Taught by

Ron Duren Jr.

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Reviews

2.0 rating, based on 1 Class Central review

4.8 rating at Coursera based on 73 ratings

Start your review of Leading Oneself with Self-Knowledge

  • Profile image for Berbelek
    Berbelek @berbelek
    125
    I think this course can be really valuable for people interested in psychology - and I don't think it is useful for anyone else. Lots of theory, lots of encyclopedic knowledge, assignments requiring a lot of memory learning and not much practical skills and techniques.
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