Overview

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In this course, you will discover the importance of understanding context and its impact on the individual as a leader. You’ll consider how you define leadership and explore how organisations work through an exploration of the “what” and “why” of your own working environment. You will also look at who stakeholders are and their important role in today's business, before discussing the differences between leadership and management, and the importance of credibility. This course is aimed at leaders and managers who have five to six years experience and who are beginning to manage teams, customers and clients more regularly or more directly. A majority of those taking this course will have a technical or professional early career, but are progressing professionally so are starting to grapple with the issues of team and organisational leadership. By the end of this course, you will be able to: – Describe the context in which your organisation operates. – Identify common challenges related to leadership. – Explain how leadership is impacted by the nature of how organisations are structured in order to deliver their goods or services. – Identify the key stakeholders in your leadership constellation. – Work effectively with your key stakeholders. – Explain the difference between leadership and management. Many topics covered in the course are also explored in the instructors book How to Lead Smart People (Mike Mister and Arun Singh, Profile Books 2019).

Syllabus

Introduction to Leadership

Welcome to Coursera and Queen Mary University of London, we are excited to have you studying with us. We are going to help you prepare for your studies by ensuring you know exactly what is expected of you throughout your course and how to most effectively engage with the platform. We will look at how the platform works as well as how you will interact with your peers. You will be introduced to the university you are studying with and we will share some top tips on how to succeed with Coursera. This week we shall start by getting to know Coursera as you will be introduced to the platform and explore how to use the various functions which will support your learning journey. You will see how you can make the most of your learning experience which will enable you to succeed on this course. This week we are going to start by exploring the context of leadership as we think about what it is and how we might define it. Many topics covered in the course are also explored in the instructors book How to Lead Smart People (Mike Mister and Arun Singh, Profile Books 2019).

Making Sense of Organisations

This week you are going to explore your organisational context, and consider why it's important to understand how your organisation operates to be an effective leader. We will look at the different types of power as well as the sources and roles of power within your organisational context. We are also going to explore how organisations can change and think about how you can be a successful leader in a changing context.

Making Sense of Stakeholders

This week you are going to discover new ways to deepen your understanding of who your stakeholders are and will look at ways of how you can manage them. You will also explore why stakeholders are important to you as a leader to implement your agenda, as you learn new techniques for assessing stakeholder relationships and needs.

Making Sense of Leadership and Management

This week we shall be focussing on what it means to manage, lead and deliver effectively and how we can achieve this. We shall explore the importance of moving beyond having a sole focus on a task as well as the value of developing your credibility as a leader. We will also discuss the time bind and consider how important it is as a leader to make the best use of your time.