Overview

What makes an effective leader? How can you not only employ better communication strategies, but motivate people to tackle tough problems and achieve goals together? Examine how to improve your leadership communication style, improve decision making, and develop as a leader in this two-course series.

In the first course, Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles, learn how to be an effective leader and motivate your team while navigating change and tough challenges.

In Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking, explore proven communication techniques and strategies to learn how to articulate your ideas to achieve your goals. Learn from some of the most persuasive leaders from the last century about the ethical use of rhetoric, dialogue, listening, and self-criticism.

Syllabus

Courses under this program:
Course 1: Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles

Mobilize people to tackle tough problems and build the capacity to thrive through the dangers of change

Course 2: Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking

Gain critical communication skills in writing and public speaking with this introduction to American political rhetoric.

Courses

5 reviews
8 weeks, 2-3 hours a week, 2-3 hours a week
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We are living in a contentious time in history. Fundamental disagreements on critical policy, economic, and political issues make it essential to learn how to compose an effectiveargument and to analyze the arguments of others. This ability will help you engage in civil discourse and make needed changes in society. Conveying a convincing message can benefit your personal, public, and professional lives.

This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of rhetoric, the art of persuasive writing and speech. In it, you will learn to construct and defend compelling arguments, a crucial skill in many settings. We will be using selected speeches from prominent twentieth-century Americans -- including Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Margaret Chase Smith, Ronald Reagan, and more -- to explore and analyze rhetorical structure and style. Through this analysis, you will learn how speakers and writers persuade an audience to adopt their point of view.

Built around Harvard Professor James Engell's on-campus course, "Elements of Rhetoric," this course will help you analyze and apply rhetorical structure and style, appreciate the relevance of persuasive communication in your own life, and understand how to persuade and recognize when someone is trying to persuade you. You will be inspired to share your viewpoint and discover the most powerful ways to convince others to champion your cause. Join us to find your voice!
19 reviews
4 weeks, 2-3 hours a week, 2-3 hours a week
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The crises of our time generate enormous adaptive challenges for our families, organizations, communities, and societies. The need for leadership that can mobilize people to meet these challenges and improve life is critical.

In this introductory course, you will explore strategies for leading in a changing world where adaptive pressures will continue to challenge all of us. You will discover new ways to approach complex organizational systems and take thoughtful action on the work we all face ahead. Most importantly, you will reflect on how to move forward on the leadership challenges you care about most.