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Understanding Management and Leadership

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Understanding Management and Leadership

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level

Recommended experience

7 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level

Recommended experience

7 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Analyze corporate expectations and responsibilities of the manager role

  • Demonstrate ethical leadership to build influence, authority, and accountability

  • Apply coaching and feedback techniques to improve team performance

  • Design and communicate a clear vision that aligns team efforts with business goals

Details to know

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Recently updated!

March 2026

Assessments

13 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer
Taught in English

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Management Excellence for Supervisors and Leaders Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 5 modules in this course

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.

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.

What's included

7 videos6 readings3 assignments1 discussion prompt1 plugin

7 videosTotal 26 minutes
  • Specialization Overview 2 minutes
  • Course Introduction3 minutes
  • Meet your Instructor3 minutes
  • Corporate Expectations of a Manager5 minutes
  • Video: Essential Management Skills5 minutes
  • The Amazing Role of Manager3 minutes
  • The Burden of Management4 minutes
6 readingsTotal 22 minutes
  • About the Specialization2 minutes
  • Course Overview4 minutes
  • Reading: How to Make the Most of This Course5 minutes
  • Does the Manager Role Suit You?4 minutes
  • Real-Life Scenarios: Big Management, Big Impact5 minutes
  • Module Summary: Understanding Management: The Big Picture 2 minutes
3 assignmentsTotal 33 minutes
  • What Corporate Leadership Expects of a Manager6 minutes
  • The Burden and Responsibility of a Manager6 minutes
  • Graded Quiz: Understanding Management: The Big Picture 21 minutes
1 discussion promptTotal 2 minutes
  • Reflecting on Your Readiness for Management 2 minutes
1 pluginTotal 5 minutes
  • Activity: Why Do You Want to Be a Manager?5 minutes

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.

What's included

3 videos4 readings3 assignments1 discussion prompt1 plugin

3 videosTotal 14 minutes
  • What Is Management Authority and How Do You Get It?5 minutes
  • How to Establish Authentic Authority5 minutes
  • Using Your Authority to Make Effective Business Decisions5 minutes
4 readingsTotal 14 minutes
  • Real-Life Scenarios: Authentic Manager Authority4 minutes
  • How to Make Effective Decisions as a Manager4 minutes
  • Real-Life Scenarios: Manager Decisions with Positive Impact4 minutes
  • Module Summary: Building Managerial Authority2 minutes
3 assignmentsTotal 50 minutes
  • Establishing Influence and Authority the Right Way10 minutes
  • Practice Quiz: Effective Decision-Making 10 minutes
  • Graded Quiz: Building Managerial Authority30 minutes
1 discussion promptTotal 2 minutes
  • Assessing Your Management Authority and Influence 2 minutes
1 pluginTotal 15 minutes
  • Activity: How Do You Define Authority?15 minutes

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.

What's included

3 videos5 readings3 assignments1 discussion prompt

3 videosTotal 11 minutes
  • Don’t Just Manage, Motivate!5 minutes
  • What I Have Learned in 20 Years as a Manager 2 minutes
  • What Is Ethical Leadership?4 minutes
5 readingsTotal 20 minutes
  • Motivational Strategies for Managers4 minutes
  • Real-Life Scenarios: Motivation in Action4 minutes
  • Establishing a Culture of Accountability5 minutes
  • Real-Life Scenarios: Accountability in Action5 minutes
  • Module Summary: Driving Team Performance2 minutes
3 assignmentsTotal 50 minutes
  • Practice Quiz: Motivating and Inspiring Your Team10 minutes
  • Managing with Ethics and Accountability10 minutes
  • Graded Quiz: Driving Team Performance30 minutes
1 discussion promptTotal 2 minutes
  • Discussion Prompt: What Makes a Manager Ethical and Accountable?2 minutes

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.

What's included

3 videos5 readings3 assignments

3 videosTotal 15 minutes
  • What Does an Effective Coaching Session Look Like?5 minutes
  • Delivering Performance Improvement Feedback5 minutes
  • Delivering a Vision of Success5 minutes
5 readingsTotal 18 minutes
  • Coach Your Team to Achieve Performance Excellence4 minutes
  • Real-Life Scenarios: What Powerful Coaching Looks Like4 minutes
  • How to Create a Vision for Your Team4 minutes
  • Real World Scenarios: The Powerful Vision Statement4 minutes
  • Module Summary: Managing and Coaching with Vision2 minutes
3 assignmentsTotal 33 minutes
  • Practice Quiz: Providing Meaningful and Effective Coaching and Feedback6 minutes
  • Practice Quiz: Creating and Communicating Vision for Your Team6 minutes
  • Graded Quiz: Managing and Coaching with Vision21 minutes

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.

What's included

1 video4 readings1 assignment1 peer review1 discussion prompt

1 videoTotal 5 minutes
  • Course Summary5 minutes
4 readingsTotal 11 minutes
  • About the Final Project4 minutes
  • Course Glossary: Understanding Management and Leadership4 minutes
  • Congratulations and Next Steps2 minutes
  • Thanks from the Course Team1 minute
1 assignmentTotal 45 minutes
  • Final Exam: Understanding Management and Leadership45 minutes
1 peer reviewTotal 45 minutes
  • Final Project: Creating a Team Leadership and Performance Management Plan45 minutes
1 discussion promptTotal 2 minutes
  • Comparing your Work2 minutes

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Instructors

SkillUp
159 Courses508,957 learners
SkillUp
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Frequently asked questions

Yes. This course is designed for aspiring and new managers who want to understand what the role truly involves. You’ll learn the real responsibilities, expectations, and practical behaviors that make managers effective in modern workplaces.

This course focuses on the real burdens, responsibilities, and day-to-day behaviors of managers. It goes beyond leadership theory and shows what effective management looks like in practice.

The course is highly practical. Through real-world scenarios, reflective activities, and expert insights, you’ll practice decision making, coaching, feedback delivery, and motivating teams in realistic workplace situations.

Yes. You’ll learn how managerial authority is built through ethical behavior, accountability, and leading by example—not just through a job title. The course shows how to build authentic influence with your team.

Yes. You’ll work through examples of managing poor performance, navigating team dynamics, making difficult decisions, and balancing employee well-being with business expectations.

Yes. The final project guides you through creating a Management Readiness Plan where you apply coaching, feedback, decision making, and vision-setting to a realistic workplace scenario.

This course is valuable for Team Leads, Supervisors, Managers, Project Leads, Operations Managers, and professionals preparing to move into leadership roles.

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Financial aid available,

¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.