Understanding Management and Leadership
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Understanding Management and Leadership
This course is part of Management Excellence for Supervisors and Leaders Specialization
Instructors: SkillUp
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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
March 2026
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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 videos•Total 26 minutes
- Specialization Overview •2 minutes
- Course Introduction•3 minutes
- Meet your Instructor•3 minutes
- Corporate Expectations of a Manager•5 minutes
- Video: Essential Management Skills•5 minutes
- The Amazing Role of Manager•3 minutes
- The Burden of Management•4 minutes
6 readings•Total 22 minutes
- About the Specialization•2 minutes
- Course Overview•4 minutes
- Reading: How to Make the Most of This Course•5 minutes
- Does the Manager Role Suit You?•4 minutes
- Real-Life Scenarios: Big Management, Big Impact•5 minutes
- Module Summary: Understanding Management: The Big Picture •2 minutes
3 assignments•Total 33 minutes
- What Corporate Leadership Expects of a Manager•6 minutes
- The Burden and Responsibility of a Manager•6 minutes
- Graded Quiz: Understanding Management: The Big Picture •21 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 2 minutes
- Reflecting on Your Readiness for Management •2 minutes
1 plugin•Total 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 videos•Total 14 minutes
- What Is Management Authority and How Do You Get It?•5 minutes
- How to Establish Authentic Authority•5 minutes
- Using Your Authority to Make Effective Business Decisions•5 minutes
4 readings•Total 14 minutes
- Real-Life Scenarios: Authentic Manager Authority•4 minutes
- How to Make Effective Decisions as a Manager•4 minutes
- Real-Life Scenarios: Manager Decisions with Positive Impact•4 minutes
- Module Summary: Building Managerial Authority•2 minutes
3 assignments•Total 50 minutes
- Establishing Influence and Authority the Right Way•10 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Effective Decision-Making •10 minutes
- Graded Quiz: Building Managerial Authority•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 2 minutes
- Assessing Your Management Authority and Influence •2 minutes
1 plugin•Total 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 videos•Total 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 readings•Total 20 minutes
- Motivational Strategies for Managers•4 minutes
- Real-Life Scenarios: Motivation in Action•4 minutes
- Establishing a Culture of Accountability•5 minutes
- Real-Life Scenarios: Accountability in Action•5 minutes
- Module Summary: Driving Team Performance•2 minutes
3 assignments•Total 50 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Motivating and Inspiring Your Team•10 minutes
- Managing with Ethics and Accountability•10 minutes
- Graded Quiz: Driving Team Performance•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 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 videos•Total 15 minutes
- What Does an Effective Coaching Session Look Like?•5 minutes
- Delivering Performance Improvement Feedback•5 minutes
- Delivering a Vision of Success•5 minutes
5 readings•Total 18 minutes
- Coach Your Team to Achieve Performance Excellence•4 minutes
- Real-Life Scenarios: What Powerful Coaching Looks Like•4 minutes
- How to Create a Vision for Your Team•4 minutes
- Real World Scenarios: The Powerful Vision Statement•4 minutes
- Module Summary: Managing and Coaching with Vision•2 minutes
3 assignments•Total 33 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Providing Meaningful and Effective Coaching and Feedback•6 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Creating and Communicating Vision for Your Team•6 minutes
- Graded Quiz: Managing and Coaching with Vision•21 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 video•Total 5 minutes
- Course Summary•5 minutes
4 readings•Total 11 minutes
- About the Final Project•4 minutes
- Course Glossary: Understanding Management and Leadership•4 minutes
- Congratulations and Next Steps•2 minutes
- Thanks from the Course Team•1 minute
1 assignment•Total 45 minutes
- Final Exam: Understanding Management and Leadership•45 minutes
1 peer review•Total 45 minutes
- Final Project: Creating a Team Leadership and Performance Management Plan•45 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 2 minutes
- Comparing your Work•2 minutes
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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.
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¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.
