Practical Leadership OpenCourseWare: A Free MIT Grad-Level Class on Practical Leadership

Published Jan 28, 2009

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In this MIT OpenCourseWare project, 'Practical Leadership', students assess their leadership skills and practice to strengthen their weak areas in weekly role-playing. They receive feedback from their peers and the instructor. Anyone who leads teams could benefit from this free master's-level course, but a group must take it together to truly learn from it.

Practical Leadership: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Graduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
Yes Yes No

Practical Leadership: Course Description

Senior Lecturer Pat Bentley was the original teacher of this course. Students must first assess their own leadership skills. Sloan uses a proprietary form, but other leadership assessment tools can be found in a Web search. Following this step, each student creates an 'Action Plan' to improve certain aspects of their leadership abilities. Each class consists of a discussion of readings followed by role-playing and reviews offered by the other students. Readings cover such subjects as leadership traits and frameworks, communication, situational leadership, leading with influence rather than authority and decision-making.

Lecture notes for each class are included, as well as assignments. Find a group of peers and start 'Practical Leadership' by visiting its course page.

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