Best Free MOOCs In Business For January

Leading Teams

School: University of Michigan

Platform: Coursera

Registration Link:  REGISTER HERE

Start Date: January 2, 2017

Workload: Not specified.

Graded: Students can choose to explore course videos, discussions, and ungraded assignments for free, but they won’t be able to submit graded assignments, earn a certificate, or complete a specialization without paying a $95 fee.

Instructors: D. Scott DeRue, Maxim Sytch and Cheri Alexander

Credentials: DeRue is a member of Poets&Quants’ “Top 40 Professors Under the Age of 40.” An associate dean in the executive MBA program at the University of Michigan, DeRue is a prolific writer and researcher, whose research has appeared in journals like the Academy of Management Review and Research in Organizational Behavior  (along with national outlets like the New York Times and the Harvard Business Review). Holding a Ph.D. in management from Michigan State, DeRue is also the managing partner of an angel investment firm.

Sytch has also been profiled by Poets&Quants for being among the “Top 40 Professors Under the Age of 40.” A Northwestern Ph.D. who previously taught at Kellogg, Sytch has earned several awards while teaching at Michigan, including the Ross Executive Education Teaching Impact Award and the Outstanding Reviewer Award from the Academy of Management Journal and Organization Science in both 2014 and 2015. A leadership expert, his clients have ranged from Morgan Stanley to Oracle to the Ronald McDonald House.

Alexander is the chief innovation officer and executive director of corporate learning at the University of Michigan. She has spent over 33 years in human resources and labor relations, including a stint as the President of General Motors University and Executive Director of the company’s human resources. She holds a Masters of Science in Management from MIT.

Description: Organization, trust, and consensus are the foundations of teamwork. In this fourth in a five course specialization, Leading Teams will focus on how managers can establish a framework where team members buy into a vision, build a sense of connection, and maximize their complementary strengths to achieve results. In particular, according to the instructors, students “will learn best practices for composing a team and aligning individual and team goals,” as well as “establish roles, build structures, manage decision making” and learn conflict resolution.

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Additional Note: This is the fourth in a five course specialization called “Leading People and Teams.” To learn more about the course and register for it, click here.