10 Best Free Online Leadership Courses With Certificate

Ever wondered where and how to get Free Online Leadership Courses with certificates, then this blog post is for you. This article highlights many Free Online Leadership Courses with certificates, their duration of study, the platform for studying, etc. Therefore, if you are interested in the online courses, I urge you to stay glued to the last sentence in this post.

Many people have claimed to be leaders today, without having the basic leadership skills. The outcome of their actions results in the wailing of the followers as they are mostly the ones affected by the leader’s lack of managerial sense, effective communication, monitoring, evaluation, etc.

Sometimes, when the issues become critical, the followers cry out using many forms like protests, riots, strikes, etc. Some people even think that leadership skills are meant for only those in politics, and government sectors. Well, their thoughts are good, but not correct as leadership can be found everywhere; homes, schools, industries, workplaces, government institutions, etc.

In order to help combat these problems found in the industries, workplace, and institutions, I have curated this post on free online leadership courses with certificates to help you out massively. We also have other free online courses that you can peruse such as jewelry making courses for beginners and free online gunsmithing courses.

Are you wondering what an online course is? You probably might not have heard of it right? I’m here to guide you through. Online courses are simply classes, lectures, and lessons done using online platforms like Udemy, Coursera, Future Learn, and edX, to teach intensively, just like in the normal onsite classes.

There are many benefits of using online learning platforms to take courses. Below are some of them that I have carefully highlighted;

  • Online learning increases the teacher’s efficiency of teaching by making provision of a number of tools like pdf, videos, podcasts, etc.
  • Online learning can be accessible at any time and any place provided that there is an internet connection and the course plan has not expired
  • Online learning reduces financial expenditures that would have been spent on travel, accommodation, etc.
  • Online courses reduce your chances of missing lessons as you can take the course from home, workplace, or any place of choice.
  • It improves your technical skills as you will have to use a quite number of tools for the learning.
  • Online courses help to give you a broader, global perspective about a subject or topic.

Now, that you have gotten a good foundation of what an online course is, including the benefits, let’s move into the free online leadership courses and see what it entails. Hope you’re still with me?

Benefits Of Free Online Leadership Courses

The benefits of free online leadership courses are numerous. However, I will just pick a few vital ones. Follow closely.

  • Taking leadership courses online creates room for flexibility so that busy employers and workers can learn conveniently.
  • The free online courses are accessible anywhere and at any time provided you have a smart device like a smartphone, laptop, tablet, etc. that can connect to the internet.
  • They are less costly and affordable.
  • They can be room for online mentoring and networking with people from different parts of the world.
  • You learn with the generally accepted standard on a particular subject and the materials are regularly updated.

Requirements To Take Leadership Courses Online

There are no specific requirements for taking leadership courses online as anyone who wants to develop his or her leadership skills, and most importantly has access to a smart device that can connect to the internet, is free to take the courses.

All you need to do is to find the platforms where these courses are being taught and sign up for them.

Free Online Leadership Courses With Certificate

This section contains free online leadership courses with certificates. Also provided are the platform for the study, the duration of the courses, start dates, etc. Sit tight as I unveil and explain them.

  • Effective Fundraising And Leadership In Arts And Culture
  • Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles
  • Leadership: Creating Public Value
  • Ethical Leadership: Character, Civility, And Community
  • Shared Leadership And School Development
  • Dealing With Power And Dynamics: Discover Your Leadership Style And Influence Stakeholders
  • Strategic Leadership In Healthcare
  • Rise To Leadership: Become A CEO
  • Leadership Training: Human Leadership
  • Influence Essentials For Leadership And Marketing

1.      Effective Fundraising And Leadership In Arts And Culture

Effective fundraising and leadership in arts and culture is one of the free online leadership courses designed to give you an in-depth understanding of using effective leadership and management to develop organizational resilience and motivation.

The course explores different leadership styles, change management and entrepreneurship, and better ways how to position your organization’s fundraising strategy to give value to your audience.

The course was designed for chief executives, senior managers, board members involved in fundraising, gallery or museum workers who wants to create a sustainable organization, postgraduate students of visual and performing arts, etc.

Tutor: Ben Walmsley

Language: English

Duration: 2 weeks long, 4 hours a week

Start Date: Self-Paced

Platform: University of Leeds Via Future Learn

Interested applicants should enroll below

Click Here To Enroll

2.      Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles

Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles is one of the free online leadership courses that aim at teaching you the strategies for leading in a changing world where adaptive pressures will continue to challenge all of us.

The course explores new ways to combat complex organizational systems and take better actions on challenges. The syllabus covers identifying work to be done, leading beyond and without authority, thinking politically, building trust, etc.

Tutor: Ronald Heifetz

Language: English

Duration: 4 weeks long, 2- 3 hours a week

Start Date: Self-Paced

Platform: Harvard University Via edX

Interested applicants should enroll below

Click Here To Enroll

3.      Leadership: Creating Public Value

Leadership: Creating Public Value is among the free online leadership courses designed to give you an understanding of how to use an integrated analytic framework to evaluate concrete problems or opportunities for collective action.

The course also explores the three key elements of producing a publicly valued result: understanding the specific conditions you hope to improve, designing and developing the necessary operational capacities, and securing the public support and financial resources required to launch and sustain your effort.

Tutor: Mark Moore

Language: English

Duration: 7 weeks long, 2- 3 hours a week

Start Date: Self-Paced

Platform: Harvard University Via edX

Interested applicants should enroll below

Click Here To Enroll

4.      Ethical Leadership: Character, Civility, And Community

Ethical leadership: character, civility, and community is one of the free online leadership courses which helps you with theoretical and practical approaches to the development of character, civility, and community for leaders in education, business, academics, religion, etc.

The course also explores the personal, public, and spiritual dimensions of leadership. There are theorists and leadership video interviewees such as Congressman John Lewis, Ambassador Andrew Young, Dr. Jochen Fried (Salzburg Global Seminar), Dr. Walter E. Massey, Chandra Taylor Smith, and many others.

Tutor: Walter Earl Fluker

Language: English

Duration: 16 weeks long, 3- 4 hours a week

Start Date: Self-Paced

Platform: Boston University Via edX

Interested applicants should enroll below

Click Here To Enroll

5.      Shared Leadership And School Development

Shared leadership and school development is among the free online leadership courses which help to give an in-depth understanding of how school leaders, teachers, and others can support the development of a distributed leadership approach at the school level.

The course explores the concepts of teacher leadership and highlights examples of involving families, students, and partners in schools in the shaping of a school. It makes use of work done by the European Policy Network on School Leadership (EPNoSL) in the form of the school leadership toolkit.

Upon completion, you will have a theoretical understanding of the concept of distributed leadership and its benefits as well as practical examples of how to implement them.

Tutors: Benjamin Hertz, Nair Carrera, and Rita Zurrapa

Language: English

Duration: 6 weeks long, 4 hours a week

Start Date: Self-Paced

Platform: School Education Gateway- Teacher Academy Via Independent

Interested applicants should enroll below

Click Here To Enroll

6.      Dealing With Power And Dynamics: Discover Your Leadership Style And Influence Stakeholders

Dealing with power and dynamics: discover your leadership style and influence stakeholders is one of the free online leadership courses designed to help you gain an insight on how to develop and apply an influencing mindset, which allows you to lead a team effectively and successfully manage stakeholders.

The course also explores building trust, distinguishing power and interests in networks of stakeholders, dealing with conflict and cooperation, motivating group members, and identifying your own leadership styles.

Tutors: Hans De Bruijn and Gerdien De Vries

Language: English

Duration: 5 weeks long, 4 – 5 hours a week

Start Date: Self-Paced

Platform: Delft University Via edX

Interested applicants should enroll below

Click Here To Enroll

7.      Strategic Leadership In Healthcare

Strategic leadership in healthcare is among the free online leadership courses which help to equip you with critical leadership skills like communication skills, coaching, mentoring, negotiation, and motivation theory.

The course also explores practical strategic thinking practices, leadership theories and leadership style development, team development through facilitation and collaboration, assessing your personal style of leadership, etc. The course is part of the Healthcare Administration MicroMasters program which upon completion, you can apply to complete your MBA online at Doane University.

Upon completion, you must have learned how individual development works within a leadership role, analyzing individual strengths and areas of improvement, assessing your personal style of leadership, etc.

Tutor: Helen Abdali Soosan Fagan

Language: English

Duration: 5 weeks long, 5 – 10 hours a week

Start Date: Self-Paced

Platform: Doane University Via edX

Interested applicants should enroll below

Click Here To Enroll

8.      Rise To Leadership: Become A CEO

Rise to leadership: become a CEO is among the free online leadership courses designed to give an in-depth understanding of what it takes to be a CEO such as the ability to achieve ambitious operating goals by working at all levels of an organization, the ability to articulate core values, the ability to attract, and motivate a highly talented team that can pursue goals and attain them, etc.

The course explores how CEOs view strategic challenges, formulate solutions, and take action. You will also see the six key skills that make an effective CEO and form the foundation of their strategic work.

Tutor: Peter Cohan

Language: English

Duration: 4 weeks long, 4- 6 hours a week

Start Date: Self-Paced

Platform: Babson College Via edX

Interested applicants should enroll below

Click Here To Enroll

9.      Leadership Training: Human Leadership

Leadership Training: Human Leadership is one of the free online leadership courses designed to give you an insight on how to develop skills to lead from your human core and build the confidence to listen to your inner voice.

The course explores what human leadership looks like and the latest research on self-awareness, self-management, relationship management, etc. It also teaches how to create psychological safety for better relationship management, and how to promote inclusive behavior and remain open in times of challenge.

The course is for anyone in a leadership role from board teams to new managers.

Tutor: Thomas Cunningham-Fahie

Language: English

Duration: 4 weeks long, 3 hours a week

Start Date: Self-Paced

Platform: Bailey & French Via future Learn

Interested applicants should enroll below

Click Here To Enroll

10.  Influence Essentials For Leadership And Marketing

Influence essentials for leadership and marketing is among the free online leadership courses which give an in-depth understanding of the concept, significance, and approach to influence along with the methods, techniques, and skills of influencing for sustainable organizational success.

The course explores the difference between power and influence, and also explains the various facets of influence, types of influence, consumer psychology, and how to understand and apply influence and persuasion to manage organizations and affect customer behavior.

Tutors: Mukti Prakash Behera, Hari S. Lyer, and Bindu K. Nambiar

Language: English

Duration: 5 weeks long, 2 – 4 hours a week

Start Date: Self-Paced

Platform: State Bank of India Via edX

Interested applicants should enroll below

Click Here To Enroll

Free Online Leadership Courses – FAQs

Below are frequently asked questions on free online leadership courses.

Who Is A Leader?

A leader is a person who influences/ motivates a group of people to achieve a set goal or target.

How Can I Develop My Leadership Skills For Free?

You can develop your leadership skills for free by taking free online leadership courses and practicing all you learn in them.

Which Online Leadership Course Is Best?

All online leadership courses contribute to making one a good leader. The ones listed above are among the best online leadership course.

What Can I Do With A Certificate From An Online Leadership Course?

Earning a certificate in an online leadership course means you have acquired some leadership skills, and are then ready to take up leadership roles that will boost your career in whatever sector.

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