Become a Better Leader: Nine Online Courses That Can Help

Looking to advance in your career?  Then you’d better have some leadership qualities.  They say great leaders are born, not made, but many of the skills of a talented leader can be learned.  Even better, they can be learned by taking an online class in the comfort of your own home, and on your schedule.  Here are nine online courses that can help you improve your leadership skills and move up in your career.

21st-Century Assertiveness and the Art of Persuasion
To be a good leader, you’ll need to be able to persuade people from all walks of life to see your side of things.  This class teaches you how to get what you want without making enemies, and how to be assertive in ways that can benefit your career.  The class includes forum discussions, readings, and class assignments.

Comprehensive Leadership Training
This course is geared toward managers and those who wish to become managers.  It teaches the basics of good leadership, and helps prepare students for the responsibility of leading a team.  Students learn how to raise morale, motivate effectively, and bring out the best in their personnel.  The class includes readings, assignments and class discussions. 

Strategic Planning and Management
This class teaches students how to be strong business leaders in a rapidly changing global economy.   Students will learn how to analyze market situations and design new courses for many different types of businesses, with a required class discussion component.

Management and Leadership Continuous Quality Improvement
This course teaches students how to take a leadership role within their organizations in implementing continuous quality improvement plans.  It helps students measure customer satisfaction, gather data reliably, and planning and implementing a solid CQI plan.  It’s a must for anyone looking to move into a role that provides the opportunity to implement quality improvement in a company.

Human Resource Management in the 21st Century
It’s getting tougher than ever to recruit and hold on to the best employees, and this class will teach you how to do it in a world of telecommuting and diminishing company loyalty.  Learn how to solve specific HR-related problems; find, recruit and retain the best people for the job; and apply cutting-edge strategies to the modern workplace.

Productivity Management and Leadership Success
Need to manage employees?  This class will teach you how to boost morale, lessen employee turnover, and raise productivity in your team.  You’ll learn the basics of how to be an effective manager and motivator—and how to increase profit and efficiency for your company by mastering these skills.

Sales Management Strategies and Tactics
In this class, you’ll learn how to recruit talented salespeople; train your sales staff; design an effective compensation package for your employees; forecast sales and motivate sales staff; and design a system to evaluate the performance of your personnel.  This class is a must for anyone preparing to step into a leadership role in sales.

Six Sigma Management and Leadership Courses
Learn how to lead in the context of Six Sigma.  You’ll learn the basics of Six Sigma, and you’ll be able to evaluate whether Six Sigma is right for your company and implement the Six Sigma leadership method.

Success Strategies Training Program for Leadership and Management
This class teaches a proven strategy for success—and helps you to implement it in your career.  Specially geared toward those who are in or who aspire to be in leadership positions, this course helps students apply the success strategy to their own companies, personnel, and leadership.

Leadership can be an acquired skill—and while there’s no replacement for learning on the job, a class can help you get a head start on your new management job.  Online classes are particularly convenient for those who must fit classes around a full-time work schedule—and if you’re working, it’s not unusual for employers to pay the cost of classes.  If you’re about to move into a leadership position, you’ll need some training to ensure you hit the ground running.  Check out any of these courses for help in your leadership and management skills, and you’re sure to excel in your new leadership role.