BLACK LEADERS

Ready to start? Chat with your instructor, navigate the course structure, and unveil the exciting assignments & the final project that will propel you toward success during the course.

In this first class, Felicia will take you through the history of Black identity in the workplace – where we’ve come from, where we need to go, and how you can contribute to the new landscape.

• African-American history, culture, and psychology
• Leadership in the context of race and identity
• Understanding and tackling racial inequality

Get inspired by Black leaders shaping their industries and start to map out your own realistic and achievable goals.

• Modern Black leaders across countries and industries
• Outlining individual and professional development goals
• Group discussion: Meet your peers and share your goals

Assignment #01: Work on creating your individual and professional development goals.

Go deeper: Identify your blockers and come up with an action plan.

Consider what makes a good leader by delving into different leadership styles and critical leadership skills. How do these apply to you?

• Applying leadership approaches
• Group discussion: Identifying critical leadership skills
• Workshop: Recognizing your assets and value

Assignment #02: Reach out to five people that you know well (e.g., family, friends, colleagues) and ask them to come up with three adjectives that best describe you. What did you learn? Was there anything that surprised you?

Go deeper: Explore your leadership style by outlining your personal assets and value.

Good leaders don’t just see things one way. Learn how to recognize traps and trends and how to reason effectively.

• Effective reasoning
• Recognizing thinking traps
• Problem-solving techniques

Discover the keys to successful negotiation and improving the status quo for yourself, your team, and your organization.

• Negotiation strategies, styles, and tactics
• Rethinking negotiation as problem-solving
• Influencing key stakeholders
• Workshop: Getting more out of your negotiations

Assignment #03: Watch the videos provided and determine which negotiations are most successful and why. What negotiation tactics did you observe? What kind of behaviors make someone more or less successful when negotiating?

Go deeper: Negotiate a deal, develop a pitch, and record yourself presenting it. Reflect on this activity and evaluate your group members’ performances.

In any conversation, it’s easy for things to go unnoticed and overlooked – which can cause misunderstandings and conflict. Learn how to earn the trust and respect of your team and form healthy relationships in the workplace.

• Avoiding miscommunication
• 7 stages of active listening
• Assertive communication and boundaries

Assignment #04: Think of a time when you experienced miscommunication. How did you handle the situation and what was the outcome? What could be done to avoid this situation in the future?

Go deeper: Watch the video provided and explain why miscommunication happened. How could it be avoided?

In this class, you’ll discover how to effectively give and receive feedback to build a healthy communication flow, boost productivity and engagement, and achieve better results as a team.

• Understanding motivational drivers
• Emotional intelligence and communication methods
• Effective feedback tools and techniques
• Workshop: Structured models for giving and receiving feedback

Good leaders know the value of courage and compassion, including the courage to let others do what they do best. Dive into what it means to lead with courage and how to take the right risks.

• A values-based leadership approach
• Enabling your team to develop and deliver
• Handling conflict
• Taking risks and making informed decisions

A diverse and inclusive company is made up of a healthy balance of people from different backgrounds. Learn how to create change within your own team or organization.

• Addressing under-representation
• Implementing an equality lens
• Fireside chat: Diversity and inclusion in the workplace

Assignment #05: Reflect on what you’ve heard in class and identify three main takeaways.

Go deeper: Create a D&I action plan for your team or organization.

Part of being an effective leader is acting as a mentor or coach to others in your sphere of influence. Learn techniques for 1-1 coaching sessions and the benefits of cultivating a productive and meaningful network of your own.

• The importance of connecting
• Getting guidance
• Finding the right mentor to unlock your potential
• Workshop: Coaching others and the GROW technique

Assignment #06: Watch the video provided on sponsorship. List three key takeaways and three steps you will take to find people who can help you.

Go deeper: Build your network map.

Setting clear goals is important, but how do you ensure you achieve them? With measurable progress and outcomes, you’ll set yourself up for future success.

• Steps for achieving professional aspirations
• Insights for designing your development plan
• Fireside chat: KPIs that reflect your strategic priorities

Assignment #07: Fill in the personal KPIs template.

It’s time to put all your knowledge into practice and finalize your development plan.

• Identifying future development needs
• Setting realistic goals
• Holding yourself accountable
• Celebrating progress and preparing for what’s next

Assignment #08: Finalize your development plan.