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Case Western Reserve University · on Coursera

Be a Leader, Develop a Leader

Beginner English University CertificateFREE
SkillsLeadership developmentSelf-reflectionCoachingPeople developmentEmotional intelligence

Is this course right for you?

Our take
A Case Western Reserve course with a clear premise: you get better at leading by doing it, not by watching someone describe it.

Good for: Developing leadership through active practice and reflection.

Skip if: You want a quick, lecture-only overview or heavy theory.

It's built around exercises and activities that push you to apply concepts and reflect on how they land, so what you get out of it depends directly on what you put in. That suits people willing to practise and self-assess, and it's a poor match if you wanted a quick lecture-only overview or a heavy dose of theory — passive watching won't give you much here.

Audit it free on Coursera; the certificate needs a subscription (about $49/month) or Coursera Plus, with financial aid available, and attests to the hours you put in rather than a qualification. Leadership as a practised skill doesn't go out of date (as of 2026).

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About this course

Be a Leader, Develop a Leader focuses on becoming a better leader by actually doing — applying concepts, exercises, and activities rather than just absorbing theory. From Case Western Reserve University and renowned professor Richard Boyatzis, it's part of the Inspired Leadership specialization and draws on his decades of work on leadership and emotional intelligence.

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Instructor

RB
Richard Boyatzis
Coursera instructor

Richard Boyatzis is a Distinguished University Professor at Case Western Reserve University and a leading figure in research on leadership and emotional intelligence. The course is built from the graduate courses he teaches at the Weatherhead School of Management.

Frequently asked questions

Largely, yes — it is a university course delivered through video lectures, from Case Western Reserve, exploring leadership and how to develop it in yourself and others. It draws on the institution's well-known research into resonant leadership and emotional intelligence. It is more reflective and conceptual than a hands-on skills workshop, so expect ideas and frameworks to think with rather than step-by-step drills.

No. It is about leadership and developing leaders broadly, so it suits current managers, aspiring leaders, and anyone interested in how effective, inspiring leadership works. It assumes no management position, focusing on the mindset and relationships of leadership. Managers get immediate application, but the ideas about developing yourself and others as leaders are valuable regardless of your current role.

Leaders, aspiring leaders, managers, and anyone wanting to understand how to lead and develop others effectively — drawing on Case Western's research-based approach to resonant, emotionally-intelligent leadership. It assumes no specialist background, so it works as an accessible, reflective grounding in leadership development for people across roles and levels.

Yes, you can audit it on Coursera and watch the lectures at no cost. The graded elements and the certificate require a subscription, with financial aid available if you apply. Since much of the value is the leadership ideas and reflection, auditing gives you the substance if you want the concepts rather than the credential.

It typically runs a few weeks at a modest weekly pace as a focused course. It is reflective and concept-driven rather than a hands-on build, so the time goes into engaging with the leadership-development material and considering how it applies to you and those you lead or hope to lead.
Free
to audit
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