Women in Leadership: Inspiring Positive Change

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/women-in-leadership

Introduction

# Course Review: Women in Leadership: Inspiring Positive Change ## Overview In today's rapidly evolving world, leadership is a crucial aspect of professional success and societal advancement. Recognizing this, Coursera offers the course **"Women in Leadership: Inspiring Positive Change,"** designed to empower both women and men globally to engage in purposeful career development. This course aims not only to foster individual growth in leadership but also to drive positive change within organizations and communities at large. What sets this course apart is its focus on increasing self-awareness regarding personal values and vision while simultaneously enhancing capabilities as effective leaders and managers. This course is a must for anyone looking to navigate the complexities of leadership in a predominantly male-dominated world. ## Course Structure ### Week 1: Yourself as a Leader—Developing your Leadership Identity The course kicks off with a meaningful introduction to the objectives and key questions guiding the learning experience. It emphasizes understanding women's leadership strengths and aspirations, advocating for leading with authentic purpose. By defining inspiring leadership and discussing high-achieving women's strategies, participants are encouraged to reflect on their own values, paving the way for the development of a personal leadership identity. ### Week 2: The Current State of Women's Leadership at the Top! This week dives deep into the statistics and representation of women in senior positions globally. It accurately outlines the barriers women face, such as the infamous glass ceiling and second-generation gender bias. The course does not shy away from discussing organizational and interpersonal challenges, equipping participants with tangible strategies to overcome these obstacles. This is crucial information for anyone aiming to understand the current leadership landscape and the issues women confront. ### Week 3: Women's Leadership Presence Participants explore the “gender confidence gap” and are introduced to an alternative understanding of self-confidence that combines authenticity with resilience. By sharing personal journeys, the course adds a relatable and human touch to the learning experience. The focus shifts to enhancing one’s presence in organizational politics, offering strategies for building social capital. This week stands out for its practical advice on navigating office dynamics effectively. ### Week 4: Leadership Tools for Women Effective negotiation skills are paramount in leadership, and this week equips learners with crucial tools to bridge the gender gap in negotiation. By understanding collaborative approaches, participants learn to advocate for themselves effectively. Key concepts like "BATNA" (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) and emotionally intelligent negotiating techniques are explored, which are invaluable for emerging leaders. ### Week 5: Purposeful Career Development for Women The final week wraps up the course with a focus on purposeful career development. Through reflective exercises, participants define personal metrics of success and explore work-life integration. This week encourages participants to consolidate their learnings and think critically about how to implement these insights in their future endeavors. ## Recommendations ### Who Should Take This Course? This course is highly recommended for women aspiring to take on leadership roles, professionals seeking to understand organizational dynamics, and anyone interested in gender equity in leadership. Whether you are a seasoned leader or just starting in your career, this course offers insights that are relevant across various stages of professional development. ### Why Should You Enroll? The course excels in providing a comprehensive overview of women’s leadership challenges and empowers participants with knowledge and practical tools. From understanding the barriers to developing essential leadership skills, it covers a wide range of topics that are crucial for driving positive change in today’s workplaces. Moreover, the course fosters a supportive community of learners, allowing participants to share experiences and challenges, further enriching the learning process. ### Final Thoughts **"Women in Leadership: Inspiring Positive Change"** is not just a course; it’s a movement towards cultivating a more inclusive and equitable leadership landscape. By exploring complex issues surrounding women and leadership while focusing on actionable strategies, participants leave equipped to inspire change in their organizations and communities. If you are ready to enhance your leadership identity and make a positive impact, enroll in this course on Coursera today! Your journey toward impactful leadership starts here.

Syllabus

WEEK 1: Yourself as a Leader—Developing your Leadership Identity

This week describes the objectives, learning goals, key questions and overview of this course, “Women in Leadership: Inspiring Positive Change!” Current research on organizations in the US and globally is examined to identify women’s leadership strengths, styles and aspirations. We then focus on leading with authentic purpose. We define inspiring leadership and discuss the strategies of high achieving women. Values and leadership vision are discussed in the context of developing the identity of a leader.

This module focuses on the representation and status of women in senior leadership positions in organizations and governments across the world. We focus especially on statistics depicting the representation of women executives and directors on corporate boards, and address why women at the top matter, the nature of the glass ceiling phenomenon, and what countries are doing to address and remedy the glass ceiling effect. We then examine organizational, interpersonal and individual level barriers and challenges that constrain the advancement of women. We define and provide examples of important concepts such as second generation gender bias and the accumulation of disadvantage. Strategies to overcome barriers and challenges that are known to work for women are discussed next.

This week we discuss the so-called “gender confidence gap” where women are seen to have lower self-confidence for leadership than men, and then redefine and reframe self-confidence as a combination of authenticity, self-efficacy, adaptability and resourcefulness, and persistence and grit. The module brings in one of Dr. Bilimoria’s doctoral students to talk about her own self-confidence journey. Finally we provide some tips about demonstrating self-confidence through voice and effective non-verbal communication. Next we focus on navigating politics and gaining influence in organizations. We define organizational politics and power, and discuss strategies to respond positively to political situation in organizations and deploy power and influence. We discuss the role of unwritten rules in organizations, how to develop social capital to build relationships and form alliances necessary for effective performance and career development.

This week we focus on building the skills of negotiating effectively. We start with understanding the gender gap in negotiating, and the consequences of not negotiating for women. The skills of win-win negotiating are discussed in terms of employing a collaborative approach to negotiating. Key concepts such as interest based negotiation, BATNA, and emotions in negotiating are examined.

In the course’s final module, we first discuss two key issues of purpose-driven career development: defining one’s own success and gaining enhanced clarity about career planning and work-life integration issues. This segment concludes with two exercises, “Life Roles” and “Defining Own Success”, followed by a reflection about insights gleaned. Finally, a closure to the course, “Women in Leadership: Inspiring Positive Change!” is offered, recapping the sessions completed and offering encouragement for participant’s future leadership that makes a positive difference to the world.