Leadership is the ability to motivate others to act towards a shared goal. This ability is important for success whether you’re seeking to catalyze action from an individual, a small team, a business, or an entire country. And, whether you’re the CEO of a tech company, a politician rallying her supporters, or a mother trying to instill values in her children, leadership requires confidence as well as responsibilities of goal setting, decision-making, conflict resolution, and communicating an inspiring vision.

The art of leadership is as old as human society itself - and, like society, it is continually evolving. For example, effective leadership in the 21st century requires more empathy than in the past, as communication skills must increasingly cross boundaries of age, race, gender, and nationality. And today’s fast-changing world benefits leaders that embrace flexibility and creativity, as organizational success increasingly depends on the ability to rapidly innovate and adapt.

Leadership skills are helpful for virtually any role that requires working with people. Whether you’re a chief financial officer in charge of a team of accountants, a data scientist working within a tech company’s software development team, or an elementary school teacher supervising a field trip, the ability to facilitate collaboration and inspire cohesion can help you and your organization achieve success.

If you’re in the C-suite of a company - or an entrepreneur aspiring to become one - strong leadership skills are an absolute must. The ability to direct and motivate an entire team to achieve a goal or hit a target is critical for success but also rare, and high-level corporate leaders are paid accordingly. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, chief executives had a median annual salary of $184,460 in May 2019, and general and operations managers earned $100,780 per year.

Absolutely! While it is often spoken of as an innate talent or quality, the reality is that leadership is a skill that is learned and developed over time. Coursera can help you learn to harness your own leadership skills through courses and Specializations taught by leading faculty at top-ranked universities from around the world, including University of Michigan, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, HEC Paris, Macquarie University, and Copenhagen Business School.

Learning online lets you view and complete course materials on a flexible schedule, which makes it a great option for working professionals that want to improve their leadership skills. Coursera’s industry-leading online platform also enables you to have live sessions and video office hours with faculty and industry leaders to help you practice these skills as you learn.