When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
Learn new concepts from industry experts
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Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate
There are 5 modules in this course
Before we can lead others well, we must first learn to lead ourselves well. Knowing thyself is the starting point on this journey. In this course, you will come to understand the importance of three forms of awareness, craft a personal identity, gain understanding of how you work best, learn to be strategic with your time and energy, manage cognitive biases, mental models and better understand your worldview.
This course can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s Master of Engineering in Engineering Management (ME-EM) degree offered on the Coursera platform. The ME-EM is designed to help engineers, scientists, and technical professionals move into leadership and management roles in the engineering and technical sectors. With performance-based admissions and no application process, the ME-EM is ideal for individuals with a broad range of undergraduate education and/or professional experience. Learn more about the ME-EM program at https://www.coursera.org/degrees/me-engineering-management-boulder.
Every flight begins with pre-checks—and awareness is your first instrument. This week, you’ll build the foundation of self-leadership by developing habits of curiosity about your own thoughts, motivations, and behaviors. You’ll explore self-awareness, situational awareness, and social awareness to better understand how you show up in the world. By the end, you’ll begin tuning your internal instruments to navigate leadership with greater clarity and confidence.
What's included
5 videos6 readings3 assignments
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 43 minutes
Meet your Professor (for new learners)•3 minutes
Course Summary•4 minutes
Self-Awareness•13 minutes
Situational Awareness•12 minutes
Social Awareness•11 minutes
6 readings•Total 131 minutes
Non-Credit Students: Welcome and Where to Find Help•10 minutes
Course Updates and Accessibility Support•1 minute
A Personal Message from Captain Ron•10 minutes
Download Your Personal Leadership Flight Plan•10 minutes
Instrument Panel Check (Awareness)•90 minutes
Assignment Overview: Personal Leadership Flight Plan•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
Waypoint Reflection: Your 3 Awareness Gauges•30 minutes
Immersive Quiz: A Day in the Life of a Developing Leader•30 minutes
Week 1 Personal Leadership Flight Plan•30 minutes
The Pilot’s Edge: Build on What Makes You Exceptional
Module 2•3 hours to complete
Module details
Now that your instruments are calibrated, it’s time to understand what kind of aircraft you’re flying. This week, you’ll identify your core strengths, values, and unique superpowers—the traits that give you lift when used with intention. While we’ll acknowledge your weaknesses, the goal isn’t to fix everything—it’s to fly smarter by leaning into what already works. By the end, you’ll begin designing a strengths-based strategy for how you lead yourself and others.
What's included
2 videos2 readings3 assignments
Show info about module content
2 videos•Total 19 minutes
Strengths•11 minutes
Superpowers•8 minutes
2 readings•Total 100 minutes
A Personal Message from Captain Ron•10 minutes
Pilot Operating Handbook (Strengths & Limits)•90 minutes
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
Waypoint Reflection: Your Strengths, Limitations & Superpowers•30 minutes
Immersive Quiz: Discovering Strength•30 minutes
Week 2 Personal Leadership Flight Plan•30 minutes
Define Your Call Sign: Identity and Intentional Growth
Module 3•4 hours to complete
Module details
This week, you’ll map your internal cockpit—exploring how your self-concept shapes your behavior and decisions. Through intentional change theory, you’ll examine your ideal self, real self, and ought self, then contrast them with your narrative and future selves. These models will help you clarify who you are, who you’ve been, and who you’re becoming. By the end, you’ll design your own high-performance alter ego—a mindset tool elite performers use to lead with intention under pressure.
What's included
3 videos2 readings3 assignments
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 28 minutes
Intentional Change Theory•9 minutes
Other Views of Self•10 minutes
Alter Ego•9 minutes
2 readings•Total 100 minutes
A Personal Message from Captain Ron•10 minutes
Call Sign (Identity & Growth)•90 minutes
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
Waypoint Reflection: Your Call Sign, Real Self and Ideal Self•30 minutes
Immersive Quiz: Awakening the Ideal Self•30 minutes
Week 3 Personal Leadership Flight Plan•30 minutes
Fuel and Flight Time: Mastering Energy, Time, and Timing
Module 4•4 hours to complete
Module details
Every pilot knows that managing fuel is just as important as watching the clock. This week, you’ll learn why energy—not time—is your most critical resource for sustained performance and personal effectiveness. You’ll also discover your natural rhythms and identify when you work best, so you can align high-focus tasks with high-energy windows. By the end, you’ll begin designing your day like a seasoned aviator—maximizing output without burning out.
Waypoint Reflection: Your Energy Fuel Log•30 minutes
Immersive Quiz: The Rhythm of Performance•30 minutes
Week 4: Personal Leadership Flight Plan•30 minutes
Flying by Instruments: Mastering Mental Models and Biases
Module 5•4 hours to complete
Module details
In our final week, you’ll learn how your internal “navigation system” shapes the way you see the world—and how others experience you. Mental models, cognitive biases, and unconscious patterns act like filters on your windshield, sometimes distorting reality without you realizing it. You’ll uncover the hidden mechanics behind perception and decision-making, and how they influence your leadership. With this awareness, you’ll begin to fly with clearer vision—more grounded, more curious, and more equipped to lead with perspective.
Waypoint Reflection: Your Mental Models, Blindspots & Biases•30 minutes
Immersive Quiz: Thinking Like a Leader•30 minutes
Week 5: Personal Leadership Flight Plan•30 minutes
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.
Build toward a degree
This course is part of the following degree program(s) offered by University of Colorado Boulder. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.¹
View eligible degrees
Build toward a degree
This course is part of the following degree program(s) offered by University of Colorado Boulder. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.¹
¹Successful application and enrollment are required. Eligibility requirements apply. Each institution determines the number of credits recognized by completing this content that may count towards degree requirements, considering any existing credits you may have. Click on a specific course for more information.
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CU Boulder is a dynamic community of scholars and learners on one of the most spectacular college campuses in the country. As one of 34 U.S. public institutions in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), we have a proud tradition of academic excellence, with five Nobel laureates and more than 50 members of prestigious academic academies.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.