This course is part of the Strategic Leadership: Impact, Change, and Decision-Making Specialization

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122 ratings

Sydney Finkelstein

Top Instructor

6,720 already enrolled

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Strategic Leadership: Impact, Change, and Decision-Making SpecializationDartmouth College

About this Course

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We don’t often talk about mistakes and failures, but there’s so much to learn from what goes wrong. In this course, Professor Sydney Finkelstein will teach you why leaders make mistakes, and what you can do to avoid making those same mistakes yourself. Using real-life examples of smart executives who failed, Professor Finkelstein will walk you through scenarios that prepare you to understand, manage, and even take advantage of the continuous change that is inevitable in organizations and in life.

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Course 1 of 4 in the

Strategic Leadership: Impact, Change, and Decision-Making Specialization

Beginner Level

Participants need only the desire to learn from mistakes—those of others and their own.

Approx. 16 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

Which mistakes leaders make most often
How to spot the early warning signs of key mistakes
How to avoid making these same mistakes in your own life

Skills you will gain

Learning from Failure
Strategic Leadership
Change Management
Leadership Development
Learning

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 1 of 4 in the

Strategic Leadership: Impact, Change, and Decision-Making Specialization

Beginner Level

Participants need only the desire to learn from mistakes—those of others and their own.

Approx. 16 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.96/5 (54 Ratings)

Sydney Finkelstein
Top Instructor

Steven Roth Professor of Management

Tuck School of Business

8,716 Learners

4 Courses

Offered by

Dartmouth College

Founded in 1769, Dartmouth is a member of the Ivy League and consistently ranks among the world’s greatest academic institutions. Dartmouth has forged a singular identity for combining its deep commitment to outstanding undergraduate liberal arts and graduate education with distinguished research and scholarship in the Arts and Sciences and its four leading graduate schools—the Geisel School of Medicine, the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

5 hours to complete

What Great Strategists Know

5 hours to complete

11 videos (Total 67 min), 4 readings, 5 quizzes

11 videos

Why Smart Executives Fail7mWang Labs8mLessons from Wang Labs - Competition and Customers4mLessons from Wang Labs - Intellectual Honesty2mLessons from Wang Labs - A Little History Lesson4mA Deep Dive on Strategy - From Vision to Value Chains6mA Deep Dive on Strategy - Going a Little Deeper8mWhy Core Competence Strategies Make Sense3mQuick Note on Frameworks5mPrimer on Major Strategic Mistakes6mDebrief - Lessons and Insights from the Motorola Case Study10m

4 readings

Case Study - Wang Labs10mCase Study - Motorola in the Cell Phone Industry10mOf Mice and Mobile Men10mToo Big to Succeed?10m

5 practice exercises

Case Study Assignment - Your Lessons and Insights from Wang Labs45mApplication Exercise - Analyzing Your Own Organization - Core Competencies30mApplication Exercise - Analyzing Your Own Organization (Round 2)30mApplication Exercise - The Change Notebook30mCase Study Assignment - Motorola in the Cell Phone Industry45m

Week2

Week 2

5 hours to complete

The Delusions of a Dream Company

5 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 46 min), 3 readings, 5 quizzes

6 videos

The Firm7mDelusions of a Dream Company8mThe Perfect Storm7mFeedback9mDebrief - Lessons and Insights from the Johnson & Johnson Case Study9mPractice Exercises4m

3 readings

Why Corporate Culture Counts10mPodcast - The Sydcast Episode 91. Tom Mendoza - Technology and Culture from a Silicon Valley Pioneer, May 30, 2021.10mCase Study - Johnson & Johnson in the Stent Business10m

5 practice exercises

Application Exercise - Lessons Learned from the Tom Mendoza Podcast20mApplication Exercise - Practicing Feedback1hCase Study Assignment - Johnson & Johnson in the Stent Business45mApplication Exercise - Learning From Failure30mApplication Exercise - Learning From Others45m

Week3

Week 3

4 hours to complete

The Manager as Master Puzzle Solver

4 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 56 min), 4 readings, 3 quizzes

7 videos

The Manager as Master Puzzle Solver7mDebrief: Lessons and Insights from the Snow Brands Case Study8mAccountability12mThe Unintended Consequences of Incentives9mBreaking the Rules?5mGood Management Requires Good Oversight6mKnowledge-Sharing Across Boundaries5m

4 readings

Case Study - Snow Brands Group10mThe Executive Accountability Myth10mThe Third Rail of Management10mNeanderthals and Learning Rationale10m

3 practice exercises

Case Study Assignment - Snow Brands1hApplication Exercise - The Power of Incentives for You30mApplication Exercise - Summary1h

Week4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

The Seven Habits of Spectacularly Unsuccessful People

3 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 55 min), 1 reading, 7 quizzes

9 videos

The Seven Habits of Spectacularly Unsuccessful People6mHabit 1 - The Illusion of Personal Preeminence (Travis Kalanick, Uber)4mHabit 2 - The Company is Mine (Adam Neumann, WeWork)5mHabit 3 - All the Answers (An Wang, Wang Labs)6mHabit 4 - My Way or the Highway (Dick Fuld, Lehman Brothers)5mHabit 5 - Obsessed with Image (Citizen Kane - William Randolph Hearst)4mHabit 6 - Disregarding Major Obstacles (Iridium)8mHabit 7 - Inability to Learn8mWhy Smart Executives Fail - Now You Know What You Should Do to Avoid These Mistakes4m

1 reading

Case Study - Theranos: An Oral History10m

7 practice exercises

Application Exercise - Habit 1 - The Illusion of Personal Preeminence20mApplication Exercise - Habit 2 - The Company is Mine20mApplication Exercise - Habit 3 - All the Answers20mApplication Exercise - Habit 4 - My Way or the Highway20mApplication Exercise - Habit 5 - Obsessed with Image20mApplication Exercise - Habit 6 - Disregarding Major Obstacles20mApplication Exercise - Habit 7 - Inability to Learn20m

Reviews

4.9

37 reviews

5 stars
91.20%
4 stars
7.20%
3 stars
1.60%

TOP REVIEWS FROM WHY SMART EXECUTIVES FAIL: COMMON MISTAKES & WARNING SIGNS

by NBApr 23, 2022

Sydney was great at painting the complete picture and engaging. I enjoyed every module of this course and learned a lot.

by MAMay 19, 2022

Excellent case studies and the professor's way of explaining is amazing. Got great insights.

by JTNov 2, 2022

Great case studies to help you understand the material. Gives a holistic view as to the traps you need to avoid and how some very successful people fall victim to them. Good eye opener.

by THFeb 5, 2023

The instructor, Sydney, is EXCELLENT. Enjoyable course for Individual Contributors, Managers, and Leaders alike for sure.

View all reviews

About the Strategic Leadership: Impact, Change, and Decision-Making Specialization

If you're ready to hone your leadership skills and grow as a person, Strategic Leadership: Impact, Change, and Decision-Making for Work and Life is designed for you, whether you're a manager or an individual contributor.

Through four courses with Sydney Finkelstein, the Steven Roth Professor of Management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, you will learn the common mistakes that even smart executives make, the neuroscience behind effective decision making, methods of managing and supporting the people around you, and how to bring together all these lessons to be the best possible leader, and person, at work and at home.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. 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. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
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.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Why Smart Executives Fail: Common Mistakes & Warning Signs

About this Course

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