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Harvard Business Review
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Syllabus

Leading People
How can you become an effective and inspiring leader? Begin by defining your values and vision, and deepening your self-management skills. Then learn how to create the conditions for others to succeed—even when your team isn’t working in the same physical space.
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Career center

Learners who complete Lead with Confidence will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Team Leader
A Team Leader is instrumental in guiding a group of individuals towards common objectives, fostering a collaborative and productive environment. This role deeply benefits from the "Lead with Confidence" course, which directly addresses how to inspire and empower your team. Learners will develop their personal leadership style, gaining the confidence and know-how essential for bringing out the best in team members. The emphasis on delegating effectively and communicating clearly is paramount for a Team Leader, ensuring assignments are understood and supported. The course's focus on defining values and vision helps establish clear direction, while problem-solving skills are crucial for overcoming daily challenges and keeping work running smoothly.
Entrepreneur Founder
An Entrepreneur Founder is responsible for creating and leading a new venture from the ground up, requiring immense vision, resilience, and the ability to build and motivate a team. The "Lead with Confidence" course provides foundational skills critical for this demanding role. Developing a strong personal leadership style is paramount for attracting talent, inspiring investors, and empowering employees to share in the company's vision. The course's focus on defining values and vision directly supports an Entrepreneur Founder in articulating their company's purpose. Effective delegation, clear communication, and robust problem-solving, as taught in the course, are essential for navigating the myriad challenges of startup life and keeping the nascent organization running smoothly.
Chief of Staff
A Chief of Staff operates as a direct and strategic partner to a senior executive, ensuring organizational efficiency, assisting with decision-making, and often managing special projects or teams. This role requires exceptional leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills, often acting as an extension of the principal's influence. The "Lead with Confidence" course significantly aids a Chief of Staff by developing their personal leadership style, enabling them to inspire and empower colleagues on behalf of the executive. The course's lessons on effective delegation, clear communication, and keeping work running smoothly are critical for managing complex initiatives and ensuring seamless coordination across departments, directly contributing to the organization's positive impact.
Executive Director
An Executive Director leads an organization, often a nonprofit, overseeing its operations, strategic direction, and overall impact. This role necessitates exceptional leadership to inspire staff, board members, and stakeholders. The "Lead with Confidence" course is highly relevant, as it directly addresses how to develop a personal leadership style to ensure the confidence and know-how to bring out the best in those managed. The course's emphasis on defining values and vision is critical for setting the organization's strategic path. Effective delegation, clear communication, and adept problem-solving, all covered in the course, are indispensable for an Executive Director to manage resources, navigate challenges, and keep the organization running smoothly while achieving its mission. This role often benefits from an advanced degree.
Project Manager
A Project Manager orchestrates endeavors from conception to completion, often leading cross-functional teams without direct authority over all members, making strong leadership and communication indispensable. The "Lead with Confidence" course is highly pertinent for this role, as it focuses on developing a personal leadership style to inspire and empower these diverse teams, a core function of a Project Manager. The ability to delegate effectively, communicate assignments clearly, and support delegated work, as taught in this course, is critical for managing project scope and resources. Furthermore, the course's emphasis on problem-solving and ensuring work runs smoothly directly equips a Project Manager to navigate obstacles and deliver successful outcomes, aligning with the need to keep diverse stakeholders aligned and productive.
Management Consultant
A Management Consultant advises organizations on improving performance, solving problems, and achieving business objectives. This role demands strong leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills to guide clients through complex changes. The "Lead with Confidence" course is exceptionally beneficial, as consultants must often lead client teams and internal project groups. The course's teachings on developing a personal leadership style, inspiring and empowering teams, and effectively delegating tasks are directly applicable to managing consulting engagements. The emphasis on problem-solving and ensuring work runs smoothly helps a Management Consultant diagnose issues and implement effective solutions, making a tangible positive impact on client organizations. This role often benefits from an advanced degree.
Director of Strategy
A Director of Strategy is responsible for formulating and overseeing the implementation of an organization's strategic vision and long-term goals. This high-level role demands exceptional leadership to guide strategic initiatives and align various departments. The "Lead with Confidence" course is incredibly relevant, as it emphasizes defining values and vision—a core competency for a Director of Strategy. The course helps learners develop a personal leadership style to inspire and empower teams across the organization, ensuring strategic buy-in and effective execution. The ability to communicate strategy clearly, delegate strategic projects, and solve complex organizational problems, as taught in the course, are vital for keeping strategic initiatives running smoothly and making a significant positive impact. This role often benefits from an advanced degree.
Operations Manager
An Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing the efficient and effective functioning of an organization's processes and systems. This role requires robust leadership to ensure that teams are performing optimally and that work flows seamlessly. The "Lead with Confidence" course offers substantial benefits by teaching how to develop a personal leadership style that inspires and empowers teams, crucial for maintaining high morale and productivity in operations. The course's focus on delegating effectively, communicating assignments, and problem-solving directly equips an Operations Manager to streamline workflows, address inefficiencies, and keep all operational aspects running smoothly. This foundational knowledge is key to making a positive impact on the organization's overall performance.
Program Manager
A Program Manager oversees multiple, related projects to achieve strategic business objectives, requiring a broad leadership perspective beyond individual project tasks. The "Lead with Confidence" course is highly beneficial for this role, as it focuses on developing a personal leadership style to inspire and empower the various project teams and stakeholders under the program's umbrella. The ability to delegate effectively across different projects, communicate overarching program goals clearly, and support the work of multiple project managers is paramount. Furthermore, the course's emphasis on problem-solving and ensuring work runs smoothly directly equips a Program Manager to handle cross-project dependencies and strategic issues, making a significant positive impact on organizational outcomes.
Organizational Development Consultant
An Organizational Development Consultant helps organizations improve their effectiveness, health, and capacity to change, often focusing on leadership, culture, and team dynamics. This advisory role benefits immensely from strong leadership and a deep understanding of how to foster positive organizational impact. The "Lead with Confidence" course is extremely relevant, as it teaches how to develop a personal leadership style to inspire and empower teams. For an Organizational Development Consultant, these skills are crucial for guiding clients through change, facilitating workshops, and coaching leaders. The course's focus on defining values, creating conditions for others to succeed, effective communication, and problem-solving directly equips one to diagnose issues and implement strategies for keeping organizational work running smoothly. This role often benefits from an advanced degree.
Product Manager
A Product Manager guides the strategy, roadmap, and feature definition for a product throughout its lifecycle, often leading cross-functional teams without direct managerial authority. The "Lead with Confidence" course is incredibly valuable here, as it emphasizes developing personal leadership to inspire and empower diverse teams towards a shared product vision. The course's focus on defining values and vision is directly applicable to setting the strategic direction for a product. Effective communication skills, vital for articulating product goals to engineering, marketing, and sales, are enhanced. The ability to delegate tasks and support distributed teams, along with sharp problem-solving skills, are essential for a Product Manager to navigate challenges and ensure the smooth development and launch of successful products.
Sales Manager
A Sales Manager leads and motivates a sales team to achieve revenue targets and fosters client relationships. This role requires strong leadership to inspire performance and navigate competitive markets. The "Lead with Confidence" course is highly beneficial, as it directly teaches how to develop a personal leadership style to inspire and empower a sales team, bringing out their best in a high-pressure environment. The ability to delegate sales territories or quotas effectively, communicate performance expectations clearly, and support team members through coaching are critical skills enhanced by this course. The focus on problem-solving equips a Sales Manager to overcome market challenges and keep sales operations running smoothly, ensuring consistent achievement of organizational goals.
Human Resources Business Partner
A Human Resources Business Partner works closely with leadership to align HR strategy with business objectives, fostering a positive work environment and developing talent. While not solely a management role, it requires significant leadership and influence. The "Lead with Confidence" course is highly relevant, focusing on how to inspire and empower teams, which HR Business Partners facilitate through policy and talent initiatives. The course's emphasis on developing a personal leadership style and creating conditions for others to succeed is crucial for an HR Business Partner who aims to improve employee engagement and organizational effectiveness. Effective communication, problem-solving, and understanding how to keep work running smoothly from a people perspective are central to this advisory and strategic role.
Learning and Development Manager
A Learning and Development Manager designs and implements programs to enhance employee skills and organizational capabilities. This role involves leading initiatives and often managing a team of trainers or specialists. The "Lead with Confidence" course is highly relevant, particularly its focus on creating conditions for others to succeed and bringing out the best in people—core tenets of learning and development. The course helps a Learning and Development Manager develop a personal leadership style crucial for inspiring participation and engagement in training programs. Effective communication and problem-solving, as taught in the course, are vital for assessing needs, designing impactful curricula, and ensuring smooth program delivery that positively impacts the organization and its employees.
Community Organizer
A Community Organizer mobilizes groups of people to take collective action and address common issues, requiring significant leadership, communication, and inspiration skills. While not a corporate role, the principles of the "Lead with Confidence" course are highly applicable. The course empowers a Community Organizer to develop a personal leadership style that inspires and empowers diverse community members, bringing out their best to achieve shared goals. Effective communication is vital for rallying support, delegating tasks to volunteers, and resolving conflicts. The emphasis on defining values and vision helps in articulating a compelling cause, while problem-solving skills are critical for navigating challenges and ensuring community initiatives run smoothly, fostering positive social impact.

Reading list

We've selected 50 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Lead with Confidence.
A foundational text in personal organization and productivity. Allen's system provides a structured approach to capturing, clarifying, organizing, reflecting on, and engaging with tasks and commitments. valuable reference tool for managing workflow and reducing stress, highly applicable for professionals and students alike.
This timeless classic provides foundational principles for building rapport, fostering likeability, and influencing others through genuine interaction. It's an excellent starting point for anyone seeking to improve their interpersonal communication skills, applicable in both personal and professional contexts. While first published decades ago, its core tenets remain highly relevant today and it is considered a must-read for gaining a broad understanding.
This seminal work introduced the concept of emotional intelligence to a wide audience, highlighting its importance in personal and professional success. Understanding and managing emotions critical component of self-management, making this book essential reading for developing self-awareness and social skills.
Offers practical strategies for navigating high-stakes discussions where opinions differ and emotions run strong. It provides a framework for effective dialogue, focusing on creating a safe space for communication and achieving mutually beneficial outcomes. This valuable resource for deepening understanding and is often used in professional development.
Developed by ex-McKinsey partners, this book presents a structured, seven-step approach to problem-solving used in top consulting firms. It emphasizes a highly visual, logic-tree method applicable to business and global challenges. is particularly relevant for undergraduate and graduate students interested in consulting or business, as well as working professionals seeking a robust framework for tackling complex issues. It valuable reference tool.
Focusing on the importance of direct and caring feedback, this book offers practical guidance for managers navigating difficult conversations and building stronger relationships with their team members. It's particularly relevant for contemporary workplaces emphasizing open communication and psychological safety. is highly valuable for both new and experienced managers looking to improve their communication skills.
Focuses on the crucial contemporary topic of inclusion in leadership. It explores how inclusive leadership fosters a sense of belonging and leverages the benefits of diversity within teams and organizations. It provides strategies and tools for leaders to cultivate an inclusive environment, which is essential in today's diverse workplaces.
Delves into how top strategy consultants approach and solve complex business problems. It provides a four-step process informed by consulting and cognitive psychology, highlighting how to avoid common biases that lead to poor decisions. This is an excellent resource for graduate students and working professionals, especially those in business, management, or consulting, offering practical insights and techniques used in the industry.
Written by a former FBI hostage negotiator, this book delves into the art of negotiation through the lens of high-pressure situations. It provides counterintuitive yet effective techniques for communication, active listening, and influencing outcomes. While focused on negotiation, the principles are broadly applicable to challenging communication scenarios and offer a deep dive into persuasive communication.
This foundational book explores the two systems of thought that drive our decisions: the fast, intuitive system and the slower, more deliberate system. Understanding these systems is crucial for recognizing cognitive biases that can impede effective problem-solving. It provides a strong theoretical background for anyone looking to improve their decision-making and analytical skills, making it valuable for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as professionals. While not a how-to guide, it offers deep insights into the human mind's approach to problems.
Provides a practical, step-by-step program for increasing your emotional intelligence. It includes a widely used online assessment to help readers identify their strengths and weaknesses and provides strategies for improving self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.
From the Harvard Negotiation Project, this book presents a principled approach to negotiation aimed at finding mutually agreeable solutions. It focuses on separating the people from the problem, focusing on interests rather than positions, and inventing options for mutual gain. This classic text on negotiation as a form of effective communication.
A seminal work in the field of persuasion, this book explores the psychological principles that influence people's decisions and behaviors. Understanding these principles is crucial for effective communication, particularly in contexts involving sales, marketing, and leadership. provides a deep understanding of the underlying psychology of communication.
Provides a clear and concise introduction to systems thinking, explaining how to perceive and understand the interconnectedness of elements within a system. This perspective is vital for identifying root causes of problems and developing effective, long-term solutions. It is valuable for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals across various fields who need to analyze and address complex issues with multiple interacting factors.
Another valuable book by Patrick Lencioni, this focuses on the essential virtues of an ideal team player: humble, hungry, and smart. It helps managers identify and develop individuals who contribute positively to team dynamics. is useful for hiring and team development.
Advocates for a disciplined approach to identifying what is essential and eliminating everything else. It's highly relevant for self-management in terms of prioritizing tasks, managing time, and focusing energy on what truly matters.
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Following up on 'Thinking, Fast and Slow,' this book examines the impact of 'noise' – unwanted variability in judgments – on decision-making in various fields. It provides insights into identifying and reducing noise to improve the quality of decisions and problem resolution. This contemporary and relevant book for graduate students and professionals, particularly those involved in complex decision-making processes or system design.
Drawing on lessons from the military, this book presents a model for adapting to complex environments by transforming large organizations into a network of empowered teams. It offers insights into leadership, communication, and trust in dynamic settings, making it highly relevant for managing teams in fast-paced industries.
Directly addresses the critical importance of ethics in leadership. It provides frameworks and examples for navigating ethical dilemmas and making responsible decisions. Given the increasing focus on ethical conduct in organizations, this book is highly relevant for contemporary leaders. It's suitable for academic and professional development contexts.
Dweck's research on fixed and growth mindsets has significant implications for self-management, particularly in terms of learning, resilience, and motivation. helps readers understand how their beliefs about their abilities impact their potential for growth and success.
Introduces a powerful approach to communication centered on empathy, compassion, and understanding needs. It provides a structured method for expressing oneself honestly and listening deeply to others, aiming to resolve conflicts peacefully and build stronger relationships. It's a foundational text for those seeking a more empathetic communication style.
A classic in management literature, this book by the former CEO of Intel provides a framework for understanding and improving managerial effectiveness and team productivity. While not recently published, its principles remain highly relevant for anyone in a management role, offering timeless insights into creating highly productive teams and motivating performance. It useful reference tool for experienced professionals.
A classic in the field of mathematical problem-solving, Pólya's book outlines a four-step method: understanding the problem, devising a plan, carrying out the plan, and looking back. While focused on mathematics, its principles are widely applicable to problem-solving in any domain. is highly recommended for high school students and undergraduates, particularly those in STEM fields, and provides a solid framework for approaching unfamiliar problems.
Building on the themes of 'Start With Why,' this book explores the importance of creating a 'Circle of Safety' within an organization where team members feel secure and supported. It emphasizes the leader's role in fostering trust and cooperation, drawing parallels with military leadership. It's a compelling read for understanding the behavioral and cultural aspects of leadership.
Based on a true story from a US Navy submarine, this book presents a unique leadership model focused on empowering team members and creating leaders at all levels. It challenges traditional command-and-control structures and offers insights into building a highly engaged and effective team.
Authored by a psychiatrist, this book focuses on the critical skill of listening as a means to connect and influence. It offers practical techniques for truly hearing what others are saying, even in difficult conversations, and building trust. is excellent for deepening understanding of interpersonal dynamics in communication.
Provides a four-step process to overcome common decision-making biases and make better choices. It offers practical strategies and real-world examples to help individuals navigate difficult decisions. This highly applicable book for students and professionals at all levels, providing a clear and actionable framework for improving decision quality in both personal and professional contexts.
Advocates for courageous and authentic conversations to build stronger relationships and achieve better results. It provides a seven-principle framework for holding 'fierce conversations' that are honest, open, and lead to positive change. This book helps deepen understanding of the impact of direct communication.
Tells the story of a submarine captain who transformed his crew by empowering them and creating a leader-leader model rather than a traditional leader-follower structure. It provides practical examples of how to build a highly effective and engaged team by distributing control and fostering ownership at all levels.
Building on the concept of emotional intelligence, this book explores how leaders can create resonance and drive positive emotions within their teams. It emphasizes the leader's role in shaping the emotional culture of an organization. It's a valuable resource for understanding the deeper impact of leadership on individuals and groups.
Originally written for Japanese schoolchildren, this book offers a simple and accessible introduction to problem-solving frameworks. It emphasizes practical thinking and provides straightforward techniques applicable to various situations through real-life examples. is excellent for high school students and undergraduates seeking a foundational understanding of structured problem-solving approaches. It serves as a great starting point before delving into more complex methodologies.
Introduces Design Thinking as a human-centered approach to creative problem-solving. It provides a framework and tools for understanding user needs, brainstorming ideas, prototyping, and testing solutions. This is particularly useful for students and professionals in design, business, and innovation fields, offering a practical methodology for tackling ill-defined problems and generating innovative solutions.
This foundational text in management is essential for understanding the core responsibilities of an executive and how to focus on results. While not solely focused on team management, its principles on effectiveness, time management, and decision-making are crucial for anyone leading a team. It is considered a classic and provides valuable background knowledge for all levels.
Written by former Navy SEALs, this book translates battlefield leadership principles to business and life. It stresses the concept of leaders taking extreme ownership of their actions and their team's performance. It's a high-impact book that provides a no-nonsense approach to responsibility, discipline, and leading through challenging situations.
This collection compiles influential articles from the Harvard Business Review on various aspects of leadership. It offers diverse perspectives on topics such as strategic leadership, managing people, and fostering collaboration. It's a valuable resource for gaining breadth of understanding on contemporary leadership challenges and approaches, suitable for both students and professionals.
A comprehensive textbook focusing on mathematical problem-solving, this book introduces a wide range of strategies and techniques beyond standard algorithms. It encourages creative thinking and perseverance in tackling challenging problems. This is an excellent resource for high school students and undergraduates participating in math competitions or seeking to develop advanced mathematical problem-solving skills.
Offers an inside look at the problem-solving methodologies and tools used by McKinsey & Company, a leading management consulting firm. It provides practical insights into structuring thinking, conducting analysis, and presenting findings. This is particularly valuable for students and professionals interested in consulting or adopting a structured, analytical approach to business problems.
Drawing on her experience as a professional poker player, Annie Duke provides a framework for making better decisions in situations with incomplete information and uncertainty. is highly relevant for understanding probabilistic thinking and managing risk in problem-solving. It's a valuable read for students and professionals who frequently face decisions with uncertain outcomes.
Considered a classic, this book explores the fundamental nature of leadership and the process of becoming a leader. Bennis emphasizes the importance of self-knowledge, vision, and the capacity to inspire trust. It offers a more philosophical and introspective look at leadership compared to some of the more tactical guides.
Presents a structured approach to making better decisions, outlining a clear framework with practical tools and techniques. It helps readers identify their values, set objectives, and evaluate alternatives systematically. This highly practical guide for students and professionals at all levels looking to improve their decision-making skills, which are intrinsically linked to problem-solving.
From the Stanford d.school, this book offers a collection of exercises and activities rooted in design thinking to help individuals develop their creative problem-solving abilities. It's a hands-on guide for fostering innovation and tackling challenges in unconventional ways. is great for students and professionals who want to actively practice creative approaches to problem-solving and inject more innovation into their work.
Offers a holistic approach to problem-solving, focusing on both the necessary mindset and practical tools. It encourages creativity, adaptability, and continuous improvement. With real-world examples and techniques, it's a useful guide for students and professionals looking to develop a well-rounded problem-solving skill set.
This foundational text introduces the concept of servant leadership, where the leader's primary motivation is to serve others and help them grow. It's a powerful philosophy that emphasizes empathy, listening, and building a sense of community. provides a strong ethical and humanistic perspective on leadership.

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