Online Microcredential in Business & Management

Leadership for Non-Leaders

Learn to identify opportunities to lead as you gain the skills to demonstrate successful leadership in any role.

Created by

Federation UniversityFederation University

Learn more

Develop essential leadership skills

You don’t have to be in a position of authority to show leadership. In fact, anyone can demonstrate it. Whether you’re in the workplace or looking for a career opportunity, having the skills and knowledge of leadership can help you thrive in any role.

This microcredential will take you, as a new or emerging leader, through a pathway to leadership. Rather than wait for a promotion and to be given the opportunity to lead, you’ll learn to identify opportunities for yourself. With demonstrated examples of your leadership skills, employers are more likely to offer promotions and leadership roles.

As a professional, you’ll develop an understanding of leading in organisations and how to step into leadership roles and responsibilities. By the end, you’ll develop self-awareness and gain the skills to lead with confidence.

Explore leadership styles to find the one that suits you

You’ll delve into the characteristics of leadership and develop a personal SWOT analysis. This analysis tool is used to help identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in your leadership journey.

Armed with this knowledge, you’ll explore leadership styles to help you identify the one that suits you and create an individual plan for your leadership development.

Unpack types of leadership

As you start to explore leadership traits, you’ll discover leadership as an action and behaviour, not a position.

You’ll also look at leadership role models to help you create a roadmap for leadership development. With this leadership roadmap, you’ll learn how to identify where you are now, where you want to be in the future, and how you are going to get there.

Discover transformational leadership

This microcredential will share approaches to leadership along with contemporary challenges in organisations such as diversity and inclusion, flexible workspaces, and cross-cultural awareness.

You’ll also unpack leadership theories such as positive frameworks, agile leadership, and transformational leadership to help you apply different methods to your context.

Explore who you are as a leader to develop leadership traits

Finally, you’ll discover who you are as a leader as you learn leadership values and the challenges you may face such as; cultural dimensions, leading across generations, and ethical issues.

With this knowledge, you’ll develop key leadership traits to help plan for your leadership success journey.

What transferable skills will I develop?

Leadership skills are highly sought after across many industries and roles. No matter if you are in a leadership role or simply looking for the opportunity to lead, you’ll gain the transferable skills to show you can lead with confidence.

How will I be assessed?

This microcredential contains two assessments. The first involves you researching and developing a case study on a leadership role model.

The second assessment requires you to create a personalised leadership development plan including key components as learned throughout the microcredential.

What will I receive?

Upon successful completion of this microcredential and assessments, you’ll receive a digital badge and may be eligible for recognition of up to 5 Australian credits (equivalent to 50 learning hours constituting one third of a full course/unit in higher education at Federation University). The eligibility will be issued at the discretion of the relevant Institute of Federation University.

Download video: standard or HD

Skip to 0 minutes and 0 seconds (upbeat music)

Skip to 0 minutes and 11 seconds <v ->Leadership, it might be at the United Nations</v> deciding on a global issue. Or a nation deciding at a general election who will lead the country. It might be your local sporting club coach deciding on a game strategy. Or the head of a charity deciding on a fundraising drive. It might be your boss at work giving you directions. Everyone agrees that we need good leadership. In this course you will learn about leadership theories and approaches, as well as some of the contemporary challenges for leaders today. But most importantly, you will discover that anybody can be a leader, and you don’t have to ask for permission or wait for that promotion to lead.

Skip to 0 minutes and 50 seconds We will talk to experts in leadership who reveal their pathway to leadership. Who are the leaders that leaders admire? Why do they approach leadership in the way that they do? And what makes a good leader? In leadership for non-leaders we will help you map your leadership development plan and identify leadership role models to guide you on your leadership journey. Leadership, start now.

What skills will you learn?

  • Leadership best practice
  • ​Leadership style
  • ​Leadership technique
  • ​Overcoming new leader challenges

Are you eligible for this microcredential?

Learners should be proficient in the following:

  • basic computer skills
  • sending/receiving email
  • using a web browser
  • conducting research using a search engine
  • using word processing and presentation software
  • able to self-direct in learning new technology skills (eg. completing activities in new learning tools)
  • able to meet English Language proficiency requirements for general study programs.

Is this microcredential right for you?

This course will be applicable to any person that wants to develop leadership skills. Suitable for graduates, early-mid career, or anyone wanting to refresh their theory and knowledge of leadership practices.

Syllabus

What happens before, during, and after your microcredential

  • Before learning

    You are invited to familiarise yourself with considerations of studying a Microcredential https://www.futurelearn.com/learning-guide

  • Course

    From 10 Mar 2025

    Leadership for Non-Leaders

    Gain essential leadership skills to help you thrive in any role.

    7 weeks

    7 hours per week

    • Week 1

      What is leadership?
      • Course overview
      • Leadership
      • Leadership in your life
    • Week 2

      Leadership evolution
      • Management
      • Changes over time
      • Leadership without management
    • Week 3

      Types of leadership
      • Leadership in action
      • Leadership qualities
      • Leadership styles and challenges
    • Week 4

      Challenges in organisations
      • Flexible workplaces
      • Diversity in organisations
    • Week 5

      Contemporary theories and approaches to leadership
      • Diving deeper
      • Contemporary approaches
      • Working together
    • Week 6

      Exploring who you are as a leader
      • Values and ethics
      • Leadership style
    • Week 7

      Bringing it all together
      • Locating your role model
      • Mapping your plan for leadership development

What you will receive

Eligibility for up-to 5 Australian Credits at Undergraduate level from Federation University

You may be eligible for up to 5 Australian Credit Points from Federation University. The eligibility will be issued at the discretion of the relevant Institute of Federation University.

Find out how credits work and where you can use them in our FAQs.

What is a microcredential?

Microcredentials are designed to upskill you for work in rapidly-growing industries, without the time and cost commitment of a full degree. Your microcredential can stand alone as an independent credential, and some also offer academic credit to use towards a degree.

Learn online with expert instructors

Complete online courses led by experts over multiple weeks with a dedicated group of professionals.

Complete project-based assessments

Test your understanding with online tutor-marked assessments and exercises.

Earn a professional credential

Finish your learning and pass your assessments to gain an accredited credential.

Advance further in your career

Use your microcredential as evidence of your specialised skills and progress further in your industry.

Career-focused learning by Federation University

Federation University Australia is a premium dual-sector university that has been educating the leaders, innovators and thinkers of regional Australia for over 150 years.

  • Established

    1870
  • Location

    Ballarat, Berwick, Gippsland, Wimmera

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

What are our learners saying?

Add a new skill or forge a new path

"I recommend Futurelearn to anyone looking to learn and upskill...If you are in the job market, you might want to add a new skill or forge a new path."

They bring the classroom right to you

"FutureLearn courses are always interesting and informative. They bring the classroom right to you and send you on a journey to explore new ideas and offer interesting topics."

When would you like to start?

Enrolment for this microcredential is closed. We aim to run our microcredentials every few months. Register to find out more about this microcredential and future start dates.

    Find out more

    Not sure if microcredentials are right for you? Fill in your details below and we will send you more information to help you make a decision.

    By clicking submit, I agree to FutureLearn's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

    FAQ

    We can accept payments made by card (Visa, Mastercard and American Express) or PayPal via our online system.

    You will have 14 days from the day the course starts to apply for a refund. If this Microcredential has any non-refundable costs they will be stated in the ‘Overview’ section above. You can find more information in our cancellation and refund policy.

    Microcredentials are designed to fit around your life and timezone.

    There may be live events as part of your studies, but these will be recorded and can be watched afterwards if you aren’t online for the live broadcast.

    No, microcredentials are designed to be taken anywhere in the world. You won’t need the right to study in the country where the university offering the microcredential is based.

    Want to know more? Read the microcredential FAQs, or contact us.