• Unit 4: Leading Without Formal Authority

    While many students of this course will go on to manage teams, organizations, and companies, everyone will have opportunities to lead without being granted any actual authority (called "legitimate power"). To leverage these opportunities, you must know what types of power exist and when to use them. For example, having expert power allows someone to step-up, because they have the most knowledge about a specific subject. 

    Leading without authority goes beyond power; the ability to influence without manipulation, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills are all important aspects of gaining power and leadership without having direct authority over a group or team. After studying these topics, you will be able to recognize when a leader takes over a situation and to determine who may be the best leader for a given situation.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 20 hours.

    • 4.1: Power

        • 4.1.1: Sources of Power

        • 4.1.2: Forms of Exerting Leadership

      • 4.2: Influence

      • 4.3: Emotional Intelligence (EI)

      • 4.4: Interpersonal Skills

      • Unit 4 Assessment