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10 Best Leadership Training Programs of 2024

BY
Andrew Langat
March 19, 2024
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Do you want to lead with confidence and empower your team to thrive? Perhaps master leadership competency or simply learn how to tackle business challenges?

If your answer is yes, then leadership development courses or tailor-made leadership programs, such as working with a leadership coach or using individual courses, will give you the edge to impact organizational performance. Moreover, this is vital to attaining professional and personal growth that can be leveraged to enable an organization to succeed.

There are highly effective leadership training programs out there, but picking the ideal option can be challenging. In this article, we will review key tips for choosing leadership programs and some examples of leadership programs that you can choose from.

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What Are Leadership Development Programs?

Leadership development programs (LDPs) are training initiatives that have been systematically designed to build leadership skills. They target both current and aspiring leaders, equipping them with the tools to excel in their roles.

Through workshops, coaching & mentorship, and simulations, LDPs address key leadership areas like communication, strategic thinking, and problem-solving.

Leadership development programs play a key role for upcoming senior leaders, as they equip them with the leadership skills needed and create leadership values vital to creating an all-round leader.

By investing in LDPs, organizations can develop strong leaders, boost employee engagement, and teach leaders and emerging leaders how to handle leadership stress and achieve better results.

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10 Best Leadership Training Programs

Many business schools and organizations offer leadership development programs for leaders. The choice depends on your preference. We have narrowed them down to ten as follows:

1. Women’s Leadership Program Online at Yale

At Yale School of Management, the Women's Leadership Development program takes six weeks(excluding orientation), with its main aim being to help women in business harness unique skills and access powerful business tools to effectively lead teams and organizations

The program involves courses like creativity and innovation, value-driven leadership, self-awareness and self-confidence, networking, and emotional intelligence.

Once you've committed, you can develop your leadership essentials and gain skills through formal continuing education here. This leadership training focuses mostly on women in leadership positions, offering a course timetable that will help improve existing skills while learning new elements of leadership training.

The program costs is $2,800.

Register here to get started.

2. Leadership Training by LinkedIn Learning

For all professionals at all career levels, LinkedIn Learning offers a wide range of courses. Anyone hoping to advance into a leadership position should take one of the leadership training programs available on the platform.

Some of the courses include Principles of Leadership for Upcoming Leaders, Human Leadership, Leadership Foundation, Master Your Leadership Effectiveness Skills, and Self-awareness Development.

For a future leader, LinkedIn Learning is ideal for you. It's a simple, affordable, and quick way for you to learn new leadership approaches and skills.

To access this leadership program, LinkedIn Learning offers membership subscriptions. Starting at $19.99 per month you can access a full course library, and for more experiential learning you can upgrade to premium.

3. Executive Leadership Development Program at The University of Oxford

The University of Oxford offers a program on Executive Leadership. For business leaders or senior managers, this leadership training is ideal, as it can help them to be more effective in their role.

The program is best for experienced leaders or senior executives. The program guides participants through topics such as leading high-performing teams, making wise choices, and discovering their motivation and purpose as a leader.

The pace of the program depends entirely on the individual, allowing participants to create their own structure within the training. Although it costs more than other leadership development programs, it comes with access to instructors and coaches who can offer additional one-on-one time for more hands-on instruction.

The entire program costs £2,495($3,177.94).

4. Leadership in an Exponentially Changing World at MIT Sloan School

With the business world rapidly changing, the need for more skills has increased. By taking the MIT Sloan School of Management leadership training program you can learn how to adapt fast to changes.

The program is built on the 4CAPS Framework, which focuses on leadership skills that individuals in leadership roles can develop.

The program is ideal for business leaders who want to be more innovative and take their team's performance to the next level.

MIT offers this course multiple times yearly, requiring at least six weeks of study to gain valid leadership experience. You don't have to attend in person classes as the individual online courses are self-paced.

The program costs $2,800.

5. Professional Certification in Leadership Essentials at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)

Through the online learning arm RITx on the edX platform, RIT offers business professionals a Certificate in Leadership Essentials. The program focuses on three main aspects of leadership:

  • Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking
  • Team Work and Collaboration
  • Business Communication

It is ideal for new leaders who want to improve their communication skills, conflict management skills, listening skills, employee engagement stats, problem-solving, risk management, and collaboration with direct reports.

The program duration depends on the individual taking it. Because it is self-paced, the start and finish point is not defined. It usually takes six weeks to complete the entire program.

The program incurs a fee of about $537 to $597, and participants receive an RITx certificate on completion.

6. Inclusive Leadership by Masterclass

The Inclusive Leadership program is a self-paced course taught by the former President of the United States of America, Bill Clinton. It is organized into video modules that cover topics such as conflict resolution, public speaking, creating a leadership framework, and negotiation.

President Clinton shares past experiences and depicts them as case studies of similar challenges. For example, the negotiation between North Korea and the U.S.A. Through such real-life scenarios, business leaders can gain insight into experiences, challenges faced, leading people, and how to manage changes.

The course is ideal for anyone with leadership aspirations. The only consideration to make is that you must subscribe to Masterclass, which costs only about $15 per month.

7. People and Team Leadership Specialization at The University of Michigan

The University of Michigan course is entirely online and by taking it you will enhance your leadership skills by learning how to communicate your vision, create team character, manage talent, and attract new talent.

This leadership training program is ideal for emerging leaders looking to improve their leadership skills, and it's available in more than ten languages. The program is made up of five core courses, including:

  • Motivating and Inspiring People
  • Developing Talent and Motivating Others
  • Managing Teams

The one requirement to get into the program is to subscribe to Coursera and get your membership. At $49 a month, you will be able to sharpen your skills. If you are dedicated the program can take about five months to finish.

8. Online Team Leader Training Program by Powers Resource Centre

Leading a virtual team can be challenging, but with the virtual team leader training program, you can strengthen your capacity to encourage and lead virtual teams.

Powers Resource Centre offers you a chance to enhance the hybrid and remote workplace culture. The program is ideal for teams, usually with at least 8-20 members. The pricing for the program depends on the number of participants, and different learning tracks can be used.

9. Professional Certification in Communication and Leadership at Harvard University

Together with edX, Harvard University offers a program with two main courses covering subjects like developing presentation skills, building trust in work-related connections, and applying different communication styles.

The program is entirely online and self-paced. It takes at least three months to complete the coursework and with a $250 fee, you will receive an official program certificate from edX and Harvard.

10. Executive Leadership Program at Oxford University

At Oxford University, senior executives like chief financial officers can learn how to be more effective in their leadership roles by enrolling in the Executive Leadership Program.

The course takes about eight weeks and guides leaders through making wise leadership choices, managing a team and the different challenges faced by team leaders, building high-performing teams, becoming a change driver in an organization, and discovering leadership objectives and in-person motivations.

The program is ideal for current leaders and senior executives and at a cost of about $2,900, ensures leaders can be well-equipped to manage change and align their professional purpose with organization goals.

Leaders who take the program can complete it at their own pace, and although it's a bit expensive, you are guaranteed a personal instructor who can guide you to gain new skills and improve your existing leadership skills.

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What Are the Criteria for Choosing a Leadership Development Program?

Any leadership development training has to be one that can thread the needle to gain essential management skills needed to be a successful leader. Here are some pointers that can help you in your journey:

1. The impact of the leadership development program must be immediate and long-lasting.

The leadership development program must apply to your business growth and organization. It should serve the primary goal of helping you understand the important leadership qualities and apply them to benefit your business or organization.

If the leadership training program is genuinely relevant to your work, it will add instant value to your company.

2. Source your leadership training program from a reputable organization.

You want the best for yourself and your team as a leader. To achieve organizational success, a proper leadership development program is needed, and so making the right choice is important.

The best way to identify a top business school or organization is by reviewing its status worldwide, as well as possibly the awards they have collected for their performances.

Business schools like Harvard and IMD are just but a few examples of schools that have the best leadership training programs and courses that leaders can use to advance their careers.

3. The training program must influence leadership development.

To be a successful leader, you must refine your skills, develop core competencies, and understand the gaps in your leadership style. Therefore, the choice of training program must cater to that and more.

It must polish your ability to lead others and give you insights on how to tackle common challenges together, including how to run business operations.

4. Ensure the program expands your horizons.

Whether you are a senior executive or an aspiring leader, select a program that will help you have a greater insight into different situations that may arise. The choice of training program is key because you will need a broader perspective to advance your career and focus on driving your organizational goals and results.

There are more considerations you can make to identify the best leadership training courses for you, such as:

Budget

In terms of leadership training programs for aspiring leaders or senior leaders alike, the size of the budget will affect the training programs you choose. If you have enough money, you can choose a comprehensive program to learn from and get your certifications.

Sometimes, especially for emerging leaders, the budget is a bit tight and you end up settling for free or cheap options.

Management Skills

Training programs should cater to essential leadership skills. Whether you want tactical skills like leadership style or soft skills like effective communication, the program should fit your needs.

Additionally, the program should build your self-awareness, self-confidence, and emotional intelligence. All this can bridge the gap, enhance team building, and help you rectify some of the weaknesses you have.

Structure

You should also consider the structure of your leadership development program. Whether you want to work at your speed or participate in a guided course with some attendance hours depends on you.

For example, if you pick an online program, the calls with your coach can take place at the hours you are more comfortable, early in the morning or the evening. There may also be programs with access on mobile devices or that include a capstone project you can add to your resume or portfolio.

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How Do You Prepare for Leadership Training?

The journey to effective leadership doesn't happen overnight. It's a process that takes time and the learning experience should cater to all essential and new skills needed to help successful leaders achieve success.

So, how do you prepare for leadership training?

Here are a few pointers that can help you along the way:

1. Identify your skills gap.

At this point, your self-awareness plays a key role in identifying your skill gaps. You can achieve this by reviewing your resume and performance. For example, are there areas where you lag behind your colleagues?

You can also seek feedback from colleagues, the human resources department, your manager, or other mentors. Additionally, you can use a SWOT analysis framework to categorize your skills, weaknesses, opportunities, and Threats.

2. Select a proper training program.

Choose a program that aligns with your industry demands, goals, and organization's needs. The selection you make should equip you with a comprehensive understanding of some crucial skills. Leadership training programs can include coaching, mentorship, and workshops.

3. Opt for targeted training.

Focus on targeted training to strengthen the skills you need for effective leadership, motivation, and success. For example, aim to learn how to develop emotional intelligence or improve communication skills.

4. Utilize coaching services.

To ensure a constant, continuous learning experience, consider proper coaching services that can equip you with leadership skills needed to navigate day-to-day challenges.

Inspiring, isn’t it ? Want to learn more about connecting self-awareness to professional development? Get in touch today.
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Highrise will give you a strong leadership foundation.

Whether you are new to leadership or an experienced professional, numerous leadership programs can help you excel. This article has reviewed the ten best leadership training programs in 2024. If you are looking for something more targeted, one that combines 1:1 coaching, breakout sessions, working with a leadership coach, tactical skills workshops, and peer community, Highrise offers all of these.

Check out our membership and let us help you tackle challenges and enable your leadership and business to grow.

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AUTHOR
Andrew Langat
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Andrew Langat is an experienced content specialist in Leadership, Productivity, Education, Fintech, and Research. He is an avid reader and loves swimming as a hobby. He believes that quality content should be actionable and helpful.