Leading and Managing Small Businesses

Course Description

Small business leaders are responsible for inspiring employees to do their part to bring about the organization's goals. Good leaders must have a vision of where the business is going, possess strong communication skills, and be able to bring out the best in the people they lead to make that vision a reality. While the fundamentals of leadership and management are the same in large and small business settings, one or two bad leaders can more quickly have a detrimental impact on a small business.

This course will prepare you to lead and manage employees in your organization, whether you are navigating through periods of change, growth, or stress. You will learn about some of the qualities and values shared by successful leaders, like decisiveness, adaptability, and humility, as well as common managerial challenges and techniques, strategies, and best practices to overcome those obstacles.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

• Define leadership
• Describe various leadership styles, bases, qualities, and skills
• Compare and contrast theories of leadership
• Explain the importance of ethics in leadership
• Distinguish between leadership, administration, and management
• Compare and contrast management styles
• Explain the role of management during periods of stress and change
• Understand the importance of emotional intelligence
• Explain the importance of managerial qualities like being decisive and delegating appropriately
• Consider methods for motivating employees
• Provide employees with effective, constructive feedback
• Describe approaches to conflict management