By Krasi Shapkarvova, Career Coach at The Carey Business School
Creativity for All (2h 43m)
This is a long but worthy course in a world that demands creativity when approaching new situations and solving emerging problems. Recently updated, it gives you access to information on what creativity is and how to develop and sustain the skill. A strength of the course is its ability to demystify creativity and emphasize that everyone is creative. In the first segment, you’ll learn what creativity is and what the main difference is between those considered creative and those of us who may not think of ourselves as creative. The facilitator, Ben Long, also goes over his list of creative fears and as he describes each one, you may realize you’ve felt them all. Long then offers the appropriate antidote to each fear so you can learn how to counteract them. In the second segment, Amy Wynn helps you source your creative power by sharing what she sees as obstacles to being creative and offering techniques and practices to overcome them. Keep in mind that you don’t have to incorporate all suggestions so that you can enhance your creativity. Explore the different strategies introduced and integrate the ones that work for you. In the third and last segment, you can see exercises that will help you build up your creative muscles. And you have to do them regularly! If you are completing the course, I hope it’s because you are serious about growing. If learning isn’t making you a bit uncomfortable, you are not stretching yourself.
Communicating Across Cultures (32m)
Having a global mindset and being able to communicate and collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds is key to being a successful professional. To foster a global mindset, it’s best to seek opportunities that expose you to people from different backgrounds and cultures. Before you do that, though, you may want to check out Tatiana Kolovou’s course. She shares stories and personal experiences to introduce you to several dimensions along which cultures may differ — low vs. high context, time orientation, direct vs. indirect communication style, and formal vs. informal interactions — to highlight diversity in relationship-building. Kolovou also offers practical advice on what to do when you find yourself in a different culture (and what to pay attention to). So whether you are traveling for fun, school or work, you can be prepared. Making assumptions about the right way of conducting business or engaging with others is no way to become successful in a global world. When you watch the course videos, pay attention to what you notice about your own culture and then reflect and acknowledge how it has influenced your communication style. As Kolovou emphasizes, understanding cultural differences can help you become a more effective storyteller. Communication is not about knowing a language or relying on a translator — and enhancing your cultural acuity is what Kolovou ultimately wants you to do.
Learn Emotional Intelligence, the Key Determiner of Success (34m)
If you are still not sure what emotional intelligence (EQ) is or why it’s important, this course can help. Through the insights of five established experts, including Daniel Goleman — an author and a leading expert on all things EQ — the course gives you a solid introduction to emotional intelligence. You’ll hear about the four domains of EQ that effective leaders need to master, reflect on what it means to be present, learn how to affirm your core values and embrace personal power, and determine how to strengthen your emotional agility. You’ll also gain insights on how to build empathy and how to collaborate with those who think differently than you do. The course teaches you the importance of knowing yourself and your values, being able to navigate your emotions, and engaging with others in a meaningful way. In other words, how to be a better human.
Ken Blanchard on Servant Leadership (27m)
As someone with 50 years of experience in the management training space and a commitment to servant leadership, Ken Blanchard is a valuable source of information on how you can become a servant leader. In the course, Blanchard relies on stories from his experience to highlight the benefits of fostering a service orientation. He shows why going after significance is more important than going after success. You’ll learn about the habits of servant leaders so you can start integrating them and positioning yourself as a person people recognize as a servant leader. Being a servant leader is not about holding a position of power or waiting until you are in such a position to make a difference. As Blanchard emphasizes, you can “make a difference where you are planted.” If you are a college student with limited experience, how can you make an impact and show yourself as someone who’s building up to be a servant leader? If you are in a leadership position or have your own company, how can you create a culture of servant leadership and manage people so that they perform at their best? Check out this course and let Blanchard teach you how.
Jodi Glickman on Pitching Yourself (15m)
This is the shortest course on the list, but it’s the one I recommend to all my students. The ability to tell a story about who you are, where you come from, what motivates you to keep going, and why you do what you do is essential to being an engaging human being whom others relate to and understand. Wherever you see yourself going, it’ll be hard getting there without a clear story that highlights what direction you are going and how what you’ve done so far can get you there. Glickman shares a simple framework to use as you think about your own story. Whether you are a student looking to take your first steps in the professional world, a career changer, or an experienced professional looking for advancement, this is a course for you. Keep in mind that the purpose of listening to these courses is not to make you an expert, but to give you the tools and techniques you can use throughout your life to grow professionally. Once you complete each course I’ve listed, LinkedIn will recommend others — so don’t hesitate to continue learning! Complement these courses with immersive experiences — a gap year or an alternative spring break — where you get out of your comfort zone and interact with diverse groups of people — and you’ll become an indispensable asset to any employer.
