Last year, HEC Paris became the first business school in France to launch a massive open online course (MOOC) on Coursera. This year, the school is taking things to a new level—offering its first online specialization, in inspirational leadership.
The specialization features three MOOCs building up to a capstone project in which participants progressively improve their interpersonal skills by connecting more deeply with themselves and others, the basis of “le Savoir-Relier” or “Leading with Sense” methodology.
The first and second MOOCs, “Building Your Leadership Skills” and “Giving Sense to Your Leadership Experience,” help develop participants’ self-awareness, confidence, empathy, trust in others, cooperation, resilience in overcoming crises, sense-building and responsibility. The third MOOC, “Leading Organizations,” helps illustrate successful implementation of these leadership skills, featuring insights from leaders of organizations including Poilâne, Orange, Publicis, Bla Bla Car sharing how they have applied the Savoir-Relier methodology.
A capstone course, “Your Leadership Challenge,” culminates the specialization. Here, participants use the leadership skills they have developed through the preceding MOOCs to tackle their own personal leadership challenges.
To date, HEC Paris has launched five MOOCs and one specialization. Three additional MOOCs are in the works, including one on understanding the European Union. More than 150,000 participants have taken part in HEC’s MOOCs worldwide, and 7,500 certificates have been awarded, the school reports.
