5 Reasons Why Online Leadership Certificates are Worth It

As we move through COVID19, there are lots of organizations offering Leadership Certificate programs, but how do you know if taking one of these courses is worth it for your career? One study shows that professionals who get additional leadership training see an increase of 25% in learning and 20% in job performance, as well as a 28% increase in leadership behaviours and 8% climb in subordinate performance.

Unfortunately traditional leadership courses, like MBA programs, require large amounts of time and money to provide us with the well-rounded leadership skills needed to help us navigate through our day-to-day roles, as well as advance us in our careers. For professionals looking to take the key courses that matter to them, there is option of a leadership certificate program—but how does it stack up? The good news is that these programs can provide you with the benefits of an MBA, but with much less of a time and money commitment.

By pursuing a leadership certificate, you are more likely to contribute to the improvement of participants’ cognitive, affective, and skill-based abilities according to this study, with the training effects trickle up to upper management and down to subordinates, influencing growth in the entire organization.

But what benefits do you get from an online leadership certificate program versus a more formal course offered by a traditional institution?

So What are the Top 5 Reasons to Take an Online Leadership Certificate Program?

Developing a well-rounded skill set.

Most leadership certificate programs are designed to provide you with key skills and best practices to elevate your leadership style. When selecting a program, look for courses that not only provide a background on what leadership is and the basic styles but a selection of key programs such as communications, finance, problem solving, conflict, etc. that provide you with a game plan of how to successfully lead people in several areas. Top skills required by leaders are, as mentioned in a Forbes article titled 10 Most Important Leadership Skills for the 21st Century Workplace:

1. Motivating Others

2. Fostering Potential

3. Inspiring Trust

4. Taking on & Giving Up Responsibility

5. Thinking Strategically

6. Setting Goals & Expectations

7. Giving & Receiving Feedback

8. Team Building

9. Positivity

10. Authenticity

Creating a wholistic action plan.

Taking individual programs, while convenient for a busy work schedule, may not provide you with the tools you need to link key learnings like conflict and communication, or motivation and delegation together. A certificate program is designed to link new skills and use them to create specific steps to put them into action.

Showing future employers your skill set.

While developing skills within your current role is critical, certificate programs have also shown to be incredibly attractive to recruiters and employers. Not only do certificates on an application add industry-specific keywords that enable candidates to get short-listed, but one study shows that among employers:

• 86% agreed that earning an industry micro-credential strengthens a candidate’s job application.

• 74% say that it would positively influence a hiring decision.

• In choosing between two degreed candidates, 63% say the presence of an industry micro-credential would positively influence a hiring decision.

• 39% said they had hired at least one candidate with a micro-credential.

Employers are not only interested in your work experience but will be looking for leaders with specific soft skills that can effectively show HOW they intend to lead employees. With a leadership certificate, you will have the tools to create a detailed outline of what you’ve learned will show them just that.

Leadership Certificate Programs offer networking opportunities.

In mixed-industry leadership training programs, students gain valuable insight from instructors but also their peers. It is important to find a program that features opportunities to apply newly learned skills through in-depth discussions and practical hands-on application. The network of professionals you will be exposed to as you work through your program will not only challenge your way of thinking but will prove invaluable as a professional network moving forward.

Leadership Certificate Programs are faster and more accessible.

Online leadership programs, like the 2023 Online Leadership Certificate Program offered from Lemmex Williams Training, are often condensed to enable you to elevate your leadership skills within a shorter timeframe. Because you are only taking the courses you need, you can gain key skills with a smaller budget relative to the average MBA program.