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Leadership Essentials Certificate Overview

Miami University's Leadership Essentials Certificate provides a holistic understanding of topics from talent management and communication to strategic planning. Accomplished Miami alumnae with real industry expertise lead six self-paced modules, each focusing on a different area of leadership. Upon completion of the course, you'll earn a shareable, verifiable certificate of completion to exemplify your commitment to professional development.

What You'll Learn

Managing Talent

• Talent Acquisition
• Setting Expectations and Measuring Performance
• Coaching and Feedback
• Career Development Planning
• Employee Engagement

Jenna McHugh, Education Dynamics' Chief Human Resources Officer, leads the Managing Talent module. She has over 25 years of experience in executive leadership roles at large and mid-size companies. Jenna has a bachelor's degree in finance and decision sciences from Miami and is on the board of directors at Magnified Giving.

Boundaries, Expectations, and Ethics

• Understanding Boundaries
• Expectations in the Workplace
• Ethics in the Workplace
• Integrating Boundaries, Expectations, and Ethics
• Navigating Challenges and Conflicts

Laurie Sharp-Page, MS, LPCC-S, CWC, leads the Boundaries, Expectations, and Ethics module. In her roles as CEO of Flourish Psychotherapy, mental health professional, and author, Laurie helps individuals and organizations manage life's challenges effectively, combining research with real-world applications.

Leadership Styles

• Leading with Heart
• Powering your Leadership Journey
• Inclusive Leadership
• Amplifying through Communication
• Unleashing Your Leadership Potential

Sophia Fifner, President and CEO of the Columbus Metropolitan Club (CMC), is a visionary leader connecting people through community conversations. With a philanthropy and public policy background, she has secured over $100 million for social impact and served as a strategic advisor to S&P 500 executives.

Inspiring and Motivating Individuals

• Inspiration and Trust
• Self-Awareness
• Cultivating Culture
• Aligning Needs and Values
• Inspiring Mindset

Wendy Hartman, SHRM-CP, leads the Inspiring and Motivating Individuals module. She is a human resources professional with over ten years of experience supporting leaders as a partner and consultant for performance management, business strategy, and risk mitigation and management.

Communication in Leadership

• Mastering Your Mindset
• The Art of Non-Verbal Communication
• Clarity and Transparency
• Tone of Voice
• Building Rapport
• Empathy

Brie Sakach, marketing and creative director at a private wealth advisory practice, leads the Communication in Leadership module. After leading teams at various non-profits, she managed executive leadership events and large-scale marketing initiatives at JP Morgan before embracing her leadership role at Envisage Wealth.

Strategic Leadership

• Talent Matters
• Health of the Business
• Retention Matters
• Improvement Matters
• Vision and Values
• Engagement Matters
• Unlocking Excellence

Melanie Booher, MHR, a certified culture coach with 20+ years of human capital management experience, leads the Strategic Leadership module. She helps small- to mid-sized organizations instill "big-company best practices." Melanie created the THRIVE Model™ to help companies intentionally build their workplace culture.

Why Miami?

Miami University is recognized as one of the top schools for tomorrow's leaders, ranking 14th among public schools on TIME magazine's Best Colleges for Future Leaders (2023). Thanks to our teacher-scholars and the value of a Miami education, our students are empowered to become successful national and global leaders. The Leadership Essentials course is led by Miamians who are successful industry experts.

Computer and Browser Requirements

A computer or laptop is recommended for an optimal learning experience. Miami University hosts this course in its learning management system, Canvas. Most browsers should work fine, but Canvas provides a list of minimum browser and computer requirements and a tool to check whether the browser you are using is up to date.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

If you wish to cancel your registration and receive a refund for the course, you must complete the Refund Request Form within 3 days of enrollment.

Enrollment Guidelines

This course is currently open to those in the United States. Our payment gateway does not accept international credit cards at this time.