edX Online

Top-rated leadership training programs to boost your skills

Developing your leadership skills can help you improve your résumé, increase your salary potential, and explore new careers. Explore leadership training programs offering the best return on investment.

By: Thomas Broderick, Edited by: Gabriela Pérez Jordán

Published: October 22, 2025


Leadership skills are essential for workers in every field. However, you don't need to earn a graduate degree to become a better leader. Online edX programs can help you improve these in-demand skills and apply what you learn in the virtual classroom to your current career.

Discover some of the best online leadership training programs on edX to find one that aligns with your education and career goals.

Popular online leadership training programs on edX

Featured course

Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles | Harvard University

Level: Introductory

Duration: Four weeks, self-paced

Skill focus: Conflict resolution, stakeholder collaboration, adapting to change

How this course supports your career: This course emphasizes the leadership skills necessary to respond to unexpected challenges. Coursework prepares you to build trust and collaborate with all employees at your organization.


Featured course

Leaders of Learning | Harvard University

Level: Introductory

Duration: 10 weeks, self-paced

Skill focus: Organizational structure, physical and digital design

How this course supports your career: This course supports professionals inside and outside the education field in identifying their own theories of learning. Class exercises can help students discover ways to support continuing education within their company or organization.


Featured course

Leadership for Purposeful Change: Creating Public Value | Harvard University

Level: Introductory

Duration: Seven weeks, self-paced

Skill focus: Value propositions, social responsibility, critical thinking

How this course supports your career: This course teaches aspiring leaders working in public organizations to inspire public action and collaboration. This class uses case studies to help students understand how good leaders make positive changes.


Featured professional certificate

Leadership and Communication | Harvard University

Level: Introductory

Duration: Three months, self-paced

Skill focus: Effective interpersonal communication, personal leadership strategies

How this course supports your career: This professional certificate program includes two courses: Exercising Leadership and Rhetoric. The latter focuses on communication and can help you build strong relationships with employees at all levels.


Featured Executive Education

Executive Leadership Programme | University of Oxford

Level: Introductory

Duration: Eight weeks, scheduled classes

Skill focus: Foundational leadership skills, leading change, and facing unexpected challenges

How this course supports your career: This synchronous, cohort-based program emphasizes the skills that new and experienced leaders need to make changes within their organizations. Students leave the program able to apply leadership best practices and develop a personal theory of leadership.

banner-logo

“[During the pandemic] we had to adapt or die. We thrived because of good leadership, innovation, and fast decision-making — all skills I learned through Cambridge.”

University of Cambridge's High Impact Leadership program

Hanlie Linde

Build your résumé with industry-recognized credentials

edX offers professional certificates, MicroBachelors® Programs, and MicroMasters® Programs that can help you learn in-demand leadership skills and increase your salary potential. Adding these programs to your résumé shows current and future employers your dedication to lifelong learning and continuous professional growth.

Strengthen your leadership skills with flexible online learning

Explore the latest edX leadership training programs and get a head start on advancing your career.

Find the right leadership program for you

Frequently asked questions

What are leadership training programs?

Leadership training programs offer professionals of all experience levels a convenient way to learn in-demand leadership skills. Many programs, such as executive education, feature asynchronous curricula, letting you schedule coursework around your other personal and professional commitments. Upon completion, you may receive a professional certificate that you can put on your résumé.

How are leadership training programs effective?

Instructors at leading universities such as Harvard and Oxford develop leadership training programs for busy workers. They bring their expertise to you at a fraction of the cost of a traditional degree. Some programs also feature a cohort-based learning model that encourages you to make lasting professional relationships with like-minded students.

How do I choose the right leadership program?

Choosing the right leadership training program starts by evaluating your professional goals. Asking yourself what you want to get out of a program can help you narrow down your options. You can also review student testimonials and ask professional contacts for advice when picking a program.

Share this article