The London School of Economics and Political Science
Effective Decision-Making: Essential Leadership Skills
Critical thinking fuels impactful and decisive leadership. Sharpen your judgement with the groundbreaking tool, Decision Canvas™ and cutting-edge research.
Start date
09 April 2025
Course duration
6 weeks
Excluding orientation
Language
English
Access resources from start date
Effort
7–10 hours per week
Self-paced learning online
Course overview
In a business world that has become increasingly tech-reliant, it’s more apparent than ever that critical thinking and strategic decision-making skills are crucial for leaders who want to navigate change and be successful.
The Effective Decision-Making: Essential Leadership Skills online certificate course from LSE will empower you with the insight needed to deliver impact in your career. Over six weeks, you’ll have the opportunity to grow your problem-solving and critical thinking skills by exploring the science behind decision-making. Using Barbara Fasolo and Umar Taj's groundbreaking tool – the Decision Canvas™ – you’ll be guided through a step-by-step process for formulating clear, unbiased decisions.
You’ll also improve your intuitive decision-making and learn how to compensate for blind spots by exploring and interrogating cognitive bias and automatic judgements. The curriculum highlights the value of collaboration through regular live peer-to-peer discussions and group work. By leveraging the diversity, experiences, and insight of those around you, you’ll learn how to assess decision challenges from different viewpoints and be exposed to alternative solutions. By combining theory with practical studies, you’ll gain a framework to improve your decision-making process as a leader in any context.
Is this course for you?
This online certificate course is ideal for business leaders, managers, and supervisors who want to develop structured and scientifically informed problem-solving and decision-making skills. Professionals looking to advance their critical thinking and make more strategic and tactical business decisions that deliver impact would also find value in the course.
This Effective Decision-Making: Essential Leadership Skills online certificate course is certified by the United Kingdom CPD Certification Service, and may be applicable to individuals who are members of, or are associated with, UK-based professional bodies. The course has an estimated 60 hours of learning.
Note: should you wish to claim CPD activity, the onus is on you. The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and GetSmarter accept no responsibility, and cannot be held responsible, for the claiming or validation of hours or points.
Course overview
Course overview
In a business world that has become increasingly tech-reliant, it’s more apparent than ever that critical thinking and strategic decision-making skills are crucial for leaders who want to navigate change and be successful.
The Effective Decision-Making: Essential Leadership Skills online certificate course from LSE will empower you with the insight needed to deliver impact in your career. Over six weeks, you’ll have the opportunity to grow your problem-solving and critical thinking skills by exploring the science behind decision-making. Using Barbara Fasolo and Umar Taj's groundbreaking tool – the Decision Canvas™ – you’ll be guided through a step-by-step process for formulating clear, unbiased decisions.
You’ll also improve your intuitive decision-making and learn how to compensate for blind spots by exploring and interrogating cognitive bias and automatic judgements. The curriculum highlights the value of collaboration through regular live peer-to-peer discussions and group work. By leveraging the diversity, experiences, and insight of those around you, you’ll learn how to assess decision challenges from different viewpoints and be exposed to alternative solutions. By combining theory with practical studies, you’ll gain a framework to improve your decision-making process as a leader in any context.
Is this course for you?
This online certificate course is ideal for business leaders, managers, and supervisors who want to develop structured and scientifically informed problem-solving and decision-making skills. Professionals looking to advance their critical thinking and make more strategic and tactical business decisions that deliver impact would also find value in the course.
This Effective Decision-Making: Essential Leadership Skills online certificate course is certified by the United Kingdom CPD Certification Service, and may be applicable to individuals who are members of, or are associated with, UK-based professional bodies. The course has an estimated 60 hours of learning.
Note: should you wish to claim CPD activity, the onus is on you. The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and GetSmarter accept no responsibility, and cannot be held responsible, for the claiming or validation of hours or points.
What will set you apart
A structured, scientifically informed process for making better, bias-proof decisions.
Access to the Decision Canvas™ framework – a comprehensive guide to approaching and improving decisions that deliver impact.
The ability to recognise and compensate for blind spots such as cognitive bias and automatic judgements in your decision-making process.
Intuitive decision-making abilities, enhanced through collaborative, highly integrative, and experiential learning.
The capacity to view a decision from different perspectives by leveraging the diversity, experiences, and insight of others.Course curriculum
Orientation module
Welcome to your Online Campus
Module 1
Decision-making styles and approaches
Module 2
Evaluating the quality of decisions
Module 3
Judgements as decision drivers
Module 4
Bias as an obstacle to successful decision-making
Module 5
Outsmarting biases
Module 6
Designing decision architecture
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Your faculty
Who you'll learn from
Dr Barbara Fasolo
Associate Professor of Behavioural Science, Department of Management, LSE
Dr Umar Taj
Guest Teacher, Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science, LSE
About the certificate
Enhance your critical thinking and decision-making abilities, and earn an official certificate of competence from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Assessment is continuous and based on a series of practical assignments completed online. In order to be issued with a digital certificate, you’ll need to meet the requirements outlined in the course handbook. The handbook will be made available to you as soon as you begin the course.
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Why choose GetSmarter?
GetSmarter operates as edX's partner for premium online short course products from the world's leading universities and institutions. With edX, we leverage our people, technology, and resources to power your education and your potential.
We deliver market-led courses that equip working professionals with the expertise required to upskill, reskill or kickstart a completely new career. Through a data-driven approach, we analyze future skills requirements and ensure all courses address this need. We ensure that leading universities and institutions are your expert guides and our people, technology, and resources are your engine – together we power more than just education, we power your potential.
Read more about GetSmarter here and edX here.
Find out more about GetSmarter’s approach to digital learning, course design, and online delivery here.
Payment options
You can pay your course fees before the course starts, or you may opt for a split payment plan on courses that are nine weeks and shorter. For courses 10 weeks and longer, there is a three-part payment plan available. To find out more about payment options please visit our Payment and Financing page, or contact an Enrollment Adviser, to find out which option you qualify for.
Manage your time
GetSmarter's learning model is designed to help you, as a working professional, improve your skills without compromising on work and family responsibilities. The course work is broken up into weekly, manageable bite-sized modules, with incremental deadlines, designed to help you pace yourself over the duration of the course and allow you the legroom to work when it suits you best.
At the beginning of each module you'll be presented with the course content and assignments necessary for completion. You also have access to your Success Adviser who will help you manage your time, and support you with any administrative or technical queries you might have.
Seek employer assistance
By improving your skills and industry knowledge, you'll have an influence on the success of your organization. Why wouldn't you ask your boss to help you fund your studies if it's going to have an impact on the way you do business?
Of our past students, 37 percent have received financial assistance from their employers. You can ask for help, too. Here is a guide to show you how to request financial assistance from your employer.
If you are a Learning & Development (L&D) manager, or involved in training and upskilling for an organization, you can request information regarding our corporate offering on our GetSmarter for business page.
How to change your start date
As part of our commitment to your professional development, GetSmarter offers you a two-week period to change your course start date or request your money back if you’re not fully satisfied.
To qualify for a deferral of your course start date, or to cancel your enrollment and receive a refund of your course fee, your request would need to reach our Success Advisers before the release of Module 2. For more information, please read our Terms and Conditions.
Discover the Online Campus
The Online Campus will be your virtual classroom for the duration of your course. Through its easy-to-use interface you'll have access to a diverse variety of course content formats including: interactive videos, module notes, practice quizzes, presentations, assignment briefs, and additional web resources.
On the Online Campus, you'll also be able to ask questions and interact with your fellow students and teaching team through the discussion forums. If you are looking for your Online Campus login, please visit your Account page here.
