I love to learn. It's in my top 5 strengths, and as a result, I've tried quite a few learning platforms. Each one is a little different regarding what it offers and costs. It can be hard to navigate.
I will share a brief overview and my personal experience on eight platforms in this post. I hope this helps you navigate the learning landscape and find a good next step in your learning journey.
I've seen many people not take their next step in learning something new because of the cost. I want to tell you, "It's worth it." It will cost you both in time and money. But again, it's worth it.
Let's say you spent $300 learning a skill that lands you a new job. The pay increase quickly covers the learning cost in terms of money. If it results in you doing something you enjoy, that's an excellent return on your investment of time.
I'll list the costs for each platform in the reviews. Many of them have discounts or free trials available. There are free options available, but you will trade money for time with some of them, like YouTube. This is because the content isn't curated in the same way, and you're going to spend time finding and organizing your own learning path.
LinkedIn Learning is a big one meaning they have lots and lots of content. A few years back, LinkedIn acquired Lynda.com, a considerable learning platform. The content includes just about everything that connects to professional development. They have four primary topics:
I really like their learning path concept. I've done a number of them. I resonate with how a learning path starts at the end by defining where you want to be, like "Become an Agile Software Developer" or "Become a Graphic Designer." LinkedIn has curated a set of courses designed to reach these goals. If you're looking to make a career change, these learning paths can help you identify gaps you may have and where you want to focus.
The cost can feel a little high ($323.88/year or $39.99/month), but you get premium access, allowing you to send inMail communication and see who views your profile. So if you're also actively looking and learning for a next job, it helps on both fronts, and the cost is readily justifiable.
LinkedIn recently increased its cost and now runs $26.99/month (billed annually) or $39.99 / month (billed monthly). You can get your first month free to try things out.
Most courses only provide you with a certificate you can post on LinkedIn, but they may not carry the same weight as other certification options. However, in a world where you demonstrate what you can do over what you know, posting that you're an active learner and sharing what you created through a course can go a long way.
Skillshare has been my team's go-to for creative learning. If you want to learn a new design tool or technique, you'll find great courses on Skillshare. Some of their top topics include:
CREATE
BUILD
THRIVE
You can save courses to build your own learning path. You can also follow instructors, which I find an enjoyable and personal way to learn. Aaron Draplin is a favorite for me. The quality of content varies a bit, but you can use reviews and the number of students to gauge the quality as you search for classes.
If the learning you want to do is in the creative space then Skillshare is the option I recommend for you.
Skillshare also recently increased its cost but is still more affordable than others on this list. It costs $168/year or $32/month. You can get your first month free to try out some of the courses and see if it's what you're looking for
Some courses may help you prep for a certification, but they don't directly provide them. You can always post the project you created from the course you took.
For a while, I only did free courses on Coursera to decide if specific topics were something I wanted to dive deeper into. I found the quality to be relatively high and their interface very intuitive. They have transcript that tracks the video. You can highlight sections of the transcript to add notes.
Coursera is unique because it provides connections with accredited institutions, an intriguing option if you're considering an online degree. They offer certificates along with both undergrad and graduate degrees. In 2021 I completed the Grow with Google UX Design certificate courses, which I would highly recommend.
If you can go to school for it, you can probably find it on Coursera. Their main topic categories include:
You can take many courses on Coursera for free. Coursera Plus unlocks a ton more courses, and you get certificates on completion. Compared to others on this list, it's not cheap at $59/month or $399/year. However, earning my UX certificate cost me under $300, which is a steal compared to any boot camp.
There are numerous certificate options available. I think this is where Coursera really shines. They include both broad categories (UX design) and specific categories (Voice UX design)
You want your life to have meaning and impact.
What if your everyday work and life not only felt natural and intuitive but also aligned with your priorities and positively impacted those around you?
Udemy is suitable for one-off classes. Most of the other platforms in this post use a subscription model, but on Udemy, you can buy just a single class. This is great if you know exactly what you're looking for. You can always find discounts. Seriously, pretty much every course is on sale. Another advantage of Udemy is you retain access to the course you purchased. With the subscription models you can't go back and rewatch a video a year later if you're not still paying for it.
Udemy's top categories include:
The courses I've taken have been decent quality and you can read reviews and preview parts of the course before purchasing.
Some are free, but most are paid $14.99 - $100+ The courses are almost always on sale.
More courses focus on prepping you for passing a certification test than courses that provide a certificate.
This one is quite different from the rest of this list. Master Class is more like Netflix for those who love to learn. It's top-class content and production with an exciting mashup of entertainment and learning.
The topics are incredibly varied, from gardening to basketball, leadership to playing the violin, mixology to architecture. A well-known expert teaches each course. For example, Gordon Ramsey teaches cooking, and Steph Curry teaches basketball.
Their main categories include:
MasterClass differentiates itself with celebrity personalities and professional productions.
$15/month. Purchased 1 year at a time.
Masterclass is more focused on learning as entertainment rather than professional development. It does not offer any certifications.
Khan Academy is a bit different from a platform due to most of its content focusing on a younger audience. It's grown a lot over the years, providing video instruction for almost all school-age courses. One of the goals of Khan Academy is to "flip the classroom" so that kids can watch the videos at home and allow for more interaction doing the work at school. I've used this with my kids to supplement their classes.
Free but encourages donations.
Khan Academy does not offer certifications.
This is more of a category than a specific platform, but I felt it was worth mentioning because there is a lot of learning value here. Most companies offer educational support for using their products, but some go above and beyond. Companies like Google, Webflow, or UserTesting offer courses that end with certification to demonstrate competence using their tools. This is a good option if trying to take the new skill you're learning and get a job doing it.
Other companies, like Hubspot, offer broader education and certifications on topics related to the products they offer. If you want to get into content marketing, Hubspot provides some outstanding foundational courses for free.
Usually free
Many types available. Some are tool-specific others are topical.
I include YouTube on here for two reasons.
There is some great content on YouTube, but it's not always easy to find. The content isn't curated in the same ways as these other platforms. You may have to watch five or more videos before finding the one you need. You end up paying with your time instead of your money.
I've also found that quality and focus of content on YouTube to be behind many of these other platforms. In the end, it's still true; you get what you pay for.
Free, but you're trading your time.
None.
Here is a summary of the platforms I covered in this guide.
We covered a lot. Now what? I encourage you to choose one platform and try it for a season. Take that first step in learning something new. Trade a season on Netflix for a new skill.
Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy and management style that emphasizes the importance of serving others first before considering one's own needs and desires. It's an approach to leadership that focuses on the well-being and growth of others, rather than solely on achieving organizational goals.
A servant leader prioritizes the needs of their followers or team members, providing them with support, guidance, and mentorship. They are committed to empowering their team members to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.
Some common characteristics of servant leaders include:
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Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
Servant leadership can be beneficial in the workplace in a number of ways, including:
Overall, servant leadership can lead to a more positive, productive, and fulfilling workplace environment, benefiting both employees and the organization as a whole.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
Servant leadership differs from many other leadership styles in several key ways:
Overall, servant leadership is characterized by a focus on serving others, prioritizing empathy and collaboration, and taking a humble and accountable approach to leadership. While other leadership styles may be effective in different contexts, servant leadership can be a powerful tool for creating positive change and empowering others to reach their full potential.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
Team leadership is a management approach focused on leading and guiding a group of individuals working together towards a common goal. A team leader is responsible for providing direction, support, and guidance to the team members, while fostering a positive and productive work environment.
Team leadership involves setting clear goals and expectations for the team, communicating effectively, and building trust and relationships with team members. It also involves empowering team members to take ownership of their work and contribute their unique skills and perspectives to the team's success.
Some key characteristics of effective team leadership include:
Overall, team leadership is a collaborative and empowering approach to management that values communication, trust-building, and results-driven performance.
There are several different styles of team leadership, including:
Overall, each style of team leadership has its own strengths and weaknesses, and effective leaders may use a combination of different styles depending on the situation and the needs of their team.
There are several key skills required for effective team leadership, including:
Overall, effective team leadership requires a combination of interpersonal, decision-making, and management skills, as well as the ability to inspire and empower team members to work collaboratively towards shared goals.
Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy and management style that emphasizes the importance of serving others first before considering one's own needs and desires. It's an approach to leadership that focuses on the well-being and growth of others, rather than solely on achieving organizational goals.
A servant leader prioritizes the needs of their followers or team members, providing them with support, guidance, and mentorship. They are committed to empowering their team members to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.
Some common characteristics of servant leaders include:
Overall, servant leadership is about creating a supportive and empowering environment for others to thrive. By prioritizing the needs of their followers, a servant leader can inspire trust, loyalty, and commitment, ultimately leading to better outcomes for the organization as a whole.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
Strengths-based growth doesn’t encourage you to ignore your weaknesses but not to spend too much time trying to turn them into strengths. Instead, you may need to find team members or systems to fill in your gaps.
Learn more about how StrengthsFind influences your leadership.
For some people, their strengths ranked 5, 6 or 7 are almost even. You could also be misattributing a skill or behavior to a specific strength.
Learn more about how StrengthsFind influences your leadership.
Seeing your other 29 strengths can help give you a fuller picture. But initially, someone should focus on further developing those top 5 strengths rather than trying to give attention across the list. Once you have a good grasp on what it looks like to lead from your top 5, it can be helpful to explore the rest of the list.
Learn more about how StrengthsFind influences your leadership.
A talent is your natural way of thinking or behaving. A strength is a talent developed over time through knowledge, skills and practice.
Learn more about how StrengthsFinder influences your leadership.
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