Best LinkedIn Learning Courses – Top Picks for Professional Growth

LinkedIn Learning is a trove of knowledge for professionals eager to enhance their skills. Among the 20 most popular courses, those focusing on both soft and technical skills have proven essential for career advancement.

Courses on LinkedIn Learning have been carefully curated to offer practical tips and tricks, adapted from podcast discussions and expert interviews, ensuring that learners can immediately apply their new knowledge.

With a range of courses designed to improve interpersonal communication, marketing strategy, and diversity understanding, professionals from all backgrounds can find valuable resources for growth.

Mastering Essential Soft Skills

Mastering essential soft skills is crucial for professional success, and LinkedIn Learning offers a selection of courses to help improve these competencies. Interpersonal communication, emotional intelligence, and the ability to foster a growth mindset are among the top skills employers demand.

These courses provide a foundation for professionals to build upon, ensuring they can effectively lead, adapt, and navigate the complexities of today’s business landscape.

1. Communication Foundations with Brenda Bailey-Hughes and Tatiana Kolovou

Communication Foundations with Brenda Bailey-Hughes and Tatiana Kolovou

Effective communication is a cornerstone of career success. In “Communication Foundations,” experts Brenda Bailey-Hughes and Tatiana Kolovou teach how to excel in various professional scenarios.

By dissecting the four building blocks of communication—people, message, context, and listening—learners can enhance how they interact in meetings, craft emails, and deliver presentations. This course offers a structured approach to mastering the art of conveying ideas clearly and confidently.

Understanding the nuances of message delivery and the significance of active listening are emphasized. The instructors delve into strategies for tailoring communication to different audiences, ensuring that the intended message is heard, understood, and acted upon. 

Through practical exercises and real-world examples, learners are equipped to handle professional communication with greater skill and ease.

Moreover, Bailey-Hughes and Kolovou provide insights into overcoming common communication barriers. They guide learners through identifying personal communication styles, adapting to the styles of others, and the importance of feedback in fostering effective exchange.

This comprehensive course empowers professionals to become more persuasive and influential communicators.

2. Developing Your Emotional Intelligence with Gemma Leigh Roberts

Developing Your Emotional Intelligence with Gemma Leigh Roberts

Emotional intelligence is a pivotal skill in the modern workplace, and Gemma Leigh Roberts’ Developing Your Emotional Intelligence course is crafted to enhance this competency.

Roberts, an executive coach and organizational psychologist, explores the multifaceted nature of emotional intelligence and its impact on professional relationships. The course offers a roadmap for becoming more self-aware and aligning one’s intentions with their impact on colleagues and clients.

Learners are guided through identifying personal triggers and learning how to manage emotional responses effectively. Gemma Leigh Roberts emphasizes the importance of empathy and understanding in building strong, collaborative relationships.

With a focus on practical application, the course equips professionals with the tools to navigate the emotional landscapes of their workplaces with finesse.

In addition to enhancing interpersonal interactions, this course underscores the role of emotional intelligence in leadership. Roberts empowers learners to lead with compassion and clarity by demonstrating how to harness emotional insights.

This training is essential for anyone looking to advance their career by cultivating a work environment that values and practices emotional intelligence.

3. Cultivating a Growth Mindset with Gemma Leigh Roberts

Cultivating a Growth Mindset with Gemma Leigh Roberts

Cultivating a growth mindset is essential for continuous personal and professional development. Through her course on this transformative concept, Gemma Leigh Roberts illustrates how a growth mindset can significantly impact one’s career trajectory.

Roberts’ guidance helps learners understand the difference between a fixed and growth mindset and the importance of embracing challenges as opportunities for learning and improvement.

Roberts provides actionable strategies for fostering a growth mindset within oneself and across teams. The course teaches learners to move beyond limiting beliefs, embrace constructive criticism, and persevere despite setbacks. By adopting a growth mindset, professionals can unlock their potential and drive innovation within their organizations.

The course also covers applying a growth mindset to goal setting and problem-solving, making it a valuable resource for those looking to enhance their strategic thinking.

Roberts’ expertise in emotional intelligence further enriches the learning experience as she connects the dots between self-awareness, resilience, and a growth-oriented approach to personal and career development.

Enhancing Your Technical Proficiency

Technical proficiency is a key differentiator in the workforce, and LinkedIn Learning’s courses are designed to boost these crucial skills.

Whether mastering data analysis through Excel, understanding the fundamentals of programming with Python, or navigating database management with SQL, these courses provide a solid foundation for technical excellence. They cater to beginners and those looking to deepen their expertise, ensuring all learners can advance their technical acumen.

4. Excel Essential Training (Office 365/Microsoft 365) with Dennis Taylor

Excel Essential Training (Office 365/Microsoft 365) with Dennis Taylor

The ability to effectively organize data and perform calculations is indispensable in today’s data-driven world.

In “Excel Essential Training,” Excel expert Dennis Taylor imparts basic Excel skills such as organizing data, performing calculations with simple functions, and more. This course aids spreadsheet proficiency, introducing learners to techniques that streamline data management and analysis.

Taylor progresses to intermediate skills like building charts and PivotTables, enhancing the learner’s ability to present data meaningfully. The course is structured to build confidence in using Excel, with step-by-step guidance that takes learners from fundamental concepts to more complex applications.

By the end of the training, professionals will be equipped with the Excel skills to transform raw data into actionable insights.

5. Learning Python with Joe Marini

Learning Python with Joe Marini

Python is a versatile programming language essential for software engineering and machine learning careers. In “Learning Python,” developer Joe Marini demystifies basic Python syntax and demonstrates how to construct and run a Python program.

This course is tailored for those seeking a strong foundation in this high-demand language, offering a springboard into various tech-centric roles. Marini covers essential topics such as how to retrieve and parse HTML and XML data from the web, expanding the learner’s toolkit for application development.

The course is practical and hands-on, with examples illustrating Python’s power in solving real-world problems. Marini’s course is an invaluable resource for professionals looking to break into or advance in the tech industry.

6. SQL Essential Training with Bill Weinman

SQL Essential Training with Bill Weinman

SQL is the cornerstone of database management, and Bill Weinman’s “SQL Essential Training” equips learners with the skills to harness its power. Weinman takes an approachable route to teach the major features of SQL, including creating tables, defining relationships, and manipulating strings.

This course is essential for anyone looking to understand the critical role of data in tech-related fields. The training delves into practical applications, allowing learners to apply SQL to real-world scenarios.

Through hands-on exercises, professionals gain proficiency in managing and querying databases, a skill set that is increasingly sought after in the job market. Weinman’s expertise makes this course a must for those who aspire to handle data adeptly in their professional pursuit.

Advancing Your Leadership Capabilities

Advancing leadership capabilities is a strategic move for professionals aiming for higher echelons in their careers.

LinkedIn Learning offers courses focusing on the power of strategic goals and methodologies, such as Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), to enhance leadership skills. These courses catalyze becoming a more effective and forward-thinking leader.

7. Goal Setting: Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) with Jessie Withers

Goal Setting: Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) with Jessie Withers

Clear and strategic goal setting is fundamental to leadership and team alignment. Instructor Jessie Withers’ course “Goal Setting: Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)” introduces the concept of OKRs and their importance in driving organizational success.

Learners are guided through setting, managing, and measuring OKRs, providing a structured framework for achieving strategic goals. With Withers’ expertise, professionals can learn how to articulate their vision and translate it into attainable objectives.

The course emphasizes the significance of measurable outcomes and the techniques to monitor progress effectively. By mastering OKRs, leaders can ensure that their teams work cohesively towards common objectives, leading to improved performance and results.

8. Strategic Thinking with Dorie Clark

Strategic Thinking with Dorie Clark

Embracing strategic thinking is critical for climbing the career ladder, and Dorie Clark’s course on Strategic Thinking equips professionals with the foresight needed for long-term success.

Clark emphasizes the importance of learning from past experiences to craft a clear vision for the future, ensuring that professionals can anticipate changes and act proactively. This course teaches how to develop a detailed strategic approach and impart this skill to team members effectively, enhancing overall organizational performance.

One of the key takeaways from Clark’s teachings is the integration of communication skills into strategic thinking. This helps professionals devise strategies, receive critical feedback, and communicate across cultures, which is essential to today’s diverse work environment.

By mastering these skills, learners are better prepared to address complex challenges and lead confidently.

9. Agile Foundations with Doug Rose

Agile Foundations with Doug Rose

Doug Rose’s Agile Foundations course provides an immersive introduction to the agile methodology, guiding learners through the key principles that make an agile team resilient and responsive.

Rose’s expert insights into the Agile Manifesto lay the foundation for a team’s transformation, allowing them to embrace change and improve productivity. The course covers enhancing communication with user stories and cross-functional teams, fostering a collaborative environment essential for agile success.

Through practical exercises, learners are encouraged to apply agile principles in real-world scenarios, building proficiency in creating stories and cross-functional teams. Rose’s instruction ensures that participants not only understand the theoretical aspects of Agile but also gain hands-on experience, which is vital for implementing Agile practices in their daily work processes.

Fostering Inclusive and Effective Teams

Dana Brownlee’s insights into team collaboration underscore the significance of setting clear expectations and unified goals to collaborate more effectively. Her guidance provides a roadmap for leaders to synchronize team efforts and maximize productivity through effective communication and shared objectives.

10. Essentials of Team Collaboration with Dana Brownlee

Essentials of Team Collaboration with Dana Brownlee

In the course led by Dana Brownlee, professionals learn the fundamentals of fostering an environment where team collaboration thrives. Brownlee’s experience as a corporate trainer shines through as she offers strategies for maintaining alignment within teams, ensuring that everyone is working towards common goals.

The course highlights the importance of clarity in roles and objectives, which is essential for team members to collaborate more effectively and reach desired outcomes. Through Brownlee’s expertise, learners are equipped with the tools needed to navigate the complexities of teamwork.

They gain practical insights into overcoming common hurdles that impede collaboration, enabling them to build stronger, more cohesive teams that tackle challenges with a unified approach.

11. Unconscious Bias with Stacey Gordon

Unconscious Bias with Stacey Gordon

Unconscious bias can significantly influence decision-making and interpersonal relationships in the workplace. Stacey Gordon’s course provides a comprehensive look at recognizing and counteracting these biases to create a more equitable and effective workplace culture.

The course, which has helped hundreds of thousands of viewers since its release, enables learners to make more thoughtful decisions, build stronger relationships, and become better colleagues.

Gordon’s approach is grounded in practicality, offering actionable steps that individuals can take to identify biases and work towards minimizing their impact. Through this learning, professionals are better positioned to contribute to a workplace that values diversity and fosters inclusivity, traits increasingly recognized as drivers of innovation and success.

12. Using Questions to Foster Critical Thinking and Curiosity with Joshua Miller

Using Questions to Foster Critical Thinking and Curiosity with Joshua Miller

Joshua Miller’s course on fostering critical thinking and curiosity delves into asking the right questions to unlock doors and opportunities within the professional landscape. Miller demonstrates how strategic curiosity can guide individuals up the corporate ladder, emphasizing the importance of inquiry in achieving significant career milestones.

The course also explores the media’s role in asking questions, highlighting how social platforms can be leveraged to engage in meaningful dialogue and information exchange.

Learners are taught how to effectively answer thought-provoking questions, a skill that opens up new perspectives and encourages a deeper understanding of complex issues. With Miller’s guidance, professionals can hone their ability to think critically and maintain a curious mindset, essential for innovation and continuous learning in any field.

Sharpening Your Project Management and Strategy

Project management skills are indispensable in today’s fast-paced work environments, and Bonnie Biafore’s course lays the groundwork for mastering these competencies. By focusing on the fundamentals of project management, learners are empowered to lead projects of any scale with confidence and efficiency.

13. Project Management Foundations with Bonnie Biafore

Project Management Foundations with Bonnie Biafore

Bonnie Biafore’s Project Management Foundations course is an essential guide for those looking to strengthen their project management capabilities. Biafore expertly covers the fundamentals of project management, from establishing clear project goals and objectives to meeting critical deadlines.

The course offers a thorough understanding of the project lifecycle, ensuring learners can initiate, plan, execute, and close projects precisely.

Additionally, Biafore provides invaluable tips on communicating effectively with your project team, a skill crucial for maintaining project momentum and harmony among stakeholders.

By applying these strategies, professionals can elevate their project management skills and contribute to their organization’s success with well-executed projects that align with strategic goals.

14. Power BI Essential Training with Gini von Courter

Power BI Essential Training with Gini von Courter

Data visualization is a powerful tool for conveying complex information, and Gini von Courter’s Power BI Essential Training enables professionals to create impactful visualizations that drive decision-making. The course teaches learners how to transform raw data into compelling visual narratives, which can be shared across the organization to inform and inspire action.

Von Courter’s instruction covers the importation of data, the creation of visualizations, and the arrangement of these visualizations into reports, providing a comprehensive skill set for data-driven storytelling.

Learners also gain proficiency in Power BI Mobile and the data modeling capabilities of Power BI Desktop, ensuring that they can access and manipulate data on the go and build robust analytical models. This course is essential for anyone looking to leverage the full potential of their data and make an impact within their organization.

15. Learning the OWASP Top 10 with Caroline Wong

Learning the OWASP Top 10 with Caroline Wong

In an era where data security is paramount, Caroline Wong’s course on the OWASP Top 10 is a vital resource for professionals across various sectors. This course offers an in-depth look at the most prevalent security threats, providing learners with the knowledge to protect their organizations from potential breaches.

Wong’s expertise in application security is evident as she breaks down complex concepts into understandable segments, ensuring learners grasp each threat’s significance and potential impact.

Apart from data security specialists, the course is a crucial guide for decision-makers whose choices affect the resources allocated to data security efforts. By understanding these threats, professionals can overcome anxiety associated with data risks, make informed decisions that safeguard vital business interests, and organize their thoughts around robust security strategies.

Conclusion: Elevating Career Prospects with LinkedIn Learning

With its expansive catalog of over 20,000 courses, LinkedIn Learning stands as a beacon for online learning, catering to millions of learners seeking to enhance their professional capabilities.

Whether the goal is to refine soft skills, boost technical proficiency, or augment leadership qualities, these carefully curated courses are designed to foster career advancement. By investing in these learning opportunities, individuals are well-placed to navigate the ever-evolving job market and propel their careers to new heights.

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