Top 12 free management skills training courses for managers (2025)
Hone your team’s managerial skills using free management skills training courses. These courses explore concepts related to effective management, like communication, empathy, negotiation, and problem-solving.
Management skills training #1
Leadership and Coaching/Management Styles
One’s leadership style directly impacts how their team works. That makes it essential that your managers know about their management styles and how to maximize them for better outcomes.
SC Training (formerly EdApp)’s management skills training microlearning course will teach them how to analyze future opportunities, implement different leadership styles, and develop themselves as managers. By the end of the training, they’ll be able to apply their knowledge when onboarding, fostering an innovative culture for new employees.
Cost: Free
Created by: SC Training (formerly EdApp)
Scope: Identifying and implementing management styles, attracting top talent, developing oneself as a manager, onboarding best practices
Management skills training #2
High Performance Leadership with Shane Watson
SC Training created an excellent leadership skills training with former Australian cricket star Shane Watson. He shares valuable insights on what it takes to be a high-performing leader, drawn from intense and competitive years on the field.
In this course, Shane addresses the effects of expectation and how your managers can reframe targets. It highlights the importance of discipline and understanding results to cultivate effective teams.
Cost: Free
Created by: SC Training
Scope: Differentiating results-driven and results-focused, traits of high-performing leaders, responsibilities of leaders, and managing expectations
Management skills training #3
Effective Communication
Effective communication is one of the most important skills a manager should possess. When they know how to communicate clearly and openly, they can convey expectations and make sure their team understands their goals.
This four-part management skills training course tackles practical tips to improve communication and public speaking skills. That way, managers can engage their team better and get their message across, whether in person, in public, or in a virtual setting. They’ll also learn how to “read the room” and use the proper tone, language, and style.
Cost: Free
Created by: SC Training
Scope: Tips to improve communication skills, public speaking, effective virtual communication, using the right tone, language, and style
Management skills training #4
Operating with Empathy
An empathetic manager knows how to listen actively and shows genuine concern for their team’s well-being, which results in an inclusive work environment.
Operating with Empathy is a self-paced online course containing three lessons that’ll equip managers with the best practices to create an empathetic culture in the workplace. Topics include various strategies for demonstrating empathy and team empathy-building opportunities.
Cost: Free
Created by: SC Training
Scope: Empathy and company culture, leading with empathy, fostering empathy in the team
Management skills training #5
Problem Solver
Problem Solver by SC Training helps managers lead with confidence and strategic thinking. This sixteen-part microcourse starts by explaining the importance of problem-solving and creativity.
Throughout the course, learners will delve into the different collaboration concepts and problem-solving steps and strategies. Other lessons extensively cover types of decision-making as well as structured, reasonable, and data-driven conflict resolution solutions.
Cost: Free
Created by: SC Training
Scope: Principles of problem-solving, Creative problem solving, types of problem-solving, kinds of decision making
Management skills training #6
Handling Objections with Emotional Intelligence
This training course highlights how to improve management skills with emotional intelligence. It includes basic communication skills for managers, like active listening and the use of body language.
By learning about these topics, your managers can enhance their self-awareness, manage their emotions, and develop the ability to connect more empathetically with their team members. This allows them to become better listeners with the tools to resolve conflict and communicate proficiently, whether through verbal or nonverbal means.
Cost: Free
Created by: SC Training
Scope: What is active listening, body language, resolving conflict without hurt feelings, taking feedback like a pro
Management skills training #7
Advanced Negotiation
This highly-detailed management training program will give managers all they need to know to become excellent negotiators. It teaches the negotiation process, including tips and tricks for setting the scene and initiating conversations.
Your learners will explore lessons about timing, setting priorities, making deals, building coalitions, and developing an implementation mindset.
Cost: Free
Created by: SC Training
Scope: The negotiation process, sequencing strategies and tactics, dealmaking and implementation, coalition-building, information sharing
Management skills training #8
Managing Difficult Conversations
For managers, it’s not so rare to encounter situations that call for confrontation. To help your managers handle this type of scenario, SC Training brings you this Managing Difficult Conversations course.
It’s a management skills training course that touches on how to listen actively, prioritize tough talks, overcome tricky interactions, and offer constructive feedback. With these, you can expect that your managers will know how to expertly navigate challenging and unwanted conflicts in the workplace.
Cost: Free
Created by: SC Training
Scope: Handling difficult conversations, offering negative feedback, delivering authentic apologies
Management skills training #9
Giving Effective Feedback
Feedback allows employees to grow, but it should be done in the proper manner for it to work. With SC Training’s Giving Effective Feedback, your managers will learn what feedback is and how it plays a significant role in developing their teams.
Then, they’ll gain more insight into the best practices of giving feedback, which include considering the right intentions, technique, time, and mindset.
Cost: Free
Created by: SC Training
Scope: What feedback is, why feedback is important, how to give effective feedback with S.T.A.R.S., best practices
Management skills training #10
Communication in Project Management
Project management can be challenging, and even more so with ineffective communication. SC Training’s Communication in Project Management is a five-part management skills course that aims to teach managers about the basic communication skills necessary when managing projects.
Here, they’ll not only gain insight into effective writing techniques, but they’ll also learn more about the best practices for collaborating with their team and delegating tasks according to their project goals.
Cost: Free
Created by: SC Training
Scope: Introduction to communication, effective writing, collaboration in the project team, delegation
Management skills training #11
How to be Authentic in your Management Style
How to be Authentic in your Management Style is part of SC Training’s extensive course library, which includes a variety of leadership and management courses. It tackles the importance of sincerity, honesty, and integrity in maintaining other people’s trust.
You can use this course to help your team of managers understand various types of behavior and communication, so they can interact with their team meaningfully. It’s a great training material that complements other online manager training courses offered by SC Training.
Cost: Free
Created by: SC Training
Scope: Authentic leadership, how to establish a good relationship with staff, behavior and communication types
Management skills training #12
Change Management
This change management course helps your managers develop adaptability and agility in response to evolving business factors. It covers risk control, process optimizations, and target achievement, allowing them to navigate changes effectively.
The course is an excellent management skills training for new managers, teaching essential abilities for seamless adjustments. Leaders can learn key preparations and goal-setting techniques to enhance efficiency and achieve their targets.
Cost: Free
Created by: SC Training
Scope: Embracing changes, the role of managers in accepting innovations, employee engagement and motivation techniques, and the importance of continuous change
Management isn’t just a position of authority. It’s also about navigating challenges, driving innovation, and creating a productive work environment so your company maintains consistent success. But to achieve all these, let’s start at the bottom and at the foundation of it all: a comprehensive management skills training program.
A management skills training program is a structured learning initiative specially tailored to improve the abilities of your organization’s leaders. It focuses on developing a range of skills that are relevant to the position, which helps managers learn the best ways to guide and motivate their teams, make informed decisions, delegate tasks, and communicate effectively.
It’s important to know that managers directly impact your company’s success, and it’s smart to invest in helping them grow as leaders who are capable of excelling in their roles. Having skilled team leaders results in a well-led team with members who feel valued and satisfied, which increases job satisfaction and productivity. They also make it much easier to meet set objectives, paving the way for individual, team, and organizational success.
What are the five managerial skills?
These are the five key managerial skills every manager should have to become an effective leader at work:
- Technical skills - mastering the technical aspects related to their field or industry and understanding the different tools, processes, and technologies specific to their area of responsibility.
- Interpersonal skills - building strong connections, communicating effectively, listening attentively, resolving conflicts, and collaborating with team members and stakeholders.
- Conceptual skills - understanding complex concepts, creating long-term strategies, setting goals, and aligning their team’s efforts to their organizational goals.
- Diagnostic skills - analyzing situations, identifying problems, determining underlying causes, and assessing potential solutions.
- Decision-making skills - analyzing insights, evaluating options, considering implications, and choosing the best course of action.
Build a team of confident managers with management skills training
Your employees’ performance depends largely on how well they’re managed. When they aren’t performing well, your company isn’t either. Keep in mind that your managers hold significant responsibilities in the workplace, which is parallel to their impact on the company’s performance, culture, and reputation. This makes it essential for organizations to identify and address managerial shortcomings through a management skills training program.
With online management courses, you can make sure that your existing and new managers are equipped with the right knowledge and skills to effectively oversee their roles. They’ll be able to lead with confidence, handle tough situations, and make the best choices for their teams and the organization. These aspects contribute to building a positive and collaborative workplace that thrives under good leadership.