Explore leadership skills through Lumen Learning's Principles of Management and Organizational Behavior courses. Free OER content for students and educators.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Thu 8th January 2026
When students, educators, and self-directed learners search for "leadership skills Lumen Learning," they're discovering a distinctive approach to leadership education that challenges the traditional textbook industry. Lumen Learning provides open educational resources (OER) for leadership and management studies—high-quality, continuously updated content available free or at significantly reduced cost compared to conventional textbooks that routinely exceed £200 per volume. This democratisation of leadership education aligns with a broader movement recognising that effective leadership development shouldn't require prohibitive financial investment.
Lumen Learning's leadership skills content appears primarily within two comprehensive courses: Principles of Management and Organizational Behavior/Human Relations. These courses address fundamental leadership concepts—what distinguishes leadership from management, how leadership styles affect team performance, and which skills enable effective influence—through materials licensed under Creative Commons, meaning educators can adapt, remix, and improve content to serve specific learning objectives. For higher education institutions facing pressure to reduce textbook costs whilst maintaining quality, Lumen's OER model offers compelling alternative to traditional publishing.
Lumen Learning emerged from frustration with traditional educational publishing models that charge students exorbitant prices for content often only marginally updated between editions. The organisation builds upon existing open educational resources—materials authored by educators worldwide and shared freely—whilst creating original content where gaps exist. This approach produces several advantages over conventional textbooks.
Cost Accessibility: Whilst traditional management textbooks cost £150-£250, Lumen's basic content remains freely accessible to anyone with internet connection. Their enhanced interactive courseware (Lumen One and Lumen Wavemaker) charges students approximately $25-$40, still dramatically below traditional textbook prices. For students juggling tuition, housing, and living costs, this difference matters significantly.
Continuous Improvement: Unlike traditional textbooks revised every three years primarily to defeat used book markets, OER content updates continuously. When business examples become outdated, research findings emerge, or theoretical frameworks evolve, Lumen's materials can reflect changes immediately rather than waiting for next edition cycle.
Customisation Flexibility: Educators using traditional textbooks face binary choice: adopt publisher's structure or don't use the book. Lumen's Creative Commons licensing enables instructors to reorganise content, add institution-specific examples, remove irrelevant sections, or integrate supplementary materials—creating truly tailored learning experiences.
Open educational resources emerged from recognition that knowledge—particularly foundational academic knowledge—should function as public good rather than proprietary commodity. Leadership education particularly benefits from this philosophy. The fundamental principles of effective leadership don't change because Pearson publishes new edition. Transformational leadership theory didn't require reinvention when textbook publishers decided students needed "new" books.
Moreover, leadership education gains from diverse perspectives. When materials carry restrictive copyright, only publisher-approved authors contribute. OER enables global community of leadership educators to refine, enhance, and contextualise content. A professor in Mumbai can add examples from Indian business context. An instructor in Manchester can integrate British case studies. Students benefit from this collective intelligence rather than single author's perspective.
Lumen Learning's Principles of Management course provides comprehensive introduction to management and leadership fundamentals. The course targets undergraduate business students whilst remaining accessible to self-directed learners seeking foundational knowledge. Content progresses logically from basic management functions through increasingly sophisticated topics including ethics, organisational culture, and global business management.
The course explicitly distinguishes between management and leadership—a crucial distinction many introductory courses blur. Management involves planning, organising, coordinating, and controlling organisational resources to achieve defined objectives. Leadership focuses on establishing direction, aligning people toward vision, and inspiring them to overcome obstacles. Both matter; neither substitutes for the other.
The course addresses fundamental leadership questions through structured modules:
Leadership Definition and Nature Lumen's materials define leadership as the ability to influence others toward accomplishing collective objectives. This definition emphasises several key elements: influence (rather than coercion), collective objectives (not purely personal goals), and voluntary followership (people choose to be led). The content explores how leadership differs from position authority—you can hold management title without leading, and you can lead without formal authority.
Leadership vs. Management Distinction The materials carefully delineate management and leadership functions. Managers administer complexity—creating organisational structures, developing implementation plans, monitoring results, and solving problems. Leaders navigate change—establishing strategic direction, communicating vision, motivating performance, and developing people. Effective executives combine both capabilities, managing operational details whilst leading strategic transformation.
Leadership Theories and Frameworks Lumen's content covers major leadership theoretical perspectives:
Beyond theoretical frameworks, Lumen's Principles of Management content addresses specific capabilities enabling leadership effectiveness:
1. Strategic Thinking and Planning Materials cover how leaders think strategically—analysing environments, identifying opportunities and threats, formulating competitive strategies, and translating strategic intent into actionable objectives. The content distinguishes strategic thinking (conceptual, future-oriented, creative) from operational thinking (concrete, present-oriented, analytical).
2. Communication and Influence The course explores communication as leadership's fundamental tool. Effective leaders articulate vision compellingly, listen actively to diverse perspectives, adapt messages to audiences, and create communication channels enabling information flow throughout organisations. Materials address both formal communication (presentations, reports, meetings) and informal communication (corridor conversations, informal networks).
3. Team Building and Motivation Content examines how leaders build high-performing teams and motivate members toward excellence. This includes understanding motivation theories (Maslow's hierarchy, Herzberg's two-factor theory, expectancy theory), designing roles that enable engagement, providing meaningful feedback, and creating psychologically safe environments where team members contribute fully.
4. Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Materials address how leaders make effective decisions amidst uncertainty. The content covers decision-making processes, common cognitive biases affecting judgment, techniques for improving decision quality (devil's advocacy, dialectical inquiry), and approaches to involving team members appropriately in decisions.
5. Managing Change and Innovation The course explores leadership's critical role in organisational change. Materials examine why people resist change, strategies for overcoming resistance, and processes for leading successful transformation. Content distinguishes incremental improvement from radical innovation, addressing different leadership approaches each requires.
Lumen Learning's Organizational Behavior/Human Relations course examines how human behavior affects organisational performance. Whilst Principles of Management addresses what managers and leaders do, Organizational Behavior explores the psychological and social dynamics influencing workplace behavior—including leadership's impact on individual and group performance.
The course introduces students to organisational behavior field, teaches them to analyse human behavior's impact on organisations, and develops strategies for influencing behaviors to improve organisational outcomes. Leadership represents crucial topic within this broader examination of workplace dynamics.
One of the course's strongest sections addresses leadership styles—the distinctive approaches leaders adopt when providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people. Lumen's materials draw on Kurt Lewin's foundational research identifying three basic styles, then expand to contemporary approaches.
Authoritarian (Autocratic) Leadership This style concentrates decision-making authority in the leader. Authoritarian leaders provide clear directives, expect compliance, and maintain distinct separation between leaders and followers. The materials honestly examine this approach's advantages (quick decisions, clear structure, effective in crisis situations) and disadvantages (low follower morale, limited creativity, high dependence on leader).
The content avoids simplistic "authoritarian = bad" framing, recognising contexts where directive leadership proves appropriate—emergencies requiring immediate action, situations with inexperienced team members needing close guidance, or cultures expecting hierarchical leadership.
Participative (Democratic) Leadership Democratic leaders involve team members in decisions whilst retaining final decision-making authority. This style encourages input, facilitates discussion, and builds consensus around chosen directions. Materials explore participation's benefits (higher commitment to decisions, better quality decisions through diverse input, enhanced team member development) and challenges (slower decision-making, potential for endless discussion, requires higher team member capability).
The content acknowledges that participation exists on continuum—from consulting team members before deciding, to joint decision-making, to full delegation. Effective leaders adjust participation levels based on decision importance, time constraints, and team member readiness.
Delegative (Laissez-Faire) Leadership Laissez-faire leaders provide minimal direction, allowing team members substantial autonomy in determining objectives and methods. This hands-off approach works effectively with highly experienced, motivated team members requiring little guidance. However, the materials note laissez-faire easily becomes abdication—leader failing to provide necessary support rather than deliberately empowering capable followers.
Transformational Leadership The course addresses transformational leadership—approaches inspiring followers to transcend self-interest for organisational good whilst developing their capabilities. Transformational leaders articulate compelling visions, communicate high expectations, provide intellectual stimulation, and offer individualised support. Research consistently shows transformational leadership correlating with higher team performance, satisfaction, and organisational commitment.
Servant Leadership Lumen's materials examine servant leadership philosophy emphasising leader's primary responsibility to serve team members' growth and well-being. Servant leaders focus on developing people, building community, and demonstrating ethical behavior. This approach challenges conventional hierarchical assumptions that organisations exist to serve leaders' ambitions rather than collective purposes.
The Organizational Behavior course doesn't merely describe leadership theories abstractly. Materials include practical applications helping students connect concepts to workplace realities:
This practical orientation distinguishes Lumen's materials from purely theoretical treatments, making content valuable for students who'll apply concepts as practicing managers and leaders.
Lumen Learning's fundamental commitment to open education means core content remains freely accessible without registration, payment, or institutional affiliation. Anyone with internet connection can access materials simply by navigating to relevant course pages:
Principles of Management Available at: courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-principlesmanagement/ Also catalogued through Business LibreTexts (biz.libretexts.org) providing alternative access point
Organizational Behavior/Human Relations Available at: courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-organizationalbehavior/ Includes chapters on leadership styles, motivation, organizational culture, and related topics
These free versions include complete textual content—readings, explanations, definitions, and foundational materials. Students and self-directed learners can read chapters sequentially, bookmark sections for reference, and cite materials in academic work (properly attributing sources under Creative Commons licensing requirements).
The free access model genuinely empowers learning beyond traditional educational institutions. A working professional in Lagos, a student in rural India, or an aspiring entrepreneur in Brazil can access identical leadership education materials as Oxford undergraduates—assuming internet connectivity. This democratisation of educational access represents OER movement's profound achievement.
Whilst basic content remains free, Lumen offers enhanced versions—Lumen One and Lumen Wavemaker—providing interactive features supporting deeper engagement:
These enhanced versions typically cost students $25-$40 per course—approximately one-sixth traditional textbook pricing. Educational institutions license these materials, integrating them into learning management systems (Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle).
For self-directed learners not affiliated with institutions offering enhanced versions, the free content provides substantial value. The interactive features enhance experience but aren't strictly necessary for learning core concepts.
Educators adopting Lumen materials receive support resources beyond what traditional publishers typically provide:
Instructor Materials: Teaching guides, suggested syllabi, assignment prompts, discussion questions, and examination banks help instructors implement courses effectively.
Customisation Tools: Lumen's platform enables instructors to rearrange content, add institution-specific materials, remove irrelevant sections, or integrate external resources—creating tailored courses addressing specific learning objectives.
Technical Support: Unlike traditional textbooks where publishers provide minimal post-purchase support, Lumen offers implementation assistance helping institutions successfully adopt OER materials.
Sceptics sometimes assume "free" implies "inferior." However, Lumen's leadership content quality compares favourably with traditional management textbooks. The materials cover standard topics—leadership theories, styles, skills, and applications—with appropriate depth for introductory courses. Content draws on established research, cites sources appropriately, and presents concepts clearly.
Traditional textbooks sometimes offer more extensive supplementary materials—detailed case studies, elaborate simulations, extensive test banks. However, many instructors never use these supplements, meaning students pay for unused materials. Lumen's approach provides essential content whilst enabling instructors to add specialised materials matching their specific teaching approaches.
Traditional textbooks face built-in obsolescence. Publishing economics require three-to-four-year revision cycles regardless of whether content actually requires updating. Examples become dated. Research findings appear that textbook editions can't incorporate until next revision. Business contexts evolve faster than publishing schedules accommodate.
OER materials update continuously. When COVID-19 transformed workplace dynamics, traditional textbooks took years to reflect new realities. Lumen materials incorporated remote leadership, virtual team management, and crisis leadership examples rapidly. When research reveals new insights about leadership effectiveness, OER can integrate findings immediately rather than waiting for scheduled revisions.
The comparison here dramatically favours Lumen. Traditional management textbooks routinely cost £150-£250. Publishers justify these prices through production costs, author advances, and profit margins. However, digital distribution largely eliminates manufacturing and distribution costs, yet e-textbook prices remain stubbornly high—publishers price digital versions only slightly below print to avoid cannibalising more profitable print sales.
Lumen's free-to-$40 model removes cost as barrier to learning. Students struggling financially can access materials without choosing between textbooks and groceries. Educators in resource-constrained settings can provide students quality materials without requiring expenditures many cannot afford.
Whilst Lumen's materials target institutional education, self-directed learners can leverage content effectively for personal leadership development:
1. Assess Current Leadership Knowledge Begin by reading introductory chapters of both Principles of Management and Organizational Behavior courses. This establishes baseline understanding and identifies knowledge gaps requiring focused attention.
2. Develop Structured Study Plan Rather than random reading, create systematic approach:
3. Apply Concepts Actively Leadership understanding develops through application rather than merely reading. After each module, identify specific situations where you can practice concepts. If studying communication skills, deliberately apply active listening in upcoming meetings. When covering motivation theories, analyse what motivates your team members and adjust your approach accordingly.
4. Seek Feedback and Reflect Leadership development requires external perspective on your behavior's impact. Ask trusted colleagues or mentors how they experience your leadership. Compare their feedback against course concepts. Where do your intentions and impact align? Where do gaps exist?
5. Supplement with Additional Resources Lumen provides foundational knowledge. Supplement with biography of leaders you admire, case studies from organisations you find interesting, or research articles on topics particularly relevant to your challenges.
Honest assessment requires acknowledging what self-directed learning through OER cannot fully provide:
Structured Assessment: Without instructor-led courses, you miss systematic testing confirming comprehension and identifying knowledge gaps. Self-discipline to complete assessments without external accountability proves challenging.
Peer Learning: Leadership discussion with fellow students surfaces perspectives you might not independently consider. Self-directed learning misses this collaborative dimension.
Expert Guidance: Instructors help students connect abstract concepts to practical situations, clarify confusions, and deepen understanding through questioning. These interactions prove difficult to replicate independently.
Credentialing: Reading Lumen materials develops knowledge but provides no formal credential. If you need academic qualifications for career progression, self-directed OER study won't suffice.
Despite these limitations, self-directed learning through Lumen materials provides substantial value for motivated individuals seeking leadership knowledge without formal education investment.
Educators considering Lumen adoption should evaluate several factors:
Institutional Support Does your institution support OER adoption? Some provide implementation assistance, technical infrastructure, and recognition in promotion/tenure processes. Others remain wedded to traditional textbooks, creating adoption friction.
Course Objectives Alignment Review Lumen's content against your course objectives. Does coverage match your teaching priorities? Where gaps exist, can you supplement with additional materials? The customisation flexibility means perfect match isn't required—you can adapt materials—but substantial misalignment makes adoption challenging.
Student Technology Access OER requires internet access. Whilst most students have connectivity, some face bandwidth limitations, unreliable access, or lack devices. Consider whether your student population can reasonably access digital-only materials. Lumen provides PDF versions enabling offline reading, though without interactive features.
Your Comfort with Customisation Maximum OER value requires instructor willingness to customise materials rather than simply replacing expensive textbook with free version. Are you prepared to invest time adapting content to your specific teaching approach? If you prefer teaching from textbook exactly as published, OER advantages diminish.
Successfully transitioning from traditional textbooks to Lumen materials involves several steps:
1. Pilot Before Full Adoption Consider using Lumen materials for one section of multi-section course before university-wide adoption. This enables you to identify issues, develop effective teaching approaches, and build confidence before committing fully.
2. Communicate Rationale to Students Explain why you've adopted OER materials. Students appreciate cost savings but may question whether "free" means lower quality. Articulate your selection criteria and learning objectives these materials address.
3. Customise Thoughtfully Don't simply accept default content organisation. Rearrange to match your teaching sequence. Add examples relevant to your students' contexts. Remove sections you won't cover. Integration of your teaching voice into materials creates better learning experiences.
4. Develop Complementary Assessments Create assignments, projects, and assessments connecting course concepts to real-world application. This compensates for interactive features in traditional textbook packages whilst creating more meaningful learning experiences.
5. Contribute Back to OER Community As you develop improvements—better examples, clearer explanations, useful exercises—consider contributing them back to OER community. This collective improvement process strengthens materials for all users.
Lumen Learning operates on tiered model. Core content—text, images, foundational materials—remains completely free to access, read, and use without registration or payment. Anyone can view Principles of Management or Organizational Behavior courses at no cost. Enhanced versions (Lumen One and Lumen Wavemaker) with interactive features, assessments, and simulations cost approximately $25-$40 per student per course—significantly below traditional textbooks costing £150-£250. This model provides free access for basic learning whilst generating revenue supporting Lumen's operations and content development through optional enhanced features. For self-directed learners or those in resource-constrained settings, the free version provides substantial value. For institutional courses where interactive engagement matters, the low-cost enhanced versions deliver better value than traditional alternatives.
Lumen Learning's leadership and management content covers similar topics as traditional textbooks—leadership theories, styles, motivation, communication, decision-making—with comparable depth for introductory courses. Key differences include cost (free-to-$40 vs £150-£250), currency (continuously updated vs 3-4 year revision cycles), customisation (openly licensed for adaptation vs proprietary), and accessibility (globally available vs restricted to purchasers). Traditional textbooks sometimes offer more elaborate supplementary materials, though many instructors never use extensive test banks, video libraries, or case collections publishers provide. Quality-wise, Lumen's materials meet academic standards, citing research appropriately and explaining concepts clearly. For most introductory management and leadership courses, Lumen provides equivalent or superior educational value at fraction of traditional cost. Advanced courses or specialised topics may require traditional textbooks where OER gaps exist, but foundational leadership education works excellently through Lumen's materials.
Yes, professionals seeking leadership development can effectively use Lumen Learning materials for self-directed learning. The Principles of Management and Organizational Behavior courses provide structured introduction to leadership fundamentals—theories, styles, skills, and applications. Unlike some OER materials targeting only academic contexts, Lumen's content includes practical applications relevant to working professionals. However, self-directed professional development through Lumen has limitations. You won't receive formal credentials, so if you need certifications for career advancement, OER self-study won't suffice. You'll miss peer discussion and instructor feedback enriching formal courses. You'll need self-discipline to work through materials systematically without external accountability. Despite these limitations, motivated professionals can gain substantial leadership knowledge through Lumen materials at no cost beyond time invested. Supplement OER study with practice application in your work context, feedback from colleagues, and additional resources addressing your specific leadership challenges.
Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research materials released under open copyright licences (typically Creative Commons) allowing free use, adaptation, and redistribution. Unlike traditional copyrighted textbooks restricting access to purchasers, OER provides public access to educational content. The OER movement emerged from recognition that foundational knowledge should function as public good rather than commercial commodity. Educators worldwide create OER materials covering virtually every academic subject, sharing them freely for global benefit. Lumen Learning builds upon existing OER whilst creating original content where gaps exist, licensing everything openly to enable maximum educational access. OER benefits include eliminating cost barriers to education, enabling content customisation for specific teaching contexts, allowing continuous improvement by global educator community, and providing equitable access regardless of geography or economic circumstances. For leadership education specifically, OER enables anyone with internet connection to access university-level content formerly restricted to enrolled students at institutions affording expensive textbooks.
No, Lumen Learning provides course materials but not formal credentials. They are educational technology company supplying open educational resources and courseware to institutions, not accredited educational institution themselves. Credentials come from colleges and universities that use Lumen materials within their credited courses. If you're enrolled in university course using Lumen's Principles of Management materials, you receive whatever credit that institution provides for completing the course. If you're self-studying through free access to Lumen content, you gain knowledge but no formal qualification. For professionals needing credentials for career advancement, self-directed OER study won't provide certificates. However, knowledge gained through Lumen materials can prepare you for credentialed programmes or professional certifications like SHRM, PMI, or other management qualifications. Think of Lumen materials as equivalent to textbook—they provide learning content, but credentials require institutional enrolment or professional certification programmes beyond simply reading materials.
Access Lumen Learning's leadership materials through direct course websites. For Principles of Management content, navigate to courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-principlesmanagement/ where you'll find complete course including leadership chapters. For Organizational Behavior content covering leadership styles and dynamics, go to courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-organizationalbehavior/. These sites provide free access to all textual content without requiring registration or payment. Simply browse chapters covering leadership topics that interest you. Alternatively, access through Business LibreTexts (biz.libretexts.org) which catalogues Lumen courses alongside other OER business materials. If you're student at institution using Lumen's enhanced courseware (Lumen One or Wavemaker), your instructor will provide access through your learning management system with interactive features beyond free version. For self-directed learners, bookmark relevant course pages and work through systematically. Content remains freely accessible indefinitely, so you can learn at your own pace without time pressures or access restrictions.
Yes, customisation represents key advantage of OER materials including Lumen Learning content. Materials are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution licence, meaning educators can legally adapt, rearrange, add to, remove from, or otherwise modify content to serve specific teaching objectives. Practical customisation includes: rearranging chapter order to match your preferred teaching sequence; adding institution-specific examples or case studies relevant to your students; removing sections you won't cover to streamline student reading; integrating supplementary materials from other sources; translating content for non-English instruction; or creating entirely new sections addressing topics original materials don't cover. For institutions using Lumen's enhanced courseware, platform provides editing tools enabling customisation within learning management system. For those using free access materials, content exists as web pages that can be copied, modified (with attribution), and republished. This flexibility enables educators to create genuinely tailored learning experiences rather than forcing teaching approach to match rigid textbook structure—addressing long-standing frustration with traditional educational publishing's one-size-fits-all approach.
Lumen Learning's open educational resources represent more than cost-saving alternative to traditional textbooks. They embody fundamentally different philosophy about educational access and knowledge sharing. Leadership capabilities shouldn't remain privilege of those affording expensive business schools or costly textbooks. The foundational knowledge enabling effective leadership—understanding leadership theories, recognising effective styles, developing core skills—should be freely available to anyone motivated to learn.
The materials Lumen provides through Principles of Management and Organizational Behavior courses cover essential leadership topics with quality matching traditional textbooks whilst dramatically lowering cost barriers. For students facing financial constraints, these materials enable learning without impossible trade-offs. For educators committed to affordable education, Lumen provides pedagogically sound content they can adopt without guilt about imposing financial hardship. For self-directed learners anywhere globally, these resources enable leadership development previously accessible only through formal education.
This isn't merely about free textbooks. It's about recognising that 21st-century leadership challenges—climate crisis, technological disruption, social inequality, global health threats—require leadership capability distributed throughout society rather than concentrated in privileged few. We need millions of effective leaders, not handful of elites. Open educational resources like Lumen's leadership materials contribute to that democratisation of leadership development.
Whether you're student beginning leadership studies, educator seeking affordable quality materials, or working professional pursuing self-directed development, Lumen Learning's open resources provide accessible pathway to leadership knowledge. The content won't substitute for experiential learning through actual leadership practice, mentorship relationships, or executive education programmes. But it provides solid foundation of concepts, frameworks, and skills upon which practical leadership development builds.
Access is free. Knowledge awaits. Your leadership development can begin today.
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