Leadership and Followership Free Course by The Open University

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September 24, 2026

The Leadership and Followership free course is an online introductory course offered through OpenLearn by The Open University. It is designed for people who want to understand leadership styles, develop leadership skills, learn about effective followership, and deal with common leadership challenges.

The course is free to study and takes about 24 hours in total. It is structured over eight weeks, with around three hours of study each week, but learners can work through it at their own pace. Learners can also earn a free Statement of Participation and an Open University digital badge after meeting the course completion requirements.

The course is also accredited by the CPD Standards Office. Successful completion provides 24 CPD points, with evidence of the CPD achievement included in the free Statement of Participation.

Quick Details

Detail	Information
Course	Leadership and Followership
Provider	The Open University
Platform	OpenLearn
Study mode	Online
Cost	Free
Level	Level 1: Introductory
Estimated study time	24 hours
Course structure	8 weeks
Weekly study time	About 3 hours
Digital badge	Available free after meeting completion requirements
Statement of Participation	Free on completion
CPD recognition	24 CPD points
Application deadline	No fixed deadline stated on the official course page
Study pace	Self-paced
Application route	OpenLearn

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The official course remains available through OpenLearn and states that learners can start the course immediately.

What Is the Leadership and Followership Course?

Leadership is not only about holding a senior position. Effective leadership involves understanding people, responding to challenges, building relationships, and knowing how different leadership approaches work in different situations.

The Open University’s Leadership and Followership course introduces these ideas at an introductory level. It looks at leadership from the perspectives of both leaders and followers.

This is important because leadership does not happen in isolation. The course examines how followers contribute to effective working relationships and how leaders can support and develop the people around them.

The course combines introductory academic ideas with practical reflection. Learners are encouraged to examine their own experience, identify areas they want to improve, and develop a plan for building their leadership skills.

What Will You Learn?

The course covers leadership styles, leadership skills, followership, workplace challenges, and personal leadership development.

According to the official learning outcomes, learners should be able to understand different leadership styles and approaches, identify important leadership skills, explain followership from both leader and follower perspectives, understand how leadership can address common challenges, and develop a personal plan for improving leadership skills.

The course is divided into eight weeks. Topics include:

Where are you starting from? – definitions of leadership and followership, leadership versus management, and reflection on your own experience.
What kind of leader could you be? – leadership theories, leadership styles, context, and personal leadership preferences.
What makes a good leader? – leadership skills, emotional intelligence, employer expectations, and developing leadership experience.
When leadership goes wrong – weak leadership, common leadership mistakes, integrity, resilience, and emotional intelligence.
Why is followership important? – follower types, effective followership, engagement, and follower development.
Challenges for every leader – team building, staff motivation, leading change, trust, and internal politics.
The future of leadership – hybrid work, wellbeing, talent management, artificial intelligence, collaboration, and emerging leadership approaches.
Developing yourself as a leader – career development, networking, training, and planning future leadership development.

This structure makes the course useful not only for people already working as managers but also for learners who want to prepare for future leadership responsibilities.

Who Can Take This Free Course?

The course is listed as Level 1: Introductory, so it is intended as an introduction rather than an advanced professional leadership programme.

The official OpenLearn page does not state a university degree, specific academic qualification, professional position, work-experience requirement, nationality restriction, or age requirement for accessing the course.

OpenLearn also states that the course content can be started without signing up. However, creating an account is needed for features such as tracking progress, accessing all quizzes and activities, and earning the free Statement of Participation.

This means the course may be particularly useful for students, employees, new managers, team members, aspiring leaders, and professionals interested in continuing professional development.

Is the Course Really Free?

Yes. The official OpenLearn page identifies Leadership and Followership as a free course.

The course materials can be accessed online, and OpenLearn also provides several downloadable formats for offline use, including PDF, Word, EPUB and other formats.

The official page also states that learners can receive a free Statement of Participation on completion.

No tuition fee for this OpenLearn course is stated on the official course page.

Does the Course Provide a Free Certificate?

It is important to use the correct terminology.

The Open University describes the completion document as a Statement of Participation, rather than presenting it as a university degree or formal academic certificate. Learners who complete the course can earn this Statement of Participation for free.

The course also offers a free Open University digital badge. The official page says the badge is awarded for completing the course and passing the quizzes. It can then be displayed, downloaded and shared as evidence of achievement.

Therefore, applicants searching for a “free leadership course with certificate” should understand that the official completion document is called a Statement of Participation.

Is the Digital Badge Accredited?

The Open University clearly states that its OpenLearn digital badges are not accredited by The Open University. They can instead be used to demonstrate interest in a subject, learning activity, and commitment to professional development.

This should not be confused with the CPD status of the course.

The Leadership and Followership course is accredited by the CPD Standards Office, and successful completion awards 24 CPD points. Evidence of this CPD achievement is provided through the free Statement of Participation.

In simple terms:

Digital badge: Free and shareable, but not an accredited Open University qualification.

Course CPD recognition: The course is accredited by the CPD Standards Office and provides 24 CPD points upon successful completion.

This distinction is important for learners who plan to use the course for professional or academic purposes.

How Long Does the Course Take?

The estimated total study time is 24 hours.

The course is organised into eight weeks, with approximately three hours of study per week. However, the Open University states that learners can work through the material at their own pace.

Therefore, eight weeks is the suggested structure rather than a requirement that every learner must follow exactly.

This flexibility can be useful for people studying alongside university, employment, or other responsibilities.

What Are the Main Benefits?

The strongest verified benefits are straightforward: the course itself is free, it provides approximately 24 hours of introductory leadership learning, learners can earn a free Statement of Participation, an Open University digital badge is available after satisfying the completion requirements, and successful completion provides 24 CPD points.

The course also focuses on practical development. Instead of studying leadership theory alone, learners are asked to reflect on their own leadership experiences and identify areas where they can improve.

By the final part of the course, learners work toward developing their own leadership development plan.

Is IELTS or TOEFL Required?

The official course page does not state an IELTS or TOEFL requirement.

This should not be interpreted as an official general statement that “no English is required.” The course materials themselves are presented in English, so learners need enough English ability to understand the learning content and complete the activities.

No specific IELTS score, TOEFL score, or other English-language test requirement is listed on the official course page.

Are There Academic Admission Requirements?

No formal academic admission requirement is specified on the official course page.

This is an introductory OpenLearn course rather than admission to an Open University degree programme. The official page identifies it as Level 1: Introductory and allows visitors to begin accessing course content online.

No application documents such as a CV, passport, transcript, recommendation letter, motivation letter, or academic certificate are listed as requirements for joining this course.

How to Join the Leadership and Followership Course

The process is simple.

Visit the official OpenLearn Leadership and Followership page. You can begin exploring the course content without creating an account.

If you want to track your progress, complete all learning activities and quizzes, and receive the available course rewards, create a free OpenLearn account or sign in to an existing account.

After signing in, enrol in the course and work through the course sections and quizzes.

Start the Leadership and Followership course on OpenLearn

What Is the Application Deadline?

The official course page does not list a fixed application deadline.

Instead, the Open University states that learners can start the course immediately and work through it at their own pace.

Applicants should therefore avoid treating this course like a scholarship or university admission programme with an annual application closing date.

Because online course availability can change, learners should always check the official OpenLearn page before enrolling.

Can International Learners Join?

The official course page does not publish a country-by-country eligibility list or state a nationality restriction for accessing this OpenLearn course.

It is therefore safer not to make the stronger claim that “all nationalities are officially eligible” when the course page does not use that exact eligibility language.

For learners outside the United Kingdom, the practical step is to access the official OpenLearn course page and create an OpenLearn account if they want to enrol and record their progress.

Can You Study the Course Offline?

Yes. OpenLearn provides downloadable versions of the course for offline or alternative-device use.

Available formats shown on the official page include Word, PDF, EPUB, HTML and other formats.

This is particularly useful for learners who have limited or unstable internet access because they can download course material when a connection is available and study the content later.

Some interactive elements, quizzes, account-based progress tracking, or similar online functions may still require access to OpenLearn.

Is This an Open University Degree or Academic Qualification?

No. Learners should distinguish this free OpenLearn course from formal admission to an Open University degree.

The digital badge is explicitly described by The Open University as not accredited by The Open University.

The Statement of Participation shows that you completed the OpenLearn course, while the course’s CPD accreditation provides evidence of continuing professional development and 24 CPD points.

Applicants should therefore describe the achievement accurately on a CV or professional profile rather than presenting it as a university degree.

Why This Course May Be Useful

One useful feature of this course is its focus on both sides of workplace leadership.

Many introductory courses concentrate only on becoming a leader. This course also explores followership—how followers contribute to effective working relationships and how leaders can engage and develop the people they work with.

It also moves from basic definitions and leadership styles toward practical issues such as emotional intelligence, team building, motivation, change, trust, hybrid work, artificial intelligence, collaboration and personal leadership development.

For a beginner, this provides a structured way to explore leadership before moving to more advanced management or leadership study.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Leadership and Followership course free?

Yes. The Open University lists it as a free OpenLearn course. Learners can also earn a free Statement of Participation on completion.

How many hours does the course take?

The estimated study time is 24 hours, organised as approximately three hours per week over eight weeks. Learners can study at their own pace.

Do I receive a digital badge?

Yes. The course offers a free Open University digital badge after the learner completes the course and passes the quizzes.

Is the badge an accredited Open University qualification?

No. The Open University states that OpenLearn digital badges are not accredited by The Open University.

Does the course provide CPD points?

Yes. The course is accredited by the CPD Standards Office, and successful completion provides 24 CPD points.

Is there an application deadline?

No fixed application deadline is currently stated on the official course page. OpenLearn says learners can start the course immediately and work at their own pace.

Do I need IELTS?

The official course information does not list IELTS, TOEFL, or another formal English-language test as an entry requirement. The learning materials are in English.

Do I need to create an account?

You can start accessing the course content without signing up. However, OpenLearn says registration is needed if you want to track your progress, access all quizzes and activities, and earn the free Statement of Participation.

Official Website

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