Built around Smith’s “Five Principles of Leadership, Potential, Purpose, People, Playbook and Pay It Forward,” the specialization combines decades of executive leadership experience with practical strategies learners can put to work in their own careers, teams and organizations.
Before returning to his alma mater as Marshall University’s president, Smith spent 19 years at Intuit, including 11 years as CEO and three years as executive chairman. During his tenure, he helped lead the company’s transformation into a global technology platform behind products including QuickBooks and TurboTax.
Throughout his career, Smith has used the Five P’s to help leaders and organizations identify potential, define their purpose, build strong teams, develop a leadership playbook and create opportunities for others.
Now, Marshall is making those lessons available to learners around the world.
“Throughout my career, I’ve seen firsthand that leadership has the power to change the trajectory of an individual, a team or an entire organization,” Smith said. “This specialization is about sharing the principles that shaped my own leadership journey and making them accessible to anyone who wants to create opportunities for others, unlock potential and make a meaningful impact. Great leadership shouldn’t be limited to the boardroom. It should be available to everyone willing to learn and grow.”
Designed for emerging and experienced leaders alike, the specialization takes learners from discovering their own leadership potential to strengthening teams, coaching others and developing a personal leadership playbook. The emphasis throughout is on turning leadership principles into action and creating meaningful, lasting impact.
“Leadership continues to be one of the most sought-after capabilities in today’s workforce,” said Marni Baker Stein, chief content officer at Coursera. “Brad Smith’s Five P’s framework offers learners a unique opportunity to learn from a leader whose philosophy has influenced executives, organizations and communities around the world. We are excited to partner with Marshall University to make this powerful leadership content available to learners everywhere.”
The specialization reflects Marshall’s commitment to expanding access to education beyond the traditional classroom and creating new opportunities for lifelong learning and professional growth.
Interested learners can explore the Principles of Leadership Specialization and enroll at https://www.coursera.org/specializations/the-principles-of-leadership/.