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    • Influence

    Influence Courses Online

    Explore principles of influence for effective communication and leadership. Learn techniques for persuasion, negotiation, and building credibility.

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    Explore the Influence Course Catalog

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      J

      Johns Hopkins University

      Leadership in Action and Planning

      Skills you'll gain: Strategic Leadership, Business Leadership, Leadership, Business Planning, Organizational Change, Business Strategy, Organizational Strategy, Planning, Strategic Decision-Making, Strategic Thinking, Collaboration, Organizational Leadership, Change Management, Relationship Building, Influencing

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • B

      Board Infinity

      Power BI Desktop - Query Editor Master Data Transformation

      Skills you'll gain: Power BI, Data Analysis Expressions (DAX), Interactive Data Visualization, Dashboard, Data Transformation, Data Visualization Software, Data Presentation, Data Storytelling, Business Intelligence, Data Manipulation, Data Import/Export, Microsoft Power Platform, Data Security, Data Management, Data Integrity, Data Cleansing, Software Installation

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Colorado System

      Exploring the Origins of Selfhood

      Skills you'll gain: Culture, Cultural Diversity, Intercultural Competence, Diversity Awareness, Liberal Arts, Human Development, World History, Psychology, Ethical Standards And Conduct, Social Sciences, Sociology, Digital Communications

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • M

      Macquarie University

      스토리텔링과 영향력: 임팩트 있게 소통하라

      Skills you'll gain: Persuasive Communication, Influencing, Storytelling, Communication, Rapport Building, Leadership, Stakeholder Communications, Verbal Communication Skills, Meeting Facilitation, Overcoming Objections, Presentations, Conflict Management, Non-Verbal Communication

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • C

      Coursera Instructor Network

      Maximizing Miles: Enhancing EV Range & Efficiency

      Skills you'll gain: Electric Power Systems, Energy and Utilities, Electrical Systems, Thermal Management, Transportation Operations, Mechanical Design, Environmental Science

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • S

      S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research

      The Art and Science of Self Leadership

      Skills you'll gain: Self-Awareness, Conflict Management, Personal Development, Emotional Intelligence, Interpersonal Communications, Collaboration, Empathy, Visionary, Leadership, Adaptability, Communication

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      F

      Fundação Instituto de Administração

      Trânsito na Arena Política da Organização

      Skills you'll gain: Resource Management, Executive Presence, Influencing, Organizational Effectiveness, Relationship Building, Organizational Leadership, Leadership Development, Leadership, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Stakeholder Management

      5
      Rating, 5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      7 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: New
      New
      P

      Packt

      Managing Time and Stress

      Skills you'll gain: Productivity, Time Management, Goal Setting, Stress Management, Resilience, Prioritization, Personal Development, Health And Safety Standards, Mental Health, Professional Development, Self-Awareness, Communication

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • U

      University of Maryland, College Park

      Modern Product Leadership

      Skills you'll gain: Team Motivation, Negotiation, Team Leadership, Product Roadmaps, Team Building, Organizational Leadership, Conflict Management, Leadership, Scaled Agile Framework, Strategic Leadership, Agile Methodology, Leadership and Management, Product Management, Business Leadership, Team Management, People Development, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Product Development, Product Strategy, Decision Making

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      J

      Johns Hopkins University

      Practical Neuromarketing Research

      Skills you'll gain: Research, Research Design, Consumer Behaviour, Influencing, Research Methodologies, Persuasive Communication, Ethical Standards And Conduct, Marketing Psychology, Behavioral Economics, Experimentation, Neurology, Qualitative Research, Data Collection, Market Research, Marketing, Data Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Cultural Sensitivity

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: New
      New
      U

      University of Leeds

      Leadership and Change Management for Sustainability Success

      Skills you'll gain: Change Management, Organizational Change, Business Leadership, Business Transformation, Strategic Leadership, Organizational Leadership, Leadership, Influencing, Corporate Sustainability, Cross-Functional Team Leadership, Environmental Social And Corporate Governance (ESG), Communication

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      L

      L&T EduTech

      Foundation Systems, Monitoring and Erection Methods

      Skills you'll gain: Construction Engineering, Structural Engineering, Construction, Civil Engineering, Engineering Practices, Construction Inspection, Engineering Analysis, Structural Analysis, Engineering Design Process, Engineering, Engineering Calculations, Maintenance, Repair, and Facility Services, Facility Repair And Maintenance, Continuous Monitoring, Failure Analysis, Environmental Monitoring

      Advanced · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

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    In summary, here are 10 of our most popular influence courses

    • Leadership in Action and Planning: Johns Hopkins University
    • Power BI Desktop - Query Editor Master Data Transformation: Board Infinity
    • Exploring the Origins of Selfhood: University of Colorado System
    • 스토리텔링과 영향력: 임팩트 있게 소통하라: Macquarie University
    • Maximizing Miles: Enhancing EV Range & Efficiency: Coursera Instructor Network
    • The Art and Science of Self Leadership: S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research
    • Trânsito na Arena Política da Organização: Fundação Instituto de Administração
    • Managing Time and Stress: Packt
    • Modern Product Leadership: University of Maryland, College Park
    • Practical Neuromarketing Research: Johns Hopkins University

    Frequently Asked Questions about Influence

    To influence someone is to affect or change their behavior without the direct use of authority, coercion, or force. Instead, the influencer creates change by shifting the mindset of individuals, groups, or entire organizations, persuading them to adopt the desired course of action of their own free will. The ability to influence can be important for everyday communication and maintaining harmonious relationships in our personal and family lives, but it is also a very important skill for many jobs and career paths.

    For instance, being able to subtly influence your customers to “get to yes” when you’re closing a deal is an essential talent of sales professionals of all kinds, whether you’re selling shoes or business software. In fact, the world of social media and digital marketing has created a new type of selling called influencer marketing, in which influential personalities and cultural figures post pictures and testimonials with the product being sold.

    The ability to influence is also essential for leadership roles in any organization, as management positions require you to motivate employees to not only fulfill their roles but to work enthusiastically at the peak of their abilities. The best executives and CEOs are talented at bringing their teams into vision alignment, with strongly shared priorities, values, and focused goal setting that allow organizations to succeed - in business as well as in the recruitment of top-flight talent.‎

    Influencing skills are important for almost any career that requires working in a team, but they are most important for roles as managers and top executives. Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” has been a mainstay in business school curricula despite being written nearly a century ago because this skill has always been fundamental for success in the business world. The ability to get your team aligned to work together effectively is rare and highly valued; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, top executives earned a median annual salary of $104,690 per year in 2019, including a median pay of $184,460 for chief executive officers (CEOs).‎

    Absolutely. There is a common myth that the ability to influence others is simply an innate talent that some people have and others don’t, but the reality is that influencing is a skill that is taught at every business school - including schools offering courses online through Coursera. You can learn how to influence others from leading faculty at top-ranked schools like University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, Northwestern University, and Macquarie University. And even though Coursera lets you learn remotely on a flexible schedule, you can still work with faculty in live virtual office hours that let you practice your influencing skills to an expert audience.‎

    Some skills or experience you might need to have before learning influence are strong social skills that allow you to get along with all types of people, such as supervisors, peers, and customers. If you have any sales experience or experience presenting information and concepts to others in person or online, you may already have the skills necessary to learn advanced influencing methods.‎

    The kind of people who are best suited for roles in influence are those who are confident in their abilities to motivate and persuade others whether or not they’re in authority roles. Types of people well suited for roles in influence can build and maintain high-quality relationships with diverse groups of individuals. People best suited for learning influence can discern other people’s attitudes, diverse social factors influencing behavior, and why people may or may not act on their intentions.‎

    Learning influence may be right for you if you want to learn how to develop it so you can become more effective in achieving your organizational goals. Studying the subject may be right for you if you want to understand the framework of power and influence and the dynamics of effective networks, persuasion, and leverage. If you're in any type of role where you need negotiation, communication, and sales skills, then learning influence may be a good choice for you.‎

    Common career paths for someone who has studied influence are often found in corporate management in general where the ability to persuade people is paramount. Specific common career paths for people who have studied influence might be product and brand management, research and development, and any leadership position in an organization’s C-suite. Another common career path for someone in influence is blogging where paid or sponsored influencers create content on various social media platforms. The most common career path for someone in influence is in sales where it’s critical to understand how to best persuade customers and clients using various tools, including neuromarketing.‎

    There are many topics you can study that are related to influence, such as emotional intelligence, which may help you to work effectively in teams, build cooperative relationships, and exercise effective influence to foster meaningful change. Another topic related to influence that you can study is social psychology to help you understand why people behave in certain ways. Marketing is another strongly related topic to influence that you might consider studying.‎

    This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

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