What is influence, and why is it an important skill to learn?

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.

What kinds of careers can I have with skills in influencing?

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).

Can I learn how to influence by taking online courses on Coursera?

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.

What skills or experience do I need to already have, before starting to learn influence?

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.

What kind of people are best suited for roles in influence?

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.

How do I know if learning about influence is right for me?

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.

What are common career paths for someone in influence?

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.

What topics can I study that are related to influence?

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.

Top Influence Courses - Learn Influence Online

Explore the Influence Course Catalog

ESSEC Business School
International and Cross-Cultural Negotiation
Skills you'll gain: Cultural Sensitivity, Intercultural Competence, Cultural Diversity, Verbal Communication Skills, Communication, Relationship Building, Non-Verbal Communication, Diversity Awareness, Negotiation, International Relations
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
604 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free
University of Virginia
The Kennedy Half Century
Skills you'll gain: Media and Communications, Political Sciences, Policy Analysis, Public Policies, Diplomacy, International Relations, Social Sciences, Culture, Economics
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
498 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Case Western Reserve University
Women in Leadership: Inspiring Positive Change
Skills you'll gain: Negotiation, Leadership Development, Professional Development, Organizational Leadership, Communication, Leadership, Influencing, Overcoming Obstacles, Personal Development, Empowerment, Business Leadership, Relationship Building, Self-Awareness, Diversity and Inclusion, Adaptability
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
545 reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Rutgers the State University of New Jersey
Demand Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Demand Planning, Customer Demand Planning, Forecasting, Supply Chain Planning, Market Dynamics, Time Series Analysis and Forecasting, Trend Analysis, Predictive Modeling, Regression Analysis, Data Analysis, Statistical Analysis
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
285 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
University at Buffalo
Energy: The Enterprise
Skills you'll gain: Workforce Development, Environmental Issue, Economics, Project Design, Environment, Supply And Demand, Business Economics, Innovation, Emerging Technologies, Market Dynamics, Corporate Sustainability, Operational Efficiency
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
1.1K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Digital Marketing Institute
Digital Strategy and Business Opportunity
Skills you'll gain: Content Marketing, Marketing Strategies, Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Digital Content, Marketing, Marketing Strategy and Techniques, Digital Transformation, Content Creation, Consumer Behaviour, Market Research, Content Strategy, Media Strategy, Customer Analysis, Advertising, Customer Engagement, User Research, Persona Development, Competitive Analysis
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
334 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
University of Toronto
Gender Analytics: Gender Equity through Inclusive Design
Skills you'll gain: Human Centered Design, User Experience Design, Organizational Change, User Research, Design Thinking, Change Management, Design Research, Data Ethics, Data Collection, Quantitative Research, Influencing, Qualitative Research, Organizational Leadership, Business Leadership, Storytelling, Leadership, Diversity Awareness, Diversity and Inclusion, Gap Analysis, Innovation
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
561 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free
University of Rochester
The Blues: Understanding and Performing an American Art Form
Skills you'll gain: Creativity, Lecturing, Storytelling
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
599 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Keller Williams
The Principles of Real Estate
Skills you'll gain: Lead Generation, Real Estate, Real Estate Sales, Property and Real Estate, Customer Relationship Building, Database Management Systems, Sales Process, Sales Prospecting, Relationship Building, Prioritization, Goal Setting, Market Data, Market Analysis, Market Trend, Compensation Management
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
99 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Banking and Financial Institutions
Skills you'll gain: Bank Regulations, Financial Systems, Banking, Risk Management, Business Risk Management, Financial Regulation, FinTech, Retail Banking, Financial Services, Commercial Banking, Payment Systems, Finance, Balance Sheet
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
226 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free
Coursera Instructor Network
Leading with Impact: Team Dynamics, Strategy and Ethics
Skills you'll gain: Strategic Leadership, Teamwork, Team Leadership, Business Leadership, Team Management, Business Ethics, Leadership, Leadership and Management, Strategic Decision-Making, Strategic Planning, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Ethical Standards And Conduct, Decision Making
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
6 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free
University of Pittsburgh
idea 2 IMPACT: An Introduction to Translating Assistive Health Technologies and Other Products
Skills you'll gain: Storytelling, Competitive Analysis, Stakeholder Management, Solution Design, Project Planning, Presentations, Innovation, Regulatory Affairs, Product Development, User Research, Health Care Procedure and Regulation, Commercialization, Public Speaking, Entrepreneurship, Market Analysis
3.7
Rating, 3.7 out of 5 stars
6 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months