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

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

العمل الجماعي والإبداع

Skills you'll gain: Ideation, Creativity, Professional Development, Teamwork, Team Building, Creative Thinking, Brainstorming, Collaboration, Innovation, Business, Cooperation, Open Mindset, Influencing, Communication, Analysis, Critical Thinking, Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving

Microsoft

Stakeholder Relations and Reporting

Skills you'll gain: Stakeholder Communications, Stakeholder Management, Public Relations, Public Affairs, Strategic Communication, Business Reporting, Marketing Effectiveness, Community Outreach, Performance Metric, Communication Strategies, Presentations, Data Visualization, Data Collection

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Trabajo en equipo y creatividad

Skills you'll gain: Creativity, Ideation, Teamwork, Creative Thinking, Presentations, Communication, Brainstorming, Innovation, Persuasive Communication, Influencing, Collaboration, Professional Development, Creative Problem-Solving, Public Speaking, Open Mindset, Leadership, Culture, Decision Making

University of Michigan

Service Transformed: Lessons in U.S. Veteran Centered Care

Skills you'll gain: Trauma Care, Triage, Diversity Awareness, Care Coordination, Patient Education and Support, Cultural Diversity, Cultural Sensitivity, Health Care, Patient Treatment, Health Assessment, Health Systems, Mental Health, Interpersonal Communications

Status: Free

Coursera Instructor Network

How to Series on Personal Development Topics

Skills you'll gain: Growth Mindedness, Empowerment, Personal Development, Emotional Intelligence, Resilience, Personal Attributes, Self-Awareness, Tenacity, Courage, Accountability, Personal Integrity, Lifelong Learning, Assertiveness, Willingness To Learn, Independent Thinking, Self-Motivation, Open Mindset, Goal Setting

L&T EduTech

Two-Phase Pipe Hydraulics and Pipe Sizing

Skills you'll gain: Hydraulics, Process Flow Diagrams, Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering, Engineering Calculations, Mathematical Modeling, Process Analysis

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Risks to Crop Production in Agriculture

Skills you'll gain: Land Management, Food and Beverage, Water Resources, Financial Analysis, Decision Making, Real Estate, Risk Management, Business Risk Management, Lease Contracts, Environment and Resource Management, Policy Analysis, Environmental Issue, Production Process, Economics, Cash Flows

Johns Hopkins University

Leadership in Action and Planning

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

Fundação Instituto de Administração

Liderança e Sociedade

Skills you'll gain: Leadership Development, Management Training And Development, Succession Planning, Leadership, Professional Development, Strategic Leadership, Collaboration, People Management, Team Leadership, Resource Management, Business Leadership, Organizational Leadership, Leadership and Management, Influencing, Organizational Effectiveness, Organizational Structure, Personal Development, Adaptability, Relationship Building, Diversity and Inclusion

University of Colorado Boulder

Movement Capabilities Depend on Neuromuscular Properties

Skills you'll gain: Kinesiology, Physical Therapy, Anatomy, Human Factors, Health Assessment, Scientific Methods

Packt

Governance and Risk Management Concepts

Skills you'll gain: Risk Management, Governance Risk Management and Compliance, IT Management, Risk Appetite, Business Risk Management, Operational Risk, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), Regulation and Legal Compliance, Risk Analysis, Governance, Regulatory Requirements, Organizational Structure, Change Management, Accountability

Nestlé

Nestlé's Introduction to Marketing - with Abigail Laursen

Skills you'll gain: Marketing Effectiveness, Global Marketing, New Product Development, Product Development, Brand Marketing, Brand Management, Market Analysis, Competitive Analysis, Strategic Marketing, Marketing Analytics, Marketing Communications, Marketing Strategies, Consumer Behaviour, Advertising, Media Planning, Market Research, Target Audience

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