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

Macquarie University

Leading transformations: Manage change

Skills you'll gain: Change Management, Organizational Change, Business Transformation, Process Management, Influencing, Leadership, Adaptability, Innovation, Resourcefulness, Gap Analysis, Dealing With Ambiguity, Resilience, Performance Measurement

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Global Impact: Cultural Psychology

Skills you'll gain: Branding, Brand Strategy, Global Marketing, Marketing Psychology, Consumer Behaviour, Brand Management, Cultural Diversity, Brand Awareness, Cultural Sensitivity, Intercultural Competence, Target Market

University of California, Davis

Advanced Content and Social Tactics to Optimize SEO

Skills you'll gain: Social Media Strategy, Search Engine Optimization, Content Marketing, Social Media, Web Analytics and SEO, Content Strategy, Social Media Marketing, Target Audience, Digital Content, Marketing, Brand Awareness, Influencing, Lead Generation, Relationship Building, Customer Engagement

University of Virginia

Effectuation: Lessons From Expert Entrepreneurs

Skills you'll gain: Resourcefulness, Entrepreneurship, Dealing With Ambiguity, Innovation, Problem Solving, Strategic Thinking, Resilience, Adaptability, New Business Development, Risk Management, Relationship Building, Collaboration

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Iniciación y Planificación de Proyectos

Skills you'll gain: Project Scoping, Stakeholder Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Work Breakdown Structure, Project Planning, Project Management, Project Management Life Cycle, Influencing, Conflict Management, Organizational Structure

University of Colorado Boulder

Technical Managerial Written Skills

Skills you'll gain: Proposal Writing, Proofreading, Editing, Technical Writing, Technical Communication, Business Writing, Business Correspondence, Engineering Management, Writing, Technical Management, Report Writing, Concision, Grammar, Persuasive Communication, Target Audience, Communication

EIT Digital

Impact from Digital Transformation: Full course

Skills you'll gain: Digital Transformation, Business Transformation, Corporate Strategy, Business Strategy, Organizational Change, Technology Strategies, Business Technologies, Predictive Modeling, Innovation, Leadership, Strategic Decision-Making, Analysis

EIT Digital

Impact from digital transformation: A Nano course

Skills you'll gain: Digital Transformation, Predictive Modeling, Business Transformation, Strategic Decision-Making, Forecasting, Technology Strategies, Emerging Technologies, Business Strategies

University of Washington

Speaking to Inspire: Ceremonial and Motivational Speeches

Skills you'll gain: Public Speaking, Storytelling, Verbal Communication Skills, Motivational Skills, Constructive Feedback, Writing, Leadership

EIT Digital

The Impact of Technology

Skills you'll gain: Technology Roadmaps, Technology Strategies, Business Strategy, Forecasting, Strategic Thinking, Innovation, Business, Emerging Technologies, Strategic Decision-Making, Trend Analysis, Business Transformation, Market Trend, New Business Development, Competitive Analysis

Imperial College London

Healthcare Innovation: What Does Success Look Like and How to Achieve It?

Skills you'll gain: Innovation, Strategic Communication, Target Audience, Sales Presentations, Communication Strategies, Organizational Development, Organizational Structure, Healthcare Industry Knowledge, Stakeholder Engagement, Project Design, Change Management, Cultural Responsiveness, Business Development, Decision Making

HEC Paris

Become a changemaker, build a career with purpose and impact

Skills you'll gain: Self-Awareness, Innovation, Personal Development, Entrepreneurship, Action Oriented, Community Development, Social Work, Professional Development, Visionary, Business Transformation, Environmental Issue, Corporate Sustainability, Goal Setting, Adaptability

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Explore the Influence Course Catalog

Leading transformations: Manage change

Global Impact: Cultural Psychology

Advanced Content and Social Tactics to Optimize SEO

Effectuation: Lessons From Expert Entrepreneurs

Iniciación y Planificación de Proyectos

Technical Managerial Written Skills

Impact from Digital Transformation: Full course

Impact from digital transformation: A Nano course

Speaking to Inspire: Ceremonial and Motivational Speeches

The Impact of Technology

Healthcare Innovation: What Does Success Look Like and How to Achieve It?

Become a changemaker, build a career with purpose and impact

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

Frequently Asked Questions about Influence

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

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

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

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

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

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

What are common career paths for someone in influence?‎

What topics can I study that are related to influence?‎

Other topics to explore