• For Individuals
  • For Businesses
  • For Universities
  • For Governments
Coursera
  • Online Degrees
  • Careers
  • Log In
  • Join for Free
    Coursera
    • Browse
    • Influence

    Influence Courses Online

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

    Skip to search results

    Filter by

    Subject
    Required
     *

    Language
    Required
     *

    The language used throughout the course, in both instruction and assessments.

    Learning Product
    Required
     *

    Build job-relevant skills in under 2 hours with hands-on tutorials.
    Learn from top instructors with graded assignments, videos, and discussion forums.
    Get in-depth knowledge of a subject by completing a series of courses and projects.
    Earn career credentials from industry leaders that demonstrate your expertise.
    Graduate level learning within reach.

    Level
    Required
     *

    Duration
    Required
     *

    Skills
    Required
     *

    Subtitles
    Required
     *

    Educator
    Required
     *

    Explore the Influence Course Catalog

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Maryland, College Park

      Managing Conflicts with Cultural and Emotional Intelligence

      Skills you'll gain: Persuasive Communication, Conflict Management, Emotional Intelligence, Stakeholder Management, Cultural Diversity, Relationship Management, Team Management, Interpersonal Communications, Communication, Decision Making, Active Listening

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • 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
      A

      Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP)

      Recognizing Team Members

      Skills you'll gain: Recognizing Others, Leadership Development, Team Motivation, Team Leadership, Team Management, Self-Awareness, Emotional Intelligence, Employee Engagement, Open Mindset

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      6 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • C

      Corporate Finance Institute

      Analyzing Growth Drivers & Business Risks

      Skills you'll gain: Financial Analysis, Risk Analysis, Competitive Analysis, Market Analysis, Growth Strategies, Business Strategies, Business Analysis, Business Risk Management, Strategic Planning, Product Lifecycle Management

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: New
      New
      S

      Starweaver

      Business Writing & Technical Writing Immersion

      Skills you'll gain: Business Writing, Concision, Writing, Persuasive Communication, Technical Writing, Business Communication, Grammar, Target Audience, Writing and Editing, Report Writing, Editing, Technical Communication, Proofreading, Communication, Proposal Writing, Generative AI Agents

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: New
      New
      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

    • Status: New
      New
      P

      Packt

      Winning at Sales

      Skills you'll gain: Sales Presentations, Sales Management, Sales Training, Sales, Selling Techniques, Sales Strategy, Account Management, Sales Territory Management, Sales Process, Closing (Sales), Consultative Selling, Showrooms, Employee Coaching, Customer Relationship Management, Overcoming Objections, Rapport Building, Relationship Building, Active Listening

      Intermediate · 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

    • 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

    • 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: New
      New
      Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      J

      Johns Hopkins University

      Data Visualization

      Skills you'll gain: Data Visualization Software, Scientific Visualization, Interactive Data Visualization, Geospatial Information and Technology, Data Presentation, Color Theory, Graphic and Visual Design, Tree Maps, Visualization (Computer Graphics), Statistical Visualization, Data Storytelling, Design Elements And Principles, Plot (Graphics), Data Literacy, Heat Maps, Computer Displays, Exploratory Data Analysis, Time Series Analysis and Forecasting, Data Mapping, Scatter Plots

      Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    Influence learners also search

    Social Science Research
    Social Innovation
    Social Responsibility
    Social Welfare
    Debate
    Facilitation
    India
    Mentoring
    1…323334…36

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

    • Managing Conflicts with Cultural and Emotional Intelligence: University of Maryland, College Park
    • Power BI Desktop - Query Editor Master Data Transformation: Board Infinity
    • Recognizing Team Members: Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP)
    • Analyzing Growth Drivers & Business Risks: Corporate Finance Institute
    • Business Writing & Technical Writing Immersion: Starweaver
    • Leadership in Action and Planning: Johns Hopkins University
    • Winning at Sales: Packt
    • Maximizing Miles: Enhancing EV Range & Efficiency: Coursera Instructor Network
    • Exploring the Origins of Selfhood: University of Colorado System
    • 스토리텔링과 영향력: 임팩트 있게 소통하라: Macquarie 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.

    Other topics to explore

    Arts and Humanities
    338 courses
    Business
    1095 courses
    Computer Science
    668 courses
    Data Science
    425 courses
    Information Technology
    145 courses
    Health
    471 courses
    Math and Logic
    70 courses
    Personal Development
    137 courses
    Physical Science and Engineering
    413 courses
    Social Sciences
    401 courses
    Language Learning
    150 courses

    Coursera Footer

    Technical Skills

    • ChatGPT
    • Coding
    • Computer Science
    • Cybersecurity
    • DevOps
    • Ethical Hacking
    • Generative AI
    • Java Programming
    • Python
    • Web Development

    Analytical Skills

    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Big Data
    • Business Analysis
    • Data Analytics
    • Data Science
    • Financial Modeling
    • Machine Learning
    • Microsoft Excel
    • Microsoft Power BI
    • SQL

    Business Skills

    • Accounting
    • Digital Marketing
    • E-commerce
    • Finance
    • Google
    • Graphic Design
    • IBM
    • Marketing
    • Project Management
    • Social Media Marketing

    Career Resources

    • Essential IT Certifications
    • High-Income Skills to Learn
    • How to Get a PMP Certification
    • How to Learn Artificial Intelligence
    • Popular Cybersecurity Certifications
    • Popular Data Analytics Certifications
    • What Does a Data Analyst Do?
    • Career Development Resources
    • Career Aptitude Test
    • Share your Coursera Learning Story

    Coursera

    • About
    • What We Offer
    • Leadership
    • Careers
    • Catalog
    • Coursera Plus
    • Professional Certificates
    • MasterTrack® Certificates
    • Degrees
    • For Enterprise
    • For Government
    • For Campus
    • Become a Partner
    • Social Impact
    • Free Courses
    • ECTS Credit Recommendations

    Community

    • Learners
    • Partners
    • Beta Testers
    • Blog
    • The Coursera Podcast
    • Tech Blog
    • Teaching Center

    More

    • Press
    • Investors
    • Terms
    • Privacy
    • Help
    • Accessibility
    • Contact
    • Articles
    • Directory
    • Affiliates
    • Modern Slavery Statement
    • Manage Cookie Preferences
    Learn Anywhere
    Download on the App Store
    Get it on Google Play
    Logo of Certified B Corporation
    © 2025 Coursera Inc. All rights reserved.
    • Coursera Facebook
    • Coursera Linkedin
    • Coursera Twitter
    • Coursera YouTube
    • Coursera Instagram
    • Coursera TikTok