• 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
      I

      IE Business School

      Globalization, Economic Growth and Stability

      Skills you'll gain: Financial Policy, International Finance, Public Policies, Economics, Economic Development, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Market Opportunities, Business Economics, International Relations, Tax, Global Marketing, Policy Analysis, Socioeconomics, Demography, Business Risk Management, Crisis Management, Fiscal Management, Supply And Demand, Analysis, Financial Systems

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.3K reviews

      Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • M

      Macquarie University

      Storytelling et influence : Communiquer pour convaincre

      Skills you'll gain: Persuasive Communication, Overcoming Objections, Influencing, Rapport Building, Storytelling, Meeting Facilitation, Leadership, Presentations, Communication, Public Speaking, Relationship Building, Verbal Communication Skills, Trustworthiness, Target Audience, Non-Verbal Communication, Empathy

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      102 reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Pennsylvania

      Achieving Personal and Professional Success

      Skills you'll gain: Influencing, Active Listening, Negotiation, Communication, Communication Strategies, Persuasive Communication, Verbal Communication Skills, Contract Negotiation, Trustworthiness, Interpersonal Communications, Business Communication, Relationship Building, Professional Networking, Conflict Management, Leadership, Growth Mindedness, Personal Development, Optimism, Self-Awareness, Self-Motivation

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      3.1K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      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, Product Design, Data Ethics, Data Collection, Quantitative Research, Influencing, Qualitative Research, Organizational Leadership, Business Leadership, Leadership, Diversity Awareness, Diversity and Inclusion, Innovation, Analysis

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      580 reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of California, Irvine

      Initiating and Planning Projects

      Skills you'll gain: Stakeholder Management, Conflict Management, Project Management, Project Planning, Project Management Life Cycle, Project Documentation, Project Scoping, Project Coordination, Organizational Structure, Influencing

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      23K reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Michigan

      The Influence of Social Determinants on Health

      Skills you'll gain: Health Disparities, Health Equity, Community Health, Public Health, Health Policy, Health Assessment, Social Justice, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Epidemiology, Socioeconomics, Health Systems, Health Care, Stress Management, Behavioral Health, Social Sciences, Cultural Diversity, Social and Human Services, Mental and Behavioral Health, Data Collection, Culture

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      70 reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months

    • U

      Utrecht University

      Understanding child development: from synapse to society

      Skills you'll gain: Child Development, Human Development, Speech Language Pathology, Developmental Disabilities, Human Learning, Systems Thinking, Learning Theory, Research, Neurology, Cultural Diversity, Biology

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      369 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • I

      IIMA - IIM Ahmedabad

      Leadership Skills

      Skills you'll gain: Leadership, Organizational Leadership, Team Leadership, Change Management, Leadership and Management, Business Leadership, Business Ethics, Self-Awareness, Culture Transformation, Personal Development, Decision Making, Emotional Intelligence, Influencing, Empowerment, Communication, Relationship Building

      4.9
      Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.8K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Y

      Yale University

      Narrative Economics

      Skills you'll gain: Behavioral Economics, Storytelling, Data Storytelling, Economics, Economic Development, Financial Forecasting, Socioeconomics, Forecasting, Social Studies, Consumer Behaviour, Analysis, Complex Problem Solving

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      745 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of California, Irvine

      The Art of Negotiation

      Skills you'll gain: Negotiation, Emotional Intelligence, Relationship Building, Conflict Management, Communication, Interpersonal Communications, Leadership, Empowerment, Influencing, Assertiveness, Empathy, Trustworthiness, Active Listening, Adaptability

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      3K reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      E

      ESSEC Business School

      L'investissement à impact, la finance qui change le monde

      Skills you'll gain: Due Diligence, Project Finance, Investments, Environmental Social And Corporate Governance (ESG), Investment Management, Investment Banking, Entrepreneurship, Proposal Writing, Market Opportunities, Fundraising, Socioeconomics, Governance, Feasibility Studies, Return On Investment, Needs Assessment, Stakeholder Engagement, Economic Development, Financial Analysis, Private Equity, Asset Management

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      281 reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      T

      Tecnológico de Monterrey

      Liderazgo y Pensamiento Crítico

      Skills you'll gain: Critical Thinking, Independent Thinking, Influencing, Organizational Leadership, Self-Awareness, Decision Making, Leadership, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Strategic Thinking, Leadership and Management, Team Motivation, Personal Development, Emotional Intelligence, Business Leadership, Leadership Development, Resilience, Strategic Decision-Making, Social Skills, Psychology, Complex Problem Solving

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      430 reviews

      Advanced · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months

    Influence learners also search

    Social Science Research
    Social Innovation
    Social Responsibility
    Social Welfare
    Debate
    Facilitation
    India
    Mentoring
    1…456…35

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

    • Globalization, Economic Growth and Stability: IE Business School
    • Storytelling et influence : Communiquer pour convaincre: Macquarie University
    • Achieving Personal and Professional Success: University of Pennsylvania
    • Gender Analytics: Gender Equity through Inclusive Design: University of Toronto
    • Initiating and Planning Projects: University of California, Irvine
    • The Influence of Social Determinants on Health: University of Michigan
    • Understanding child development: from synapse to society: Utrecht University
    • Leadership Skills: IIMA - IIM Ahmedabad
    • Narrative Economics: Yale University
    • The Art of Negotiation: University of California, Irvine

    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