About this course: This course will improve your ability to influence people in situations where you cannot use formal authority. You will learn about effective ways to build, develop, and sustain a power base in your organization. You will also learn influence tactics that enable you to be more persuasive and influential in working with your superiors, peers, and even subordinates. In addition, you will learn how to build and maintain high-quality relationships to further maximize your informal power and ability to influence others. Importantly, you will distinguish between influence and manipulation and learn how to protect yourself from the unwanted influence of others. The influence strategies you learn in this course will make you a more confident and influential leader, presenter, and decision-maker. You will more effective in pitching business ideas to your superiors, influencing customers, and building coalitions across stakeholders. This course will not only give you strategic guidance on how to develop and maintain your network for influence and power, but we will also equip you with specific tactics and strategies that are proven to work for gaining power and influencing people.
Created by: University of Michigan
Taught by: Scott DeRue, Ph.D., Edward J. Frey Dean at the Ross School of Business
Management and Organizations, Ross School of Business
Taught by: Maxim Sytch, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Management and Organizations Michael R. and Mary Kay Hallman Fellow
Management and Organizations, Ross School of Business
| Basic Info | Course 3 of 5 in the Leading People and Teams Specialization |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Building Your Base of Power
To lead effectively, you must have power. Your power can be formally defined, for example your position or job title. Your power can be informal, for example your expertise or charisma give you power that enable you to influence others. In this module, we will explore the meaning of power and where it comes from, helping you identify your bases of power and opportunities to increase you power over time.
14 videos, 2 readings
- Video: 01.01 - Welcome
- Reading: Help us learn more about you!
- Video: 01.02 - What You Will Learn in this Course
- Video: 01.03 - Defining Power in Organizations
- Video: 01.04 - The Benefits of Power
- Video: 01.05 - The Dark Side of Power (Part 1)
- Video: 01.06 - The Dark Side of Power (Part 2)
- Video: 01.07 - Bases of Power: Structural, Personal and Cognitive (Part 1)
- Video: 01.08 - Bases of Power: Structural, Personal and Cognitive (Part 2)
- Video: 01.09 - Strategies for Building Structural Power (Part 1)
- Video: 01.10 - Strategies for Building Structural Power (Part 2)
- Video: 01.11 - Strategies for Building Your Personal Power
- Video: 01.12 - Strategies for Building Your Cognitive Power
- Video: 01.13 - With Power Comes Responsibility
- Video: 01.14 - Recap: Building Your Base of Power
- Reading: Unit Lecture Slides
Graded: Building Your Base of Power
WEEK 2
Influencing People Without Relying on Formal Authority
In this module, you will acquire a rich arsenal of influence tactics that will help you change people’s viewpoints and behaviors. These influence tactics will enable you to influence up in organizations (e.g., when you have to influence your boss) and laterally, such as when you have to influence your peers. More generally, these tactics will allow you to execute effectively in those situations when you either do not have or cannot rely on formal rank and formal power.
9 videos, 7 readings
- Video: 02.01 - Social Proof
- Reading: Social Proof Videos
- Reading: Introduction to Jeff Brodsky, Chief Human Resources Officer at Morgan Stanley
- Video: 02.02 - Informal Influence and Power
- Video: 02.03 - Authority and Influence
- Reading: Stanley Milgram Video
- Video: 02.04 - Cognitive Biases and Influence
- Reading: Alex Laskey Opower Video
- Video: 02.05 - Liking, Scarcity, and Reciprocity
- Video: 02.06 - Message, Speech, and Influence
- Reading: Hans Rosling TED Talk
- Video: 02.07 - Non-verbal Influence
- Reading: Handshake video
- Video: 02.08 - Time of Day & Influence
- Video: 02.09 - Your Influence Toolkit
- Reading: Unit Lecture Slides
Graded: Influencing People Without Relying on Formal Authority
Graded: Influencing for Positive Results
WEEK 3
Developing High‐Quality Relationships to Enhance Influence and Power
In addition to acquiring a tactical portfolio of influence tools that can be applied in group and individual meetings, effective leaders devote a lot of time to building and maintaining social relationships with various stakeholders. In this module, you will learn how build and maintain social relationships in order to maximize your informal power and influence in organizations.
10 videos, 2 readings
- Video: 03.01 - Networks and Power
- Video: 03.02 - Power and Dependence
- Video: 03.03 - Resources in Social Exchange
- Video: 03.04 - Jeff Brodsky on Building Relationships (Part 1)
- Video: 03.05 - Jeff Brodsky on Building Relationships (Part 2)
- Reading: Introduction to John Beilein, Head Coach, University of Michigan Men's Basketball Team
- Video: 03.06 - John Beilein on Building Relationships (Part 3)
- Video: 03.07 - Building a Reputation
- Video: 03.08 - Energy and Influence
- Video: 03.09 - Building Relationships for Influence
- Video: 03.10 - Building Influence From Day #1 on the Job
- Reading: Unit Lecture Slides
Graded: Developing High‐Quality Relationships to Enhance Influence and Power
WEEK 4
Protect Yourself from Unwanted Influence
As a leader, people will try to influence you to make a particular decision or take a particular course of action. It is essential you are able to protect yourself from the unwanted influence of others, especially when those others might be attempting to manipulate you in ways that are not in the best interest of your team or organization. In this module, you will learn specific strategies and tactics that you can use to protect yourself and your team from the unwanted influence of others.
8 videos, 2 readings
- Video: 04.01 - Why You Must Protect Yourself and Your Team
- Video: 04.02 - The Difference Between Influence and Manipulation
- Video: 04.03 - What is the Difference Between Influence and Manipulation
- Video: 04.04 - Strategies and Tactics: Minimize Biases That Allow Others to Influence
- Video: 04.05 - Strategies and Tactics: Flip the Influence Tactic
- Video: 04.06 - Strategies and Tactics: Reframing the Power Relationship
- Video: 04.07 - Protecting Yourself from Others' Manipulation
- Video: 04.08 - Recap: Protecting Yourself from Unwanted Influence
- Reading: Unit Lecture Slides
- Reading: Post-course Survey
Graded: Protect Yourself from Unwanted Influence
Graded: Protecting Yourself from Unwanted Influence
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Pricing
| Audit | Purchase Course | |
|---|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Not available | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Not available | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Not available | Available |
Ratings and Reviews
This is an excellent course. The lecturers are very knowledgeable and experienced. Also, the videos are well curated and developed.
Interesting topic and good professors.
It's a very good course!!!
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Great!