Introduction
Leadership is no longer just about formal authority or organizational titles. In today’s rapidly changing development, humanitarian, corporate, and civic environments, leadership is about influence—the ability to inspire, mobilize, and empower others toward shared goals. Whether leading a project team, a cross-sector partnership, or a local initiative, leaders must balance vision with humility, authority with collaboration, and decisiveness with adaptability.
Leadership and Influence is a highly practical, reflective course designed to help participants develop the competencies and mindset required to lead effectively in diverse and dynamic contexts. The course explores the relationship between leadership and influence, providing tools for building trust, shaping group dynamics, communicating persuasively, and driving impact through others. It also supports participants in examining their own leadership styles and developing the emotional intelligence and political acumen necessary to lead across levels and sectors.
Because leadership today is not just about getting people to follow—it’s about empowering them to lead.
Who Should Attend
This course is designed for professionals across sectors who seek to strengthen their leadership presence, enhance their ability to influence, and improve their impact.
Ideal participants include:
- Mid-level and senior managers
- Team leaders and supervisors
- Project and program managers
- Technical advisors and specialists
- Donor and partner engagement staff
- Humanitarian and development professionals
- Policy and advocacy officers
- Civil society and NGO leaders
- Private sector managers working in multi-stakeholder collaborations
Whether you hold a formal leadership title or work in cross-functional roles, Leadership and Influence will help you increase your effectiveness, credibility, and positive impact.
Latest Trends in Leadership and Influence
Leadership theory and practice continue to evolve alongside changes in technology, organizational culture, and global priorities. The ability to influence in ethical, inclusive, and sustainable ways has become a defining feature of successful leaders.
Distributed and Shared Leadership
Modern organizations are moving toward distributed leadership models, where leadership roles are shared across teams, regardless of rank. Influence now comes from expertise, relationships, and credibility rather than from positional power.
Influence Without Authority
Leaders increasingly operate in matrixed, networked, or multi-stakeholder environments where they must influence peers, partners, and donors without formal authority. Skills such as persuasion, negotiation, and consensus-building are now core leadership capabilities.
Inclusive and Participatory Leadership
There is growing emphasis on inclusive leadership that ensures diverse voices are heard, valued, and integrated into decision-making. Leaders are expected to foster equity, trust, and belonging in their teams and partnerships.
Emotional Intelligence and Resilience
Successful leaders today combine technical expertise with emotional intelligence (EI)—the ability to self-regulate, empathize, and manage interpersonal dynamics. Resilience and adaptability are also increasingly recognized as leadership essentials.
Leading in Digital and Hybrid Workplaces
With remote and hybrid teams now the norm, leaders must influence, motivate, and align people across virtual platforms, using digital tools and inclusive practices that keep teams engaged and connected.
Learning Objectives and Outcome for the Course Sponsor
The course is designed to build leadership capacity that is adaptive, inclusive, and grounded in influence rather than authority. Participants will develop greater confidence and skill in leading themselves, their teams, and their organizations.
Key Learning Objectives
- Understand the Fundamentals of Leadership and Influence
- Define leadership and influence in formal and informal roles
- Explore the connection between influence, trust, and credibility
- Distinguish between transactional, transformational, and adaptive leadership
- Develop Self-Awareness and Leadership Presence
- Assess personal leadership styles, values, and strengths
- Build emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, motivation
- Cultivate presence, confidence, and authenticity
- Build Trust and Credibility as a Leader
- Understand the foundations of trust: competence, reliability, honesty, empathy
- Demonstrate accountability, transparency, and follow-through
- Practice active listening and relationship-building techniques
- Enhance Communication and Persuasion Skills
- Craft clear, inspiring messages that align people around shared goals
- Use storytelling, framing, and positive influence tactics
- Navigate difficult conversations, give constructive feedback, and manage up
- Motivate and Empower Teams
- Identify intrinsic and extrinsic motivators
- Delegate effectively and empower others to take ownership
- Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning
- Influence Across Boundaries and Without Authority
- Engage stakeholders, partners, and donors in multi-sectoral environments
- Use negotiation, coalition-building, and consensus-finding strategies
- Manage power dynamics and political complexity with agility
- Lead Adaptively and Resiliently
- Respond to uncertainty and change with flexibility
- Apply adaptive leadership frameworks to complex challenges
- Build personal and team resilience in the face of stress and setbacks
- Develop a Personal Leadership Action Plan
- Set clear leadership development goals
- Identify practices for ongoing reflection and feedback
- Design a plan to strengthen leadership presence and influence post-course
You may also be interested in other courses in the Business Administration
Organizational Outcomes
Organizations that strengthen their leadership and influence capacity will experience:
- Higher team performance and engagement through more empowered and motivated staff
- Improved cross-team and cross-sector collaboration
- Stronger stakeholder and partner relationships built on trust and credibility
- Greater innovation and problem-solving, driven by inclusive leadership
- More adaptive and resilient leadership, better equipped to navigate change and complexity
- Increased retention of high-potential talent, supported through leadership development
Course Methodology
This course uses an experiential, reflective approach that integrates theory, practice, and peer learning. Participants will actively apply tools, receive feedback, and create strategies for real-life leadership situations.
Core methods include:
- Interactive presentations on leadership frameworks and practices
- Self-assessment exercises and leadership style inventories
- Peer coaching and feedback in small groups
- Role-plays and simulations for negotiation, persuasion, and conflict resolution
- Real-world case studies from development, humanitarian, and corporate sectors
- Group reflection on leadership challenges and lessons learned
- Development of a personal leadership action plan
Course Formats
The course can be delivered in the following flexible formats:
- 5-day in-person workshop, including immersive leadership simulations
- 4-week online course, combining live facilitation with guided self-study
- Customized in-house training, tailored to teams or organizations
Participants are encouraged to bring real leadership challenges or goals to apply throughout the course.
Why It Matters in Today’s World
Leadership has never been more important—or more complex. Global crises, digital transformation, social movements, and shifting stakeholder expectations require leaders who can influence across boundaries, engage diverse teams, and drive positive change without relying on authority alone.
The ability to lead and influence effectively determines whether organizations adapt or stagnate, whether partnerships thrive or fail, and whether collective action leads to meaningful impact.
Leadership and Influence helps you develop the mindset, skills, and strategies to lead in today’s fast-changing world—not by command, but by connection.
It’s time to unlock the leader in you—and the leaders around you.
