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Northwestern University

Leadership Through Social Influence

This course will provide learners with a systematic general framework for analyzing persuasive influence situations. Learners will be able to identify different challenges faced by persuaders and to fashion appropriate strategies for addressing those challenges. The broad goal is to provide learners with not only an extensive persuasion tool kit, but also with an understanding of how different tools are useful in different situations. Specifically, the course will address four broad topics: strategies for influencing people’s personal attitudes; strategies for affecting social factors influencing behavior; strategies for affecting people’s perceived ability to undertake the desired behavior; and strategies for inducing people to act on their existing intentions.

Status: Negotiation
Status: Behavior Management
Course4 hours

Featured reviews

PR

4.0Reviewed Jun 29, 2020

Extremely well explained, though perhaps some peer-graded assignments and not just quizzes would have been more appropriate to put our newly-acquired knowledge into practice.

LB

5.0Reviewed Mar 29, 2026

Professor O'Keefe lays out what should be obvious but what we too often do not consider prior to attempting to drive change. This was very well-organized, clear, and practical! Thanks Dr. O'Keefe!

AC

5.0Reviewed Oct 4, 2022

I​nformation delivered very clearly, quizzes were hard enough to actually challenge my knowledge. The course was basic but a great overview of the fundamentals of influening

HM

5.0Reviewed Dec 4, 2024

This course is very well design. The teaching methodology by the instructor during course is awesome. This course is worth taking and highly recommended for business leaders

PH

5.0Reviewed May 16, 2021

It's a thoroughly engaging and insightful course about mastering persuasive conversations, relationships and management in both professional and personal life.

HD

5.0Reviewed Jul 13, 2020

Excellent points of learning. Social Influencing has huge role to play to get buy-in from stakeholders. This course helps in learning these critical nuances in a simple and lucid way.

IF

5.0Reviewed Sep 25, 2020

Leadership through influencing social environment boosts up the expected outcomes as well as people know where to direct their efforts to achieve business objectives.

MM

5.0Reviewed Oct 3, 2020

Excellent material. Most important for leaders and equally important for beginners in Corporate organizations. Grooms attitude, openness and behavioral success at work p

DK

5.0Reviewed Jul 29, 2018

I found Professor O’Keefe's insights and his storytelling to be highly engaging. His videos helped me see new ways I can help my colleagues seize new opportunities to help our team. Thank you.

WB

5.0Reviewed Jul 2, 2019

The course is easy to understand and contain many examples. I like how the professor organized it in four blocks. It made the content easier to memorize.

TT

5.0Reviewed Dec 17, 2016

Common sense is not so common. Simply put, these principles are so relevant to everyday life, and yet they elude us. Vital tool to develop communication tactics every leader must master.

LS

5.0Reviewed Feb 21, 2016

Great course. I learned so much about influence and how it is manifest in the workplace. I also got skills in how to use influence to get ideas accepted and moved forward.

All reviews

Showing: 20 of 335

Michal Ziaja
5.0
Reviewed Feb 6, 2019
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