Harvard: Power and Influence for Positive Impact

The Power and Influence for Positive Impact course, offered by Harvard Business School Online, is a six-week online program designed to help individuals at any career stage understand the dynamics of power, develop personal influence, and use it responsibly to drive positive change in organizations and society. Led by Professor Julie Battilana, the course debunks common misconceptions about power, emphasizing its relational nature and potential for good, while equipping learners with tools to navigate power hierarchies, build networks, and lead ethical change initiatives. It combines case-based learning with real-world examples from diverse sectors, requiring 6-7 hours per week, with tuition at $1,850 and upcoming cohorts starting in May and August 2025.

Core Content

The curriculum unfolds across six modules, starting with the fundamentals of power, including its relational aspects, personal and positional sources, and strategies for shifting power dynamics. Learners then explore building relational power through network analysis and development, followed by earning trust and refining influence styles via self-assessments like the Influence Style Exercise. Subsequent modules address encountering entrenched power hierarchies, stereotypes, and resistance to change, using examples such as empowering smallholder farmers in India. The program covers leading organizational and societal change, including stakeholder analysis and conditions for successful implementation, and concludes with managing one's relationship to power responsibly, featuring capstone cases like Umaimah Mendhro and VIDA.

Key Skills

Participants gain the ability to analyze power dynamics in interpersonal, organizational, and societal contexts, map professional networks, and develop strategies for building and maintaining them. The course builds competencies in earning trust, evaluating and refining personal influence styles, and overcoming stereotypes to challenge power hierarchies. Learners develop skills in performing stakeholder analyses, assessing readiness for change, and leading ethical initiatives while holding the powerful accountable, enabling them to exercise power responsibly and drive positive impact.

Target Learners

This course is suited for early- and mid-career professionals seeking to enhance their impact at work, aspiring entrepreneurs aiming to challenge the status quo, and nonprofit leaders focused on societal change. It appeals to a global audience interested in leadership, social innovation, and ethical power usage, with no prerequisites required, though it benefits those committed to personal and professional growth.

Learning Format

Delivered entirely online, the program spans six weeks with self-paced modules, featuring interactive activities every 3-5 minutes, case studies, peer discussions, and assessments like

network analyses and influence exercises. It includes weekly deadlines for social learning, with access to materials for 60 days post-program and downloadable PDF summaries. Participants can audit for free or pay for a certificate, earning a Certificate of Completion and potential Certificate of Specialization in Leadership and Management upon completing related tracks.

Additional Benefits

Graduates receive a Harvard Business School Online certificate, join the HBS Online Community for networking and events, and access grants for qualifying applicants through the Harvard Kennedy School's Social Innovation + Change Initiative. The program fosters ethical leadership and social impact, with alumni praising its engaging format and transformative insights on power.

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