Leadership Communication: Strategy, Influence and Impact

Communicating for Influence and Impact, offered by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership through GetSmarter, is an online short course designed to help leaders communicate with greater clarity, purpose, and influence. The course recognises that climate impacts, regulatory shifts, investor expectations, and changing customer behaviour are reshaping value creation across sectors. It positions communication as a critical leadership tool for anticipating disruption, aligning stakeholders, and mobilising collective action, helping professionals contribute to systems change while strengthening long-term organisational competitiveness.

Core Content

The curriculum explores how communication can influence decisions, shift social norms, and support wider organisational and market transformation. Across eight modules, learners examine the need for impactful communication, the role of communication in shaping society, the qualities of effective communicators, listening and storytelling, purpose-driven influence, collaboration, and change across professional networks. The course also considers how narrative and coalition-building can help align incentives, overcome resistance, and accelerate meaningful economic, social, and environmental progress.

Key Skills

Participants will develop the ability to communicate persuasively with diverse stakeholders, use listening and storytelling more effectively, and shape narratives that support meaningful change. The course helps learners strengthen their capacity to influence decisions, build coalitions, navigate resistance, and mobilise action within and beyond their organisations. It also supports the development of more purposeful communication strategies that connect organisational priorities with long-term social, environmental, and commercial value.

Target Learners

This course is designed for established and aspiring leaders who want to strengthen their communication skills and increase their ability to effect change within an organisation and across a wider business ecosystem. It is particularly relevant for professionals responsible for leadership, sustainability, strategy, stakeholder engagement, or organisational transformation who need to influence others without relying solely on formal authority. The course is applicable across businesses and industries.

Learning Format

Hosted on GetSmarter, the course is delivered in a tutor-assisted online format over eight weeks, with an expected study commitment of approximately seven to ten hours per week. The learning experience includes eight structured modules, practical assignments, applied reflection, and the development of a personalised action plan, allowing learners to build their communication and influence capabilities step by step. Assessment is continuous, and successful participants receive a digital certificate of completion from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

Additional Benefits

The course offers practical value for professionals who want to use communication as a strategic leadership capability rather than a supporting function. Its emphasis on influence, narrative, collaboration, and systems change helps learners translate ideas into collective action and build stronger stakeholder support for organisational priorities. As a CISL course, it also connects participants with the institute’s wider sustainability leadership perspective and professional learning community.

Browse more ESG courses and certifications to enhance your skills and knowledge.