For today’s leaders, business is personal. Whether you’re negotiating deals, mediating relationships with stakeholders, or managing an increasingly-flexible workforce, today’s business leaders need people skills as much as analytical abilities. These “soft skills” are precisely what’s most in demand for job applicants, according to LinkedIn.

With a Specialisation in Influencing, the online Global MBA from Macquarie University on Learning Platform has made the development of these skills a cornerstone of its curriculum. Alongside the five other future-focused capabilities, you’ll develop these skills to take management to the next level.

Learn How to Influence

The Influencing specialisation builds your capabilities through a series of courses that help you to  navigate the complexities of today’s workplace. As with every specialisation in the program, you’ll learn through a combination of engaging live sessions as well as other learning activities that can be completed at your own pace.

These four courses will build the skills you need to become an influencer in your field:

Communicate with Impact: The ability to effectively communicate your vision — and influence your colleagues to get on board — is essential for any business leader. You’ll maximise your impact by tailoring your approach to different contexts.

Manage Change: Leadership roles in today’s fast-moving, globalised world demand a “change mindset” to carry you and your team through the twists and turns that your business journey will take. This course helps you tackle challenges head-on and develop the mentality needed to shape your company’s future.

Negotiate and Resolve Conflict: Office politics and power struggles are unavoidable in any business, and the ability to resolve these conflicts is crucial. You’ll learn to conceptualise power and politics in your company, develop strategies for influencing key stakeholders, and act with integrity while negotiating sensitive situations.

Engage the Board: Perhaps the most important stakeholders that executives need to influence are those at the top of the corporate governance structure: the board of directors. You’ll learn how to understand your board’s objectives and develop a leadership approach and risk management framework that ensures your team achieves its goals.

Learn about the Global MBA’s curriculum and admission process.