Leadership & Management
The Power of Leaders
This five-day programme examines where influence really comes from and how leaders use it well or badly. Participants build skills in power analysis, trust and credibility, influence and stakeholder mapping, and political judgement with ethical accountability.
Introduction
The Power of Leaders Training Course examines where influence really comes from and how leaders use it well or badly. Participants work through the sources of power, the ethics of using it, and the practical skills that turn authority into consent. The programme connects political awareness in organizations with trust, influence, and accountability. As a result, learners gain an honest understanding of their own power and its limits. Furthermore, the course strengthens ethical judgement, stakeholder reasoning, and the resilience needed to hold influence without abusing it.
The Power of Leaders Course Objectives
- Define power, authority, influence, and politics and how they differ.
- Identify the sources of personal and positional power (French and Raven).
- Assess your own power base honestly and its limits.
- Build influence using the Trust Equation and credibility.
- Apply Cialdini's principles of persuasion responsibly and ethically.
- Map stakeholders and decision-makers using power-interest grids.
- Build coalitions, alliances, and support without coercion.
- Handle organizational politics with integrity and transparency.
- Use power for accountability, development, and ethical outcomes.
- Manage the risks of power: hubris, isolation, and unchecked behaviour.
Course Methodology
- Interactive sessions built on leadership power and politics cases.
- Workshops on power mapping, trust building, and influence planning.
- Group exercises on coalitions, difficult stakeholders, and ethics dilemmas.
- Hands-on practice with the Trust Equation, power-interest grids, and persuasion.
- Simulation of a contested decision and a political escalation.
- Facilitator coaching and peer review on personal influence plans.
Who Should Take This Course
- Senior managers, directors, and heads of function.
- Leaders with responsibility but limited formal authority.
- Managers navigating complex organizational politics.
- Programme, transformation, and change leaders.
- High-potential leaders preparing for broader responsibility.
- Consultants and advisors influencing senior decisions.
The Power of Leaders Course Outlines
Understanding Power and Authority
- • Power, authority, influence, and politics compared.
- • Sources of power: legitimate, reward, coercive, expert, and referent (French and Raven).
- • Personal power versus positional power.
- • How power is perceived and why perception matters.
- • Honest self-assessment of your own power base.
- • Power, privilege, and fairness in organizations.
- • Case discussion: a leader with authority and no real influence.
Trust, Credibility, and Credible Leadership
- • The Trust Equation: credibility, reliability, intimacy, and self-orientation.
- • Character, competence, and consistency over time.
- • Building credibility through evidence and follow-through.
- • Reputation management and handling bad news.
- • Emotional intelligence (Goleman) and self-regulation.
- • Ethics and the boundaries of influence.
- • Workshop: auditing your own credibility with key stakeholders.
Influence, Persuasion, and Stakeholder Mapping
- • Cialdini's principles of persuasion used responsibly.
- • Framing, evidence, and message discipline.
- • Stakeholder mapping with power-interest grids and decision journeys.
- • Coalitions, allies, and neutral parties.
- • Communicating with the pyramid principle (Minto).
- • Negotiation with the BATNA concept and interest-based negotiation.
- • Simulation: gaining support for a contested proposal.
Organizational Politics and Difficult Stakeholders
- • Reading organizational politics without becoming cynical.
- • Sources of resistance and how to address them honestly.
- • Managing conflict with the Thomas-Kilmann conflict modes.
- • Managing upwards, across functions, and with the board.
- • Boundaries, assertiveness, and ethical refusals.
- • Whistleblowing, escalation, and accountability duties.
- • Exercise: planning influence through a political blockage.
Using Power Well and Sustaining Influence
- • Power risks: hubris, isolation, and unchecked behaviour.
- • Building accountability around your own influence.
- • Sponsorship, development, and giving power away.
- • Leading change with Kotter's eight steps and the ADKAR model.
- • Legacy, ethical judgement, and long-term reputation.
- • Personal influence and power development planning.
- • Capstone: presenting a personal power and influence plan.
Conclusion
By successfully completing The Power of Leaders, participants will gain a practical command of power sources, credibility building, persuasion, and political judgement. They will acquire skills in stakeholder mapping, coalition building, ethical influence, and accountability for their own power. Gentex Training Center designs the programme to help leaders use influence with integrity and lasting effect.
FAQs
— What is the "The Power of Leaders" course about?
It examines where influence really comes from and how leaders use it well or badly. The course spans the sources of power and authority, trust and credibility building, influence and stakeholder mapping, organizational politics and difficult stakeholders, and using power well over time.
— What are the key benefits of the "The Power of Leaders" course?
You gain an honest understanding of your own power and its limits. The course improves credibility and trust building, strengthens persuasive communication, sharpens political judgement without cynicism, and helps you use influence responsibly while protecting your reputation.
— What skills will I gain from the "The Power of Leaders" course?
You will develop four core skills: power and authority analysis, trust and credibility building, influence and stakeholder mapping, and political judgement with ethical accountability.
— What tools, methods, or standards are covered in the "The Power of Leaders" course?
The course covers the French and Raven sources of power, the Trust Equation, Cialdini's principles of persuasion, power-interest grids and decision journey mapping, the pyramid principle (Minto) for structured argument, framing and message discipline, the BATNA concept and interest-based negotiation, the Thomas-Kilmann conflict modes, Goleman's emotional intelligence framework, accountability and escalation duties, Kotter's eight steps, and the ADKAR model.
— How is the "The Power of Leaders" course applied in real-world practice?
Participants apply it to real work such as winning support for a proposal without formal authority, working through a political blockage to a decision, handling a difficult stakeholder without confrontation, and setting boundaries around their own influence. The same methods support board communication and sponsorship decisions.
Contact our team and let us help you find the right option.
Introduction
The Power of Leaders Training Course examines where influence really comes from and how leaders use it well or badly. Participants work through the sources of power, the ethics of using it, and the practical skills that turn authority into consent. The programme connects political awareness in organizations with trust, influence, and accountability. As a result, learners gain an honest understanding of their own power and its limits. Furthermore, the course strengthens ethical judgement, stakeholder reasoning, and the resilience needed to hold influence without abusing it.
The Power of Leaders Course Objectives
- Define power, authority, influence, and politics and how they differ.
- Identify the sources of personal and positional power (French and Raven).
- Assess your own power base honestly and its limits.
- Build influence using the Trust Equation and credibility.
- Apply Cialdini's principles of persuasion responsibly and ethically.
- Map stakeholders and decision-makers using power-interest grids.
- Build coalitions, alliances, and support without coercion.
- Handle organizational politics with integrity and transparency.
- Use power for accountability, development, and ethical outcomes.
- Manage the risks of power: hubris, isolation, and unchecked behaviour.
Course Methodology
- Interactive sessions built on leadership power and politics cases.
- Workshops on power mapping, trust building, and influence planning.
- Group exercises on coalitions, difficult stakeholders, and ethics dilemmas.
- Hands-on practice with the Trust Equation, power-interest grids, and persuasion.
- Simulation of a contested decision and a political escalation.
- Facilitator coaching and peer review on personal influence plans.
Who Should Take This Course
- Senior managers, directors, and heads of function.
- Leaders with responsibility but limited formal authority.
- Managers navigating complex organizational politics.
- Programme, transformation, and change leaders.
- High-potential leaders preparing for broader responsibility.
- Consultants and advisors influencing senior decisions.
The Power of Leaders Course Outlines
Understanding Power and Authority
- • Power, authority, influence, and politics compared.
- • Sources of power: legitimate, reward, coercive, expert, and referent (French and Raven).
- • Personal power versus positional power.
- • How power is perceived and why perception matters.
- • Honest self-assessment of your own power base.
- • Power, privilege, and fairness in organizations.
- • Case discussion: a leader with authority and no real influence.
Trust, Credibility, and Credible Leadership
- • The Trust Equation: credibility, reliability, intimacy, and self-orientation.
- • Character, competence, and consistency over time.
- • Building credibility through evidence and follow-through.
- • Reputation management and handling bad news.
- • Emotional intelligence (Goleman) and self-regulation.
- • Ethics and the boundaries of influence.
- • Workshop: auditing your own credibility with key stakeholders.
Influence, Persuasion, and Stakeholder Mapping
- • Cialdini's principles of persuasion used responsibly.
- • Framing, evidence, and message discipline.
- • Stakeholder mapping with power-interest grids and decision journeys.
- • Coalitions, allies, and neutral parties.
- • Communicating with the pyramid principle (Minto).
- • Negotiation with the BATNA concept and interest-based negotiation.
- • Simulation: gaining support for a contested proposal.
Organizational Politics and Difficult Stakeholders
- • Reading organizational politics without becoming cynical.
- • Sources of resistance and how to address them honestly.
- • Managing conflict with the Thomas-Kilmann conflict modes.
- • Managing upwards, across functions, and with the board.
- • Boundaries, assertiveness, and ethical refusals.
- • Whistleblowing, escalation, and accountability duties.
- • Exercise: planning influence through a political blockage.
Using Power Well and Sustaining Influence
- • Power risks: hubris, isolation, and unchecked behaviour.
- • Building accountability around your own influence.
- • Sponsorship, development, and giving power away.
- • Leading change with Kotter's eight steps and the ADKAR model.
- • Legacy, ethical judgement, and long-term reputation.
- • Personal influence and power development planning.
- • Capstone: presenting a personal power and influence plan.
Conclusion
By successfully completing The Power of Leaders, participants will gain a practical command of power sources, credibility building, persuasion, and political judgement. They will acquire skills in stakeholder mapping, coalition building, ethical influence, and accountability for their own power. Gentex Training Center designs the programme to help leaders use influence with integrity and lasting effect.
FAQs
— What is the "The Power of Leaders" course about?
It examines where influence really comes from and how leaders use it well or badly. The course spans the sources of power and authority, trust and credibility building, influence and stakeholder mapping, organizational politics and difficult stakeholders, and using power well over time.
— What are the key benefits of the "The Power of Leaders" course?
You gain an honest understanding of your own power and its limits. The course improves credibility and trust building, strengthens persuasive communication, sharpens political judgement without cynicism, and helps you use influence responsibly while protecting your reputation.
— What skills will I gain from the "The Power of Leaders" course?
You will develop four core skills: power and authority analysis, trust and credibility building, influence and stakeholder mapping, and political judgement with ethical accountability.
— What tools, methods, or standards are covered in the "The Power of Leaders" course?
The course covers the French and Raven sources of power, the Trust Equation, Cialdini's principles of persuasion, power-interest grids and decision journey mapping, the pyramid principle (Minto) for structured argument, framing and message discipline, the BATNA concept and interest-based negotiation, the Thomas-Kilmann conflict modes, Goleman's emotional intelligence framework, accountability and escalation duties, Kotter's eight steps, and the ADKAR model.
— How is the "The Power of Leaders" course applied in real-world practice?
Participants apply it to real work such as winning support for a proposal without formal authority, working through a political blockage to a decision, handling a difficult stakeholder without confrontation, and setting boundaries around their own influence. The same methods support board communication and sponsorship decisions.
Partners in Learning
Our Partners in Learning include leading companies and organizations that trust Gentex Training Center for high-quality training courses and professional development programs. Together, we deliver impactful training programs that support skills growth, leadership development, and organizational excellence.
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