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Harvard Online · delivered by SkillsPro360

Microcredential in
Cultivating Power for Positive Impact

Power isn’t only for people at the top. Learn to read it, build it and use it to make a positive difference.
  • What you study: Where power comes from — personal, positional and relational sources — how to read networks of relationships, how to earn trust and widen your influence, the roles needed to drive change, and how to use power responsibly.
  • Who it is for: Professionals at any level who want to understand and grow their influence, advance their careers and make an impact in their organizations.
  • Part of: Power Skills for Career Growth — complete any five of the seven courses to also earn a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Online.
Course fee
USD 150
Single course enrollment
Duration
2.5 hours
On-demand, 90-day access
Microcredential fromHarvard Online
Enroll now Get more information
Request a callGet it for your team
Duration
2.5 hours
Five sections
Format
On-demand
Start any time
Access
90 days
From enrollment
Prerequisites
None
Introductory course
Credential
Harvard Online
Microcredential
How you learn

Learn on your own schedule.

Watch Professor Julie Battilana in conversation with Keke Palmer, work through short reflections, and finish at your own pace within 90 days.

A leader guiding a team discussion
What you receive

Earn a Microcredential from Harvard Online.

Complete the course and Harvard Online issues your digital Microcredential.

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Harvard faculty and a world-class guest

Taught by Professor Julie Battilana of Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School, with actor, singer and producer Keke Palmer.

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A badge you can verify and share

Your Microcredential carries a verification code, ready to add to your LinkedIn profile.

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Stacks toward a Certificate of Completion

Complete any five of the seven Power Skills for Career Growth courses to also earn a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Online.

Sample Harvard Online Microcredential for Cultivating Power for Positive Impact
Sample Microcredential issued by Harvard Online. Design subject to change by Harvard Online.
Course syllabus

What you study.

Five short sections that reframe power as the ability to influence people and make an impact — something available to everyone, whatever their rank.

Topics covered
  1. Understanding How Power Works — the three channels of access to power — personal (skills and attributes), positional (rank in a hierarchy) and relational (network connections) — and navigating the influence and boundaries of a formal role.
  2. Navigating Networks of Relationships — how relationships with influential advocates and peers shape your ability to achieve goals, and how people who bridge groups control access to information and influence outcomes.
  3. Earning Trust, Expanding Your Influence — “pull energy” (bridging and attracting through listening and motivation) versus “push energy” (asserting and persuading through logic and pressure), and choosing the right style for the goal, context and person.
  4. Taking Initiative and Making Change — the three interdependent roles needed for social and organizational change, and why success comes from collective action rather than one person playing every role.
  5. Finding Purpose and Acting Responsibly — hubris and self-focus as risks that lead to abuse of power, staying grounded through humility and empathy, and safeguards such as regular feedback and distributed decision-making.
Learning outcomes

Understand and leverage your sources of power

  • Recognize the personal, positional and relational sources of power available to you

Interpret power dynamics in your organization

  • Read how networks and relationships shape influence and outcomes

Understand and practice the three stages of changemaking

  • Take initiative and work with others to drive positive change
Format: on-demand, self-pacedAccess: 90 days from enrollment

Syllabus topics are set by Harvard Online and may be revised.

Who it is for

Built for anyone who wants more influence — whatever their title.

This course is for professionals who want to understand power and use it to move their careers and organizations forward.

An introductory course; no prerequisites. Taught in English; participants should be 18 or over.

At work

Build influence, whatever your job title.

Getting things done at work depends on influence as much as authority. This short course shows how anyone can build it and use it well.

Who teaches you

Learn from Harvard faculty.

Professor Julie Battilana leads the course in conversation with Keke Palmer. Guest segments are pre-recorded.

Julie Battilana

Julie Battilana

Joseph C. Wilson Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School, and Alan L. Gleitsman Professor of Social Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School

A leading scholar of power and changemaking, co-author of Power, for All, and founder of Harvard’s Social Innovation and Change Initiative.

Power Skills for Career Growth

Seven courses. Any five earn a Certificate of Completion.

This course is one of seven Power Skills for Career Growth courses. Each earns its own Microcredential, and any five together also earn the Certificate of Completion in Power Skills for Career Growth from Harvard Online.

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How to Bring the Real You to Work

Henry Louis Gates Jr. with Cynthia Erivo

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Purpose, Perspective, and Persuasion

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Disagreeing Productively and Collaborating Well

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Building a Winning Mindset

Luana Marques with John Cena

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Effective Writing for Greater Impact

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Tech Ethics

Michael Sandel with Michael B. Jordan

See all seven courses
Sample Harvard Online Certificate of Completion in Power Skills for Career Growth
Sample certificate issued by Harvard Online.
Course fee

What is included.

One fee covering the full Harvard Online course and your Microcredential.

USD150
per participant · complete course
  • The complete Harvard Online course, all five sections
  • A digital Microcredential from Harvard Online
  • A verification code to share on LinkedIn
  • 90 days of on-demand access
  • Counts toward the Power Skills for Career Growth Certificate of Completion
  • Advisor support from enrollment to completion
Enroll now

Enrolling a team?

Organizations are invoiced directly, and multi-seat rates apply from ten participants.
Fees are quoted in US dollars and paid by international card or bank transfer; your bank applies its own conversion rate. We can also provide a scope document for employer-funded participants.
Request a proposal
Enrollment

From inquiry to first day.

Four steps, usually completed within a week.

Step one

Book a call

A twenty-minute conversation with an advisor to check the course fits your role and goals. No obligation.

Step two

Pick your start

The course is on-demand, so you can begin whenever suits you.

Step three

Enroll

Complete payment by international card or bank transfer.

Step four

Begin

We enroll you directly with Harvard Online. Your access details arrive by email, and your 90 days begin.

Common questions

Everything you might be wondering.

Is this course only for people in senior roles?

No. It reframes power as the ability to influence people and make an impact — something available to everyone, whatever their rank.

What will I study in Cultivating Power?

Five short sections: understanding how power works; navigating networks of relationships; earning trust and expanding your influence; taking initiative and making change; and finding purpose and acting responsibly.

Will I interact with Keke Palmer?

No. The guest segments are pre-recorded, and there are no live sessions in this course.

How long does the course take?

About two and a half hours in total. It is on-demand, so you can start any time and finish at your own pace within 90 days.

What does it cost?

USD 150 for the complete course and your Microcredential from Harvard Online.

What is a Microcredential?

A digital credential issued by Harvard Online when you complete a short course. It carries a verification code you can share on LinkedIn.

How do I earn the Power Skills for Career Growth certificate?

Complete any five of the seven Power Skills for Career Growth courses and Harvard Online awards a Certificate of Completion in Power Skills for Career Growth, in addition to your Microcredentials.

Who awards the Microcredential?

Harvard Online. SkillsPro360 is an authorized delivery partner — we are not Harvard University.

Build your power. Prove it with Harvard Online.

Start today, at your own pace, and earn your Microcredential from Harvard Online.

Enroll now