Leadership Presence and Influence Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Senior Managers, Newly Appointed Leaders and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-LD-111

Before you join: Participants should have at least two years of professional experience and current responsibility for projects, people, clients, operational decisions or cross-functional work.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Leadership presence affects whether colleagues, senior leaders, clients and partners listen, act and place confidence in a manager’s judgement. Technical expertise alone may not secure support when a proposal is contested, a meeting is tense or a decision must be made with incomplete information. Managers need to communicate with clarity, show composure under scrutiny and build productive relationships across formal reporting lines.

This five-day course develops the behaviours behind credible, influential leadership. Participants assess their current presence, strengthen vocal and nonverbal communication, structure executive messages and adapt their approach for different stakeholders. They apply Stakeholder Salience, SCARF, Cialdini’s influence principles, the Ladder of Inference, interest-based negotiation and RAPID decision roles. The course also addresses difficult conversations, high-stakes briefings, conflict, emotional self-management and virtual meeting presence.

Teaching combines short instructor briefings with realistic cases, facilitated group work, communication simulations and structured feedback. Participants work with situations such as gaining approval for a risk-control investment, resolving disagreement between business units, briefing a senior committee after an incident and securing support from an influential peer. They leave with a personal leadership presence and influence plan, supported by message structures, stakeholder analyses, feedback prompts and practical conversation frameworks.

The course suits managers, technical leaders and project professionals who already hold responsibility for people, decisions or cross-functional work. It is particularly useful for those moving into broader leadership roles, working with senior stakeholders or needing greater impact in meetings, presentations and challenging conversations.

What you will be able to do

  • Diagnose personal leadership presence using behavioural evidence, stakeholder feedback and self-assessment
  • Project credible authority through vocal, nonverbal and virtual communication techniques
  • Construct executive messages using BLUF, Message Map and Pyramid Principle structures
  • Map stakeholder interests, influence routes and sponsorship opportunities using stakeholder analysis
  • Lead difficult conversations using advocacy-inquiry, active listening and calibrated questions
  • Negotiate agreements using BATNA preparation, tradeable variables and conditional commitments
  • Chair decision-focused meetings using RAPID roles, decision logs and meeting architecture
  • Build a measurable personal influence plan for priority stakeholders and critical situations

Benefits of attending

For you

  • A clearer leadership reputation based on observable, credible behaviours
  • Greater confidence when speaking with senior leaders and challenging stakeholders
  • Stronger executive briefings that lead to decisions and defined next actions
  • Practical language for addressing disagreement, resistance and unhelpful meeting behaviour
  • A focused development plan supported by feedback measures and practice priorities

For your organisation

  • Better-quality decisions through concise recommendations, evidence and clear ownership
  • Fewer stalled initiatives caused by weak stakeholder engagement and unclear communication
  • More productive senior meetings with defined decision rights and documented commitments
  • Earlier resolution of conflict through structured conversations and interest-based negotiation
  • Stronger succession readiness among managers moving into wider leadership roles

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can assess the behaviours that shape their leadership presence and professional reputation.

  • Executive presence: credibility, composure and connection under observation
  • Leadership brand audit using reputation, values, strengths and observable behaviours
  • Stakeholder expectations mapped by authority, proximity, impact and trust
  • First-impression signals: arrival, attention, eye contact, posture and vocal readiness
  • Context diagnosis distinguishes operational, political, crisis and boardroom demands
  • Personal presence baseline drawn from feedback, observation and self-assessment

Participants can use physical, vocal and virtual communication behaviours to project calm authority.

  • Breath, pace, pausing and articulation used to regulate vocal authority
  • Nonverbal congruence aligns stance, gesture, facial expression and spoken intent
  • Camera framing, sightline and lighting improve presence in virtual meetings
  • Silence and stillness create emphasis without appearing withdrawn or detached
  • Practise concise openings that establish purpose, relevance and confident direction
  • Receive behavioural feedback using specific observations rather than personality labels

Participants can communicate complex issues clearly in briefings, recommendations and presentations.

  • Message Map structure: audience need, key message, proof and action
  • BLUF openings state bottom line before supporting context and detail
  • Pyramid Principle grouping turns analysis into executive-level narrative
  • Translate technical detail into risk, value, decision and consequence
  • Three-part stories use situation, tension and resolution to create meaning
  • Close recommendations with owner, deadline, decision request and next step

Participants can identify influence routes and build support for priority decisions.

  • Influence diagnosis separates authority, expertise, relationships and network position
  • Stakeholder Salience assesses power, legitimacy and urgency before engagement
  • Cialdini principles used ethically: reciprocity, consistency, social proof and authority
  • SCARF model identifies status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness and fairness concerns
  • Reciprocity mapping identifies exchanges valued by decision-makers and partners
  • Build sponsorship through credible asks, follow-through and visible mutual benefit

Participants can hold constructive conversations when views, interests or evidence conflict.

  • Ladder of Inference exposes assumptions between observed data and conclusions
  • Advocacy-inquiry conversations test views without diluting a clear position
  • Powerful questions surface interests, constraints, evidence and decision criteria
  • Active listening uses paraphrase, summary, labelling and calibrated silence
  • Frame disagreements around shared outcomes rather than personal positions
  • Check understanding through recap, challenge invitations and agreed next actions

Participants can prepare and conduct negotiations that protect relationships and secure workable agreements.

  • Interest-based negotiation separates people, positions, interests and options
  • BATNA assessment sets walk-away boundaries before consequential conversations
  • Prepare tradeable variables, priorities, concessions and approval limits
  • Package proposals create choices without weakening the preferred outcome
  • Handle resistance using acknowledge, probe, reframe and conditional commitment
  • Close agreements with terms, owners, milestones and confirmation language

Participants can lead meetings that create clarity, participation and accountable decisions.

  • Decision rights clarified using RAPID roles and escalation thresholds
  • Meeting architecture defines purpose, attendees, decisions, timings and pre-reads
  • Chair difficult meetings with framing, turn-taking, synthesis and closure
  • Intervene on derailment using process observations and neutral redirection
  • Executive briefings distinguish inform, consult, recommend and decide
  • Record commitments in decision logs with owners, dates and dependencies

Participants can deliver concise, credible briefings and respond effectively under challenge.

  • High-stakes preparation identifies audience, stakes, opposition and desired decision
  • Risk communication balances candour, confidence, uncertainty and evidence
  • Two-minute briefing structures issue, implication, recommendation and request
  • Q-and-A preparation anticipates hostile questions, evidence gaps and alternatives
  • Bridging techniques acknowledge questions before returning to core messages
  • Recover from challenge through pause, clarification and disciplined response

Participants can manage emotional pressure, address conflict and set clear professional boundaries.

  • Emotional triggers recognised through physical cues, thoughts and action urges
  • Name emotions precisely to reduce impulsive reactions during pressure
  • Reappraisal reframes setbacks without denying facts, accountability or consequences
  • Boundary statements use DESC: describe, express, specify and consequences
  • Conflict modes assessed through Thomas-Kilmann competing, collaborating and accommodating
  • Repair trust with acknowledgement, ownership, restitution and sustained follow-through

Participants can create a focused plan for improving leadership presence in their current role.

  • Presence goals linked to role priorities, stakeholder needs and career direction
  • 360-degree feedback questions target observable behaviours and critical moments
  • Deliberate practice schedule assigns situations, behaviours, measures and review dates
  • Accountability partners provide observation, challenge and specific developmental feedback
  • Personal influence plan prioritises two behaviours and three stakeholder actions
  • Progress evidence combines feedback trends, decision outcomes and reflection notes

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Leadership presence self-assessment and feedback questionnaire
  2. Executive Message Map and BLUF briefing template
  3. Stakeholder Salience and influence-route analysis
  4. Difficult conversation preparation checklist
  5. Negotiation preparation sheet with BATNA and concession plan
  6. Personal leadership presence and influence development plan

Who should attend

  • Senior Managers — need greater credibility and influence with executives and peers
  • Newly Appointed Leaders — must establish authority while building trust with former peers
  • Project Managers — require commitment from stakeholders outside their reporting line
  • Technical and Subject-Matter Leaders — need to translate expertise into persuasive business messages
  • Programme and Change Managers — must gain support for contested decisions and new ways of working
  • High-Potential Professionals — are preparing for roles with broader stakeholder responsibility

Skills and tools covered

Executive communicationStakeholder influenceDifficult conversationsNegotiation preparationMeeting leadershipEmotional self-management

Tools and standards

SCARF model, Cialdini's Principles of Influence, Ladder of Inference, RAPID decision roles

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings, case work, group exercises, communication simulations and individual application planning. Participants analyse realistic leadership situations, prepare messages for senior audiences, conduct stakeholder conversations and receive structured feedback on observable behaviours. Cases reflect common corporate, public-sector and NGO challenges, including contested investment decisions, service incidents, programme delays and cross-functional conflict. Trainers adapt scenarios, role allocations and feedback depth to the cohort’s responsibilities while retaining the course frameworks and practical outputs.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have at least two years of professional experience and current responsibility for projects, people, clients, operational decisions or cross-functional work. They should be able to describe real meetings, stakeholders and communication challenges from their role. No formal leadership qualification, public-speaking background or personality assessment is required. The course does not assume authority over all stakeholders; it is suitable for those who must influence peers, senior colleagues, partners or teams without relying solely on hierarchy.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should have professional experience of leading work, contributing to decisions or managing relationships with colleagues, clients or partners. No formal leadership qualification or public-speaking training is required.

Bring examples of real communication or stakeholder challenges you are able to discuss without sharing confidential information. A current project, proposal, difficult conversation or upcoming briefing will help you apply the methods directly.

It suits managers, project leaders, technical leaders and high-potential professionals whose success depends on influencing others. It is useful whether you lead through formal authority or through expertise and relationships.

Presentation skills courses focus mainly on formal speaking delivery, while people management courses focus on leading direct reports. This course connects communication, stakeholder influence, decision forums, negotiation, composure and leadership reputation.

You will apply the tools to meetings, executive briefings, cross-functional decisions, negotiations and difficult conversations. The personal influence plan identifies specific stakeholders, behaviours and situations for immediate use.

Training runs from 08:30 to 16:30 each day, with about 6.5 contact hours daily. Time is divided between instructor input, analysis of cases, group work, simulations, feedback and individual planning.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

Related courses in Leadership Development