Create Trust and Drive Results

Collaboration and Influence

Learn how to build strong relationships and move initiatives forward, even when the stakes are high. The Collaboration and Influence program offers a practical, self-paced foundation for influencing outcomes and communicating with confidence.

Collaboration and Influence

Upcoming program dates: Jan. 26–March 2, 2026; May 4–June 8, 2026

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Who This Program Is For

The Collaboration and Influence program is for individual contributors and team leaders who are navigating cross-functional work and competing priorities. If your role requires influencing without authority or gaining buy-in across teams, this program will help you approach those challenges with greater confidence and proficiency.

Program dates:

Jan. 26–March 2, 2026; May 4–June 8, 2026

Format:

100% online (asynchronous)

Time commitment:

Five weeks, with approximately two to three hours of work per week

Fee:

$1,700

Learn To Lead Through Trust and Influence

Strengthen your ability to influence outcomes and communicate with purpose in this five-week, self-paced online program. Guided by expert Darden faculty, you’ll work through realistic scenarios using AI-powered simulations and practical tools that help you apply what you learn immediately.

Plan to spend two to three hours each week on video lessons, exercises and assignments. By program completion, you’ll be well-equipped to guide decisions and lead with clarity in complex environments.

“A challenging, engaging and fun program. Highly recommended.”

Scott Sorensen
Manager, Aircraft Operations
Valero

Key Themes and Topics

This program explores the following focus areas to deepen your expertise:

Stakeholder Management

Discover how to identify and manage your most important relationships using principles from the Stakeholder Engagement Theory. Apply tools such as stakeholder maps, empathy maps and RACI matrices to align interests and support long-term collaboration.

Influence

Explore six ethical principles of influence and how to apply them effectively across communication styles. You’ll learn how to balance advocacy with inquiry and navigate challenging conversations with authority.

Strategic Communication

Practice framing arguments and responding to resistance using a strategic communication model. Gain tools for persuasive storytelling, building consensus and staying on track when facing pushback.

Negotiations Preparation

Learn the five stages of negotiation and how to adapt your approach based on different styles and contexts. You’ll develop a personal negotiation strategy grounded in trust-building and mutual value creation.

Continued Learning and Growth

Advance your skills through reflection and real-world application. Evaluate your negotiation strengths and explore how cultural competence influences long-term success with stakeholders.

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Explore AI-Powered Case Studies

This program features interactive case studies from Abilitie, a platform that uses AI-enabled characters to simulate real-world leadership scenarios. These dynamic experiences align with course content and offer hands-on opportunities to practice essential conversations, apply leadership frameworks, navigate dilemmas and build confidence in decision-making. You’ll strengthen your judgment and sharpen your skills in a safe, interactive environment.

“I imagined AI to be a bit different, by way of appearing more artificial. However, these representations are realistic and engaging enough to make me feel confident in what I have learned and how to utilize it.”

Barbara H. Gray

Master Sgt., U.S. Department of Defense (retired)

“Being able to practice the new concepts and skills with interactive AI case studies was the most effective way for me to learn. I applied it at work the next day with success!”

Andrea Klaverkamp

Enterprise Customer Success Manager, Level Access

“The AI chats and the simulated negotiations were impressive, engaging, fun and instructive.”

Daniel Raymond Dammerman

Account Executive, LogicMonitor

Earn Certificate Credit With This Program

This program is one of six offered as part of the UVA Darden Management Development Certificate. Choose any four to complete the certificate and tailor your learning to your goals. You can start with Collaboration and Influence or any program you choose. Completion of each program moves you closer to a respected credential from one of the world’s top business schools.

Learn How the Certificate Works

Meet Your Instructor

Bidhan L. Parmar

Associate Dean for Faculty Development, Shannon G. Smith Bicentennial Professor of Business Administration

Through his focus in business ethics and leadership, Parmar works with executives in a wide variety of industries and functions on topics related to decision-making, stakeholder management, design-thinking, leadership and collaboration and influence.

Meet Bobby

Programs / Collaboration and Influence

Ready To Lead With Greater Influence?

Acquire the skills to manage relationships and build support for your ideas, guided by Darden’s world-class faculty and practical learning approach. With flexible, self-paced delivery and tools you can apply immediately, this program is designed to accelerate your career.

Enroll Now

Work Toward Finishing Your Online Management Certificate With Additional Programs

Expand your leadership and technical skills with programs that count toward the Management Development Certificate. Each is designed to enhance your expertise and accelerate your growth.

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