Power and Influence
Power and Influence is a three-day elective module in the Global Leader program and can also be taken as a stand-alone program.
Influencing has become an essential skill for managers in an increasingly complex business environment. This program focuses on understanding how politics work in an organization and learning how to handle power and influence tactics to achieve professional goals.
In the Power and Influence programs, you will learn the key elements of influencing others effectively and choosing which influence style fits best in different situations. You will learn how to handle resistance when implementing a plan that implies behavioral change and how to create support and persuade others. Learning influencing tactics also creates the paradox of power and leadership – you will learn how to balance different situations and become a more skillful leader.
4.5 ECTS credits can be transferred from this program to the Aalto Executive MBA or Aalto MBA program.
Benefits
In today’s turbulent and fast-changing world, leaders must demonstrate authentic and influential leadership that does not always rely on authority. Mastering influencing techniques and understanding the different power dynamics and politics between people enables leaders to cope better and stay in control in challenging situations and engage in respectful dialogues with stakeholders for lasting and trustworthy relationships.
For
This program is designed for executives, managers, and professionals at all levels who must stay in control when influencing others in challenging situations.
This program is for you if you need to:
- Empower, engage, and influence others, and show your expertise in a professional way.
- Demonstrate trustworthiness and understand how to handle challenging situations.
- Convince clients and other stakeholders in a respectful dialogue for lasting relationships.
Contents and Schedule
Power and Influence is a three-day program and it contains a written pre-assignment and a take-home assignment. The program is worth 4.5 ECTS credits.
Pre-module period of 2–3 weeks
Individual preparation
Three-day module
Intensive contact learning session with instructor and peers
Take-home assignment
Take-home assignment
The program delves into ecosystems and influence in leadership. The first day explores how modern ecosystems form, focusing on networks where multiple organizations collaborate equally rather than relying on a dominant central player levering the collective strengths to create value that no single party could achieve alone. Tools and frameworks help map and design strategic networks while ensuring long-term sustainability and preventing collective action risks.
The two latter days focus on teaching how to navigate organizational politics and persuade others effectively. It covers different influence styles, key drivers of political interactions in business, and the role of storytelling in communication. Participants will gain practical insights into both written and oral communication to enhance their leadership impact.
Instructors
Joaquín Cava
Joaquín Cava is a Lecturer at the Department of Strategy and General Management at Esade.
Joaquín Cava has developed most of his career at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), which he joined in 1994. He became a partner and Vice President of the firm in January 2002. During his career as a consultant, he has worked with a wide range of clients in all sectors: consumer goods, banking, industry (cement, machine tools, metallurgy, etc.), energy, telecommunications, diversified industrial conglomerates, etc. He has been involved in projects in a wide range of functional areas, including: strategic definition and implementation; the design and implementation of business or expansion plans; organizational and process design; the definition of business strategies (channels, products, pricing, etc.); the implementation of plans to improve operational efficiency; management of merger processes and synergies; the valuation of acquisition objectives and participation in due diligence processes; the overseeing of the design and implementation of new strategies for information systems.
While at BCG, Joaquín Cava has also been responsible for the areas of recruitment and marketing at the company's offices in Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon. Before joining BCG, he worked at The Mac Group and Prodesfarma, SA.
Ville Eloranta
Dr. Ville Eloranta is currently working as a Senior University Lecturer at Aalto University School of Business.
He is also Director of the IDBM Master's Program (the Aalto International Design Business Management program for future transdisciplinary professionals) and involved in developing Network University Fitech (a transformative education endeavor of the seven biggest Finnish universities, Technology Industries of Finland, and TEK, the trade union for academic engineers and architects in Finland).
Dr. Ville Eloranta is an expert in design management (connecting design paradigms to management practice), business model innovation (especially platform business models), and distributed ledger technologies (especially open blockchain implementations). He has a solid track record of publications in top-level management journals.
Besides a strong academic track record, Dr. Ville Eloranta has 20 years of experience in design and entrepreneurship solving digitalization challenges, especially for big B2B customers.
Ville Eloranta holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Management from Aalto University School of Science and Technology.
Program Fee and Registration
Other Global Leader Modules
You can register for individual stand-alone Global Leader modules or take the complete Global Leader program, including all four core modules and two elective modules of your choice.
February 2026
Schedule February 2026
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Frequency Once a year
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Schedule May 26–28, 2025
Location Aalto University Töölö, Helsinki, Finland
Frequency Once a year
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Fee: € 4,650 (+ VAT)
September 22–24, 2025
Schedule September 22–24, 2025
Location Aalto University Töölö, Helsinki, Finland
Frequency Once a year
The program focuses on the fundamental issues in strategy planning and will give you the skills needed to develop the long-term viability of your organization.
Fee: € 4,650 (+ VAT)
November 10–12, 2025
Schedule November 10–12, 2025
Location Aalto University Töölö, Helsinki, Finland
Frequency Once a year
The program focuses on developing awareness and skills in how to lead and coach yourself, your team, and your organization through change.
Fee: € 4,650 (+ VAT)
April 8–10, 2025
Schedule April 8–10, 2025
Location Aalto University Töölö, Helsinki, Finland
Frequency Once a year
The program provides the skills and frameworks needed for effective and influential leadership in a compact package.
Fee: € 4,650 (+ VAT)