Strategic Communication for Leaders: Presence, Influence, Impact
Lead with impact through strategic communication
Effective leadership today requires more than functional expertise — it demands strategic communication skills that foster trust, engagement and influence. As organizations navigate new challenges, global collaboration and digital transformation, the ability to communicate with clarity, inspire teams and drive meaningful impact has become a defining factor for success. Leaders must adapt their communication styles, deliver high-stakes messages with confidence and initiate conversations that align teams and stakeholders.
The six-week Strategic Communication for Leaders: Presence, Influence, Impact online program from Kellogg Executive Education equips professionals with practical techniques to build executive presence, enhance emotional intelligence and lead with authority and empathy. Through expert-led sessions, interactive exercises and real-world applications, you will develop a structured approach to leadership communication, gaining tools to engage stakeholders, foster collaboration and navigate organizational change effectively. By the end of the program, you will be prepared to communicate with confidence, influence decision making and drive performance while humanizing leadership and developing cross-cultural competence to effectively engage teams and business landscapes.
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Key takeaways
By the end of this program, you will be able to:
Communicate with self-awareness, executive presence, empathy and flexibility in your communication style
Evaluate your executive presence and communication flexibility using self-assessment and feedback
Analyze the levers that can be used to build executive presence and adapt your communication style across various situations
Develop a robust toolkit for effectively communicating in critical moments that can make or break your reputation as a rising leader, including situations such as delivering difficult feedback, driving change or building the culture for a high-performing team
Apply communication strategies to improve the clarity and impact of your communication
Who is this program for?
The Strategic Communication for Leaders: Presence, Influence, Impact program is designed for professionals looking to step into leadership roles, enhance their leadership communication skills, elevate their executive presence, communicate with confidence and drive meaningful impact. The program is ideal for:
Functional and cross-functional team leaders focused on fostering collaboration, building trust and driving team performance through clear and purposeful communication
Emerging leaders looking to establish their leadership presence, develop confidence and refine their communication styles to engage stakeholders and accelerate career growth
Managers preparing for senior leadership roles who aspire to develop the confidence and skills required to lead teams and align organizational goals
Consultants and advisors supporting leadership development and organizational transformation, looking to deliver actionable strategies for enhancing engagement and influence
C-suite executives and senior leaders seeking to enhance their ability to communicate with influence, inspire confidence and lead effectively in high-stakes situations
Program experience
Dedicated program support team
Peer learning and feedback
Grading and evaluation
Bite-sized learning
Real-world application
Learning journey
Program curriculum
Over six weekly modules, you will develop the skills to enhance your executive presence, communicate with clarity and lead with confidence. Through two expert-led sessions and interactive exercises, participants will gain practical strategies with real-world applications to navigate high-stakes conversations, deliver impactful feedback and foster collaboration.
Develop a communication strategy rooted in self-awareness, emotional intelligence and adaptability to effectively engage and inspire multifaceted teams.
Strengthen your leadership impact by cultivating credibility, clarity and confidence as core components of executive presence.
Refine your leadership style by practicing techniques to project authenticity, authority and ease in high-stakes situations.
Build high-performing teams by fostering trust, psychological safety and engagement across cross-cultural environments.
Deliver impactful feedback with confidence, empathy and structure to encourage dialogue and drive performance improvement.
Lead transformational initiatives by crafting compelling narratives, persuading effectively and managing change with respect and empathy.
Note: The number of live sessions is subject to change.
Pathway to becoming an Executive Scholar
Participants who successfully complete the Strategic Communication for Leaders: Presence, Influence, Impact program will accrue points toward becoming an esteemed Kellogg Executive Scholar, a unique credential that provides you the opportunity to customize your pathway to achieve your professional development goals.
Kellogg Executive Education’s expansive program offerings allow you to build a variety of competencies that focus on practical application. More than about learning to lead, the path to becoming an Executive Scholar is about leading through learning.
Program faculty
Clinical Professor of Management and Organizations Associate Chair, Management and Organizations Department Co-Director, Leadership Development and Communications Program (LDEV)
Shana Carroll joined Kellogg in 2010 as chief of staff, serving as a key member of the school's leadership team. In this role, she led comprehensive organizational change, inc...
Clinical Professor of Management and Organizations, Kellogg School of Management
Brooke Olson Vuckovic teaches a wide variety of leadership topics, including moral complexity in leadership. In 2021, Vuckovic was awarded Kellogg's most prestigious teaching ...
Certificate
Upon successful completion of the program, Kellogg Executive Education will grant a verified digital certificate of completion to participants. This program is graded as a pass or fail; participants must receive 80 percent to pass and obtain the certificate of completion.
After successful completion of the program, your verified digital certificate will be emailed to you in the name you used when registering for the program. All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of Kellogg Executive Education.
Note: This online certificate program does not grant academic credit or a degree from Kellogg School of Management.
FAQs
How do I know if this program is right for me?
After reviewing the information on the program landing page, we recommend that you submit the short form above to gain access to the program brochure, which includes more in-depth information. If you still have questions on whether this program is a good fit for you, please email learner.success@emeritus.org, and a dedicated program advisor will follow up with you very shortly.
Are there any prerequisites for this program?
Some programs do have prerequisites, particularly the more technical ones. This information will be noted on the program landing page as well as in the program brochure. If you are uncertain about program prerequisites and your capabilities, please email us at the ID mentioned above.
Note that, unless otherwise stated on the program web page, all programs are taught in English, and proficiency in English is required.
What is the typical class profile?
More than 50 percent of our participants are from outside the United States. Class profiles vary from one cohort to the next, but, generally, our online certificates draw a highly diverse audience in terms of professional experience, industry and geography — leading to a very rich peer learning and networking experience.
On what other dates will this program be offered in the future?
Check back to this program web page or email us to inquire whether future program dates or the timeline for future offerings has been confirmed yet.
How much time is required each week?
Each program includes an estimated learner effort per week. This is referenced at the top of the program landing page under the Duration section as well as in the program brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page.
How will my time be spent?
We have designed this program to fit into your current working life as efficiently as possible. Time will be spent on a variety of activities, including:
Engaging with recorded video lectures from faculty
Attending webinars and office hours as per the specific program schedule
Reading or engaging with examples of core topics
Completing knowledge checks/quizzes and required activities
Engaging in moderated discussion groups with your peers
Completing your final project, if required
The program is designed to be highly interactive while also allowing time for self-reflection and demonstrating an understanding of the core topics through various active learning exercises. Please email us if you need further clarification on program activities.
What is it like to learn online with the learning collaborator, Emeritus?
More than 350,000 learners across 80 countries have chosen to advance their skills with Emeritus and its educational learning partners. In fact, 90 percent of the respondents of a recent survey across all our programs said that their learning outcomes were met or exceeded.
All the contents of the course would be made available to participants at the commencement of the program. However, to ensure the program delivers the desired learning outcomes, participants may appoint Emeritus to manage the delivery of the program in a cohort-based manner, the cost of which is already included in the overall program fee.
A dedicated program support team is available 24/5 (Monday to Friday) to answer questions about the learning platform, technical issues or anything else that may affect your learning experience.
How do I interact with other program participants?
Peer learning adds substantially to the overall learning experience and is an important part of the program. You can connect and communicate with other participants through our learning platform.
What equipment or technical requirements are there for this program?
Participants will need the latest version of their preferred browsers to access the learning platform. In addition, Microsoft Office and a PDF viewer are required to access documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files and transcripts.
Do I need to be online to access the program content?
Yes, the learning platform is accessed via the internet, and video content is not available for download. However, you can download files of video transcripts, assignment templates, readings, etc. For maximum flexibility, you can access program content from a desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile device.
Video lectures must be streamed via the internet, and any live-stream webinars and office hours will require an internet connection. However, these sessions are always recorded, so you may view them later.
What are the requirements to earn the certificate?
Each program includes an estimated learner effort per week so you can gauge what will be required before you enroll. This is referenced at the top of the program landing page under the Duration section as well as in the program brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page. All programs are designed to fit into your working life.
This program is scored as a pass or no pass; participants must complete the required activities to pass and obtain the certificate of completion. Some programs include a final project submission or other assignments to obtain passing status. This information will be noted in the program brochure. Please email us if you need further clarification on any specific program requirements.
What type of certificate will I receive?
Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a smart digital certificate. The smart digital certificate can be shared with friends, family, schools or potential employers. You can use it in your cover letter and resume and/or display it on your LinkedIn profile. The digital certificate will be sent approximately two weeks after the program, once grading is complete.
Can I get a hard copy of the certificate?
No, only verified digital certificates will be issued upon successful completion. This allows you to share your credentials on social platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
Do I receive alumni status after completing this program?
No, there is no alumni status granted for this program. In some cases, there are credits that count toward a higher level of certification. This information will be clearly noted in the program brochure.
How long will I have access to the learning materials?
You will have access to the online learning platform and all the videos and program materials for 24 months following the program start date. Access to the learning platform is restricted to registered participants per the terms of the agreement.
Can I still register if the registration deadline has passed?
Yes, you can register up until seven days past the published start date of the program without missing any of the core program material or learnings.
What is the program fee, and what forms of payment do you accept?
The program fee is noted at the top of this program web page and is usually referenced in the program brochure as well.
Flexible payment options are available (see details below as well as at the top of this program web page next to FEE).
Tuition assistance is available for participants who qualify. Please email learner.success@emeritus.org.
What if I don’t have a credit card? Is there another method of payment accepted?
Yes, you can make a bank remittance in the program currency via wire transfer or debit card. Please contact your program advisor or email us for details.
I was not able to use the discount code provided. Can you help?
Yes! Please email us with the details of the program you are interested in, and we will assist you.
How can I obtain an invoice for payment?
Please email us your invoicing requirements and the specific program you’re interested in enrolling in.
Is there an option to make flexible payments for this program?
Yes, the flexible payment option allows a participant to pay the program fee in installments. This option is made available on the payment page and should be selected before submitting the payment.
How can I obtain a W9 form?
Please connect with us via email for assistance.
Who will be collecting the payment for the program?
Emeritus collects all program payments, provides learner enrollment and program support and manages learning platform services.
Are there any restrictions on the types of funding that can be used to pay for the program?
Program fees for Emeritus programs with Kellogg Executive Education may not be paid for with (a) funds from the GI Bill, the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Act of 2008 or similar types of military education funding benefits or (b) Title IV financial aid funds.
What is the program refund and deferral policy?
For the program refund and deferral policy, please click the link here.
Credit Partners
Climb Credit*
We offer financing options with our partner, Climb Credit.* Click here to learn more.
*Applicable for US residents
Didn't find what you were looking for? Write to us at learner.success@emeritus.org or schedule a call with one of our Program Advisors or call us at +1 315 502 3308 (US) / +44 128 291 1923 (UK) / +65 3129 4131 (SG).
Flexible payment options available.
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