ADLP 8100 Power, Influence, and Persuasion

In an increasingly complex environment and ever-flattening organizational structures, the skills of " informal leadership" are essential for effectiveness and success. Informal leadership is the ability to influence the behavior of others by means other than formal authority. It requires empathy, engagement, and energy. Students will be grounded in the theory of influence and provided a wide range of tools and techniques to accomplish personal and professional goals. The course will instruct students how to build and maintain high-quality relationships to create a network for influence and informal power. They will uncover the secrets of leading without power to successfully manage up and across the organization.

Course overview

Department
Advancing Studies
School
ADV
Credits
3
Level
Graduate
Offered
Periodically

Course evaluations

Response-weighted averages from Boston College’s official course evaluations (Avalanche/Blue).

Course rating
4.67 / 5 · Excellent
41 responses
Instructor rating
4.85 / 5 · Excellent
41 responses
Terms evaluated
3
Most recent: Fall 2025

Scales: overall ratings run from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent); agreement questions from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree); weekly effort from 1 (up to 1 hour) to 5 (10 or more hours).

Evaluations by term and instructor
TermInstructorCourse overallInstructor overallWell organizedClear learning objectivesIntellectually challengingHelpful assignmentsApplicable beyond courseAttendance necessaryWeekly effortResponses
Fall 2025Lauren Bent4.64.94.94.94.54.64.84.2—15 of 21
Spring 2025Lauren Bent4.95.04.95.04.84.94.94.74–6 hrs/week14 of 16
Fall 2024Lauren Bent4.54.64.24.64.34.64.73.97–9 hrs/week12 of 16

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-10-09. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

  • Lauren Bent
    Fall 2025, Spring 2025, Fall 2024 · Official rating 4.85/5