Your organization’s future depends on leaders who can get things done. In today’s complex organizations, good ideas don’t succeed on merit alone. Leaders must read the room, build alliances, and influence decisions they don’t directly control.
Yet many capable leaders see their best ideas blocked, their initiatives stalled, and their credibility questioned. The problem is rarely a lack of competence. It is a lack of political skill.
You will leave with:
- A baseline assessment of your political skill from the Political Skill Inventory
- A clearer read of the power dynamics and stakeholders in your organization
- Practical tactics to recognize and defuse destructive politics
- A personal Power & Influence strategy aligned with your values and role
Business Challenges you will Solve
Are you facing one of these challenges? If so, this program is designed for you:
- Strong ideas stall because they lack the right support
- Key initiatives get derailed by competing agendas
- Decisions happen in informal conversations you’re not part of
- Influencing peers and senior stakeholders feels harder than it should
- Destructive politics drain team energy and slow execution
- Leaders avoid politics and lose credibility as a result
Key Takeaways
Participants will be able to:
- Diagnose organizational politics and the power dynamics that shape decisions
- Assess their baseline political skill using the Political Skill Inventory
- Apply the four dimensions of political skill in real leadership situations
- Build alliances that support execution and strategic progress
- Recognize destructive political dynamics and reduce their impact
- Create a personal Power & Influence strategy aligned with their values and role
Credential: Earn a USF Executive Edge Certificate of Completion
Who Should Attend
- Senior Leaders and Executives responsible for strategy or change initiatives
- Directors who need stakeholder support to move priorities forward
- High-Potential Leaders preparing for broader roles and greater visibility
- Functional Leaders who must influence peers and partners without direct authority
- Organizations that want leaders to navigate complexity with confidence and integrity
Faculty
David Howard - Program Director
David Howard, PhD, helps leaders build the influence, insight, and organizational awareness needed to drive results in complex environments. As Academic Director of the University of South Florida Center for Executive and Leadership Education, he shapes executive programs that equip leaders to perform at the highest levels.
Dr. Howard brings deep expertise in leadership development, organizational culture, and executive coaching. He consults with organizations to strengthen leadership capability and align culture with strategy, and he coaches executives through the challenges of power, influence, and change.
He also serves as Program Director for the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program at the USF Muma College of Business, where he works with senior executives who are tackling real organizational problems through applied research. His approach blends research-based insight with practical tools leaders can use immediately.
An Investment In Performance, Not Just Professional Development
When one leader attends, the whole organization gains. Participants return with a diagnostic, a prioritized plan and a shared framework their teams can apply immediately.
|
Business impact |
What changes in your organization |
|---|---|
|
Initiatives that stay on track |
Key priorities are protected from political derailment. |
|
Stronger alliances for execution |
Leaders build the support needed to move strategy forward. |
|
Ethical, intentional influence |
Leaders shape outcomes with integrity rather than avoiding politics. |
|
Fewer blind spots |
Greater awareness of power, perception, and informal influence. |
|
Healthier organizational culture |
Destructive political dynamics are recognized early and reduced. |
What you will learn
This program gives you a practical, research-based approach to understanding how influence, perception, and power actually work inside organizations. Through a pre-program assessment, real-world case analysis, and peer discussion, you will learn to navigate political environments with confidence and integrity.
You will develop the skills to:
- Read political environments and power dynamics accurately
- Apply the four dimensions of political skill in real situations
- Build alliances that support your priorities
- Influence senior stakeholders and peers without direct authority
- Recognize and defuse destructive political behavior
- Create a value-aligned Power & Influence strategy
program details
Dates: June 3-4, 2027
Time: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET each day
Format: Two full-day, in-person sessions
Location: USF Tampa campus, BSN 221
Pre-program: Political Skill Inventory assessment
Investment: $1,495 per participant
Facilitator: David Howard, PhD, USF Muma College of Business
Curriculum & Topics
Pre-Program
A short Likert-type assessment to evaluate baseline capabilities in situational awareness and interpersonal influence — completed before the first session.
Core Program
Active participation, case analysis of real-world organizational scenarios, peer interaction built into all discussions and activities.
Case Analysis & Application
Analyze real-world scenarios to identify and mitigate destructive political dynamics in your own environment.
Strategy Development
Formulate a value-aligned influence strategy to ethically advance your initiatives
and protect your leadership credibility.
Certificate & Pathways
Participants will receive a USF Executive Education Certificate of Completion.
Logistics
Detailed program information, including the agenda, parking instructions, and recommended hotel accommodations, will be provided to registered participants prior to the program start date.
All cancellation and substitution requests must be submitted in writing.
Cancellations
Cancellations received 14 days or more prior to the program start date will receive a full refund, minus a $250 administrative fee. Cancellations received within 14 days of the program start date are non-refundable.
Substitutions
Substitutions may be made at any time prior to the program start date at no additional cost. If pre-program assessments have already been completed, associated assessment fees are non-refundable.
Program Changes
The University of South Florida reserves the right to cancel or reschedule a program. In the event of cancellation by the University, registered participants will receive a full refund.
Group Pricing & Custom Options
Discount Eligibility
USF alumni, active-duty military members and veterans, and USF faculty and staff are eligible for a 10% discount on all open-enrollment programs.
Please enter the appropriate discount code at checkout. Discounts are offered in good faith. Proof of eligibility may be requested prior to program start.
Discounts cannot be combined with other promotional offers.
USF Alumni
USF alumni receive 10% off open-enrollment programs with code USFALUMNI10.
Military & Veterans
Active-duty military members and veterans receive 10% off open-enrollment programs with code MILITARY10.
USF Faculty & Staff
Current USF faculty and staff receive 10% off open-enrollment programs with code USFFACSTAFF10.