Influence at Scale for VP & Dir-Level Leaders
4.7 (48)
7 Weeks
·Cohort-based Course
Proven narrative methods to up-level your executive influence whether you're an introvert, maverick, or technical expert
Influence at Scale for VP & Dir-Level Leaders
4.7 (48)
7 Weeks
·Cohort-based Course
Proven narrative methods to up-level your executive influence whether you're an introvert, maverick, or technical expert
These methods are in use by 350+ orgs
Course overview
"Narrative" is the #1 competency required to advance to a C-suite or VP role
Influence at Scale unlocks your ability to get investment, buy-in, and alignment.
This is a highly-immersive, learn-by-doing storytelling sprint. First, you'll select a high-value project: a strategic priority or OKR for practical application and measurable ROI. Next, you’ll shape and refine a compelling narrative to accelerate the project's velocity. Finally, you’ll enhance your power, people, and persuasion skills to execute and drive the narrative forward.
The more complex and technical your work the better. Including AI, DeFi, healthtech, product growth, agile, data governance, or any other disruptive technology or transformation. Designed to get you immediate traction, this exclusive community accelerates your career into an executive role, positioning you as a leader people respect, listen to, and put trust in your decisions.
COHORT 11 STARTS FEB 11 / 12 OF 20 SPOTS AVAILABLE / APPLY TODAY
6-week sprint. Weekly working sessions via Zoom, with individualized real-time feedback from Michael and your cohort peers. You'll also get private 1-on-1 coaching with a Storied coach, plus extended Office Hours thru Q2 to ensure your successful implementation. You'll join an elite group of leaders with alumni from companies like Meta, Google, Mozilla, Microsoft, Salesforce, Cruise, Yelp, Nielsen, Discovery+, Accenture, Genentech, Bain Capital, and venture-backed startups.
While storytelling tips and tricks are helpful, they’re not enough to navigate the rapid pace of change and complexity. This program is different. Develop the mindset, skillsets, and capabilities for serious growth in your role and impact. If you put in the reps, we guarantee results or your money back.
WHAT YOU WILL ACHIEVE ⛰️
1. Build and ship a narrative that gets you investment, buy-in, and agreement with executives
2. Leave with a playbook of 20+ narrative methods & tools that you've learned and will use on the daily
3. Unlock the self-limiting beliefs and self-sabotaging behaviors that stand in your way
4. Build a peer community that offers quality non-judgmental feedback unlike anywhere else
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
– How to get instant buy-in for your ideas
– How to demonstrate rigorous thinking
– How to turn complex data into a story
– How to reduce friction in rapid communications
– How to manage up, down, and across
– How to stand out and have your voice heard
– How to build trust with difficult stakeholders
– How to prepare for an executive presentation
– How to win at the game of “memo culture”
– How to overcome imposter syndrome
WHY NARRATIVE ✨
– We live in the era of data and information overload
– But the data never speaks for itself
– Those who can make sense of the story influence and drive complex decisions
– Narrative is not just ‘a soft-skill’ or a ‘nice to have
– It's a core capability of leadership
– It’s what you need if you’re trying to get buy-in, investment, or shared action on anything
– It’s #1 competency required to advance to a C-suite, VP, or Director role
ABOUT THE METHODS
You’ll benefit from more than 20,000 hours of testing and validating these narrative methods inside 350+ leading organizations. I've been a long-time advisor to executives and teams in Silicon Valley, influencing more than $13B in strategic investments inside Meta, Google, Salesforce, Genentech, Uber, and venture-backed startups. This includes more than a dozen product teams at Meta like Newsfeed, Monetization, Messenger on executive H1/H2 reviews with Mark Zuckerberg. I also deliver 30-40 storytelling training sessions a year to product builders and GTM teams across the worlds of tech, finance, healthcare, etc. If you work in a "highly-matrixed" environment, you'll find this to be a high-value approach for unlocking the intangibles that get you executive buy-in, investment, and agreement.
COHORT 11 STARTS FEB 11 / 12 OF 20 SPOTS AVAILABLE / APPLY TODAY
This is designed for VP/Dir+ leaders:
01
You have a new role or strategy to deliver on
Yet the value and complexity of what you're working on isn't properly understood by execs
02
You feel caught in the messy middle
You've been told to work on your influencing skills but you're not sure what to do to "level-up"
03
You have responsibility, without authority
You need to drive velocity/results but it requires buy-in from unaligned stakeholders
5 Pillars of the Influence Stack
How to Win with Your CEO, Win in the Board Room, Win with XFN
- Make a persuasive business case that gets little resistance or push back
- Be perceived as a rigorous thinker that speaks like an executive
- Get investment, alignment, and headcount for your strategic priorities
How to Get Instant Buy-in for Your Ideas
- Accelerate your ability to write, speak, and present persuasively
- Build a reputation for solving ambiguous problem spaces
- Overcome the invisible blockers that sabotage your message
How to Turn Complex Data Into a Story
- Demystify technical and hard to explain things people don't understand
- Zoom out and frame the big picture for high-signal relevance
- Turn chaos into coherence that builds confidence with others
How to Built Trust with Difficult Stakeholders
- Understand the motivations and needs of any audience
- Remove unconscious triggers that make stakeholders defensive
- Build a reputation for solving ownerless and ambiguous problems
How to Overcome the Inner Blockers That Stand in Your Way
- Discover and apply your influence archetype (not everyone's is the same)
- Unlock the 3 levers of influence: clarity, confidence, and conviction
- Find your voice and be taken seriously, without having all the answers
This course includes
Interactive live sessions
Lifetime access to course materials
In-depth lessons
Direct access to instructor
Projects to apply learnings
Guided feedback & reflection
Private community of peers
Course certificate upon completion
Maven Satisfaction Guarantee
This course is backed by Maven’s guarantee. You can receive a full refund within 14 days after the course ends, provided you meet the completion criteria in our refund policy.
Influence at Scale for VP & Dir-Level Leaders
Course syllabus
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
4.7 (48 ratings)
What students are saying
Why narrative is the #1 skill to accelerate your career as a tech leader
What our alumni are saying
Irina Malkova
Shubhang Vishwamitra
Anne Goodrich
Sholomi Farrell
Dori Gurwitz
Rich Pirrotta
Courtney Hohne
Paco Farias
A few quick alumni success stories
The power of Narrative Intelligence ™
Michael Margolis
Trusted advisor, global keynoter, best-selling author
The son of a mad-scientist and teacher, I'm obsessed with how to translate new ideas into cultural acceptance.
I've always been good with words and ideas. Except in front of a skeptical audience. Cynicism was my kryptonite. It didn't help: I was an awkward nerd growing up, often bullied. I know what it feels like to be misunderstood or lost in translation. To struggle with communicating your vision, to get your point across, and to be taken seriously.
In my early twenties, I suffered a panic attack during a pitch for my startup. It was triggered by my boss's skepticism and dismissiveness who at the time I thought had my back. I decided after that moment to do something about it.
Long before "storytelling" was a buzz word, I devoted myself to advancing the field and practice. It's now 22 years later, having quietly built a reputation advising many of the most iconic companies in Silicon Valley and beyond. I've influenced $13B+ of investments inside Meta, Google, Genentech, and others. I've also given more than 500 talks to corporate audiences and events like TED, and SXSW. I'm an original thinker, philosopher, and empirical scientist, having tested and proven my methods over 20,000 hours.
Trained as a cultural anthropologist, I'm an expert in language systems and the meaning-making process. I'm also student of the Buddhist tradition and have pioneered a discipline of business storytelling rooted in non-dual, non-oppositional narratives. I call it Narrative Intelligence ™, an adaptive leadership capacity that allows anyone to take charge of their story no matter the circumstances.
Tested and validated by 350+ organizations
Be the first to know about upcoming cohorts
Influence at Scale for VP & Dir-Level Leaders
The structure: how it works
3-4 hours per week
High Touch, Learn by Doing
1:00pm - 3:00pm PST
- An intimate cohort of 12-20 VP/Dir level+ leaders in tech
- Weekly 2-hour Zoom sessions (1 pm - 3pm PT / 4pm - 6pm ET)
- All sessions are recorded, but best to experience live
- Immersive breakouts, with peer to peer feedback
- Action-driven, practical assignments (1-2 hours/week)
Power Skills, Persuasion Skills, People Skills
Personalized, Individualized Attention
- Two 1-on-1 private coaching sessions with your Storied coach
- Influence Archetype Assessment to unlock your superpowers
- Office Hours for additional laser coaching with Michael
- Community forums for async input and feedback
Office Hours: Deep Dive Presentations
A Place to Practice, Iterate, Validate
- Weekly Office Hours for live practice presentations and feedback
- Bonus modules on affective presence, authority stacking, and more
- Group accountability to ship your narrative and get ROI
Why "narrative" is a growth hack to go "fast and far" with Morgan Brown - VP of Product/Growth, Dropbox AI; Ex-Meta, Ex-Shopify.
Enjoy the replay of our recent roundtable with VP & Director level leaders in tech. Explore our thesis: Narrative Intelligence™ and why so many executives say storytelling is the #1 most important skill for you to take charge of your career in an AI-driven future.
Watch the video replay now
Learning is better with cohorts
Active hands-on learning
High-touch, peer to peer, learn by doing
Interactive and project-based
You’ll be interacting with others through breakout rooms and home pod teams
Learn with a cohort of peers
Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you
Frequently asked questions
Trusted by the world's best teams
Maria Chanley
Stephane Giraudie
Alex Deve
John Couch
Tim Minihan
Morgan Brown
Be the first to know about upcoming cohorts