MasterClass Launches Certificate Course to Help Professionals Speak Up, Stand Out, and Lead With Influence

Led by Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer, podcast host, and bestselling author Matt Abrahams, the course teaches professionals how to turn communication and influence into their greatest career assets

SAN FRANCISCO, June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- MasterClass, the personalized learning platform unlocking human potential with the world's best, today announced the launch of Strategic Communication: Build Trust. Drive Decisions. Lead With Influence., a new MasterClass Certificates course led by Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer Matt Abrahams and other experts in communication and behavioral science. In just 14 to 16 hours, professionals learn to persuade, present, and lead conversations so their ideas get heard, their recommendations get backed, and they increase the likelihood of getting the "yes." The course is available now for enrollment.

Whether early in their careers or in senior leadership, most professionals are trained to think that doing good work leads to recognition. But that's not always the case. In today's workplace, professionals need credibility, strategic messaging and lasting influence to gain an edge.

How the course works:
The course is structured around three core areas: Engage, Align, and Advance. Professionals learn practical frameworks to communicate more effectively in high-stakes moments—from pitching a new idea to leadership and presenting to the board, to navigating a difficult conversation, asking for a promotion or speaking up confidently in a high-pressure meeting. Real-world examples range from Oprah Winfrey's famous Golden Globes speech to Satya Nadella's approach to empathetic leadership to a Shark Tank pitch from Bombas. The course concludes with a Strategic Influence Playbook, a reusable system learners can return to before every important pitch, meeting or conversation.

The course features five instructors:

• Matt Abrahams, Stanford GSB lecturer, award-winning podcast host, and bestselling author
• Stacey Tank, Fortune 500 executive
• Lorraine K. Lee, keynote speaker, bestselling author of Unforgettable Presence®, and LinkedIn Top Voice
• Daniel Pink, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author
• Vanessa Van Edwards, behavioral expert and bestselling author

Certificate earners will walk away from the course with the tools to:

• Manage pressure and anxiety so they remain confident in high-stakes moments, even when put on the spot.
• Command attention and earn trust the moment they walk into a room or virtual session.
• Read their audience, understand what they need, and shape their message around what will move them.
• Craft stories and structure ideas so they're easy to follow, hard to dismiss, and clear about next steps.
• Recognize hesitation, handle pushback, and deliver pitches that are easy to say yes to.

"Delivering a clear, compelling message is a superpower," Abrahams says. "Great communicators aren't just powerful speakers. They have a highly tuned set of skills that move people, and you can learn them too. In this course, I will teach strategies that will put you on the path to becoming the more confident and influential leader you want to be."

Strategic Communication: Build Trust. Drive Decisions. Lead With Influence. joins a growing portfolio of MasterClass Certificates courses, including Lead With AI: Adapt, Implement and Transform Your Organization with Microsoft; Leadership and Decision-Making Under Pressure with the Navy SEAL Foundation; and Breakthrough Innovation Strategy: From Bold Idea to Business Impact with X, The Moonshot Factory.

Pricing:
MasterClass Certificates courses start at $299. As part of MasterClass's summer sale, Strategic Communication: Build Trust. Drive Decisions. Lead With Influence. will be available at 50% off from June 27 through June 30. For more information about MasterClass Certificates, please visit: masterclass.com/certificates.

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About MasterClass:
MasterClass is the personalized learning platform that unlocks human potential with the world's best instructors. A membership provides unlimited access to 200+ instructors and classes in a variety of formats and subjects, including business and leadership, communication, health and wellness, writing and more—available anytime, anywhere, on mobile, tablet, desktop, Apple TV®, Android™TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku®. Learn negotiation from Chris Voss. Build a business with Mark Cuban. Cook with Gordon Ramsay. Write with Shonda Rhimes. Navigate relationships with Esther Perel. Make bold choices with Samuel L. Jackson.

Beyond its core membership, MasterClass offers advanced learning experiences built for the AI era. MasterClass Executive is an AI-native business education experience for working professionals who want to advance their careers, without pausing them or taking on debt. The MasterClass On Call beta enables members to learn from and prepare for their high-stakes conversations through AI-powered feedback, roleplays, and real-time coaching from the world's best, while MasterClass Certificates, developed with leading companies, equip learners with in-demand skills for fast-changing careers. For organizations, MasterClass at Work provides flexible training solutions that build essential skills across all levels of an enterprise.

Media Contact:
Tawnya Bear, MasterClass
[email protected]

SOURCE MasterClass