An MBA – Master of Business Administration – is a highly prestigious degree that demonstrates you have all the necessary skills to effectively run all aspects of a business. However, as the world of business is changing and becomes more and more focused, there is no a demand for people who have not just an MBA, but one with a certain specialization as well. One such specialization is leadership management.
What We Do
Someone with an MBA in Leadership Management is able to focus beyond personal development. They understand how leadership qualities are vital to the motivation of employees and, thereby, the profitability of an organization. Graduates are natural born and fully trained leaders themselves, who will inspire others to be the same.
Essentially, a graduate understands that successful businesses are created through good leadership. Hence, they have learned how to apply their knowledge to inspire vision, direct an organization, motivate employees and influence groups.
Why It’s Hot
There are several reasons as to why this career is hot. Two of the main reasons, however, is that there is firstly an increased understanding of the importance of leadership and, secondly, an increased understanding of the importance of employee engagement. The two are inextricably linked and cannot exist without each other.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, top executives earn an average salary of $101,650 per year if they hold a bachelor’s degree. Those with an MBA will earn considerably more. Additionally, they expect an 11% growth in demand between 2012 and 2022, which is in line with the national average.
Work Environment
Those with an MBA in Leadership Management will almost exclusively work in offices. However, they can be employed across the full spectrum of organizations, including private for profit, not for profit, education and government. Hence, whether they occupy a penthouse office on Wall Street or a small cubicle in a rural community school depends entirely on their career choice.
How to Do It
In order to obtain an MBA in Leadership Management, you must first complete a four year bachelor’s degree program. Various majors could be suitable to lead on to the MBA, including business, leadership, psychology, sociology, education and more. Admission to MBA programs is highly competitive and you will almost always have to pass the GMAT exam. It is also recommended that you apply to a number of different schools to increase your chances of being accepted to one of them.
When choosing your school, you will be able to either study online or on campus. One on-campus option you may want to consider is the MBA Leadership Change Management offered by NYU Stern. This program has been designed to improve existing leadership potential, ensuring graduates understand the burdens, techniques and challenges associated with implementing and leading on change in an organization. The course is recommended for those who want to enter general management, management consulting, corporate venturing and entrepreneurship.
MBA in Leadership Management Online
You can also choose to study online.
- *Online MBA in Leadership – Liberty University – (Editor’s Pick!) – This program creates graduates who can develop servant leadership, drive organizational change and understand the various theories surrounding leadership and management. The application of ethics to the principles of management is central to the degree.
- *Online MBA in Leadership – Southern New Hampshire University – This degree is designed to help leaders manage change through businesses. Graduates can lead on this process, effectively manage people and launch new ventures, fully understanding the complex landscape that is today’s business. Graduates understand tactics and strategies that help to inspire entire organizations, teams and individuals.
- Online MBA with a Concentration in Leadership Degree Program – Post University – This degree has been designed for working professionals who want to advance their career and quality of work. Graduates are able to drive growth and change in their organizations, turning it into a profitable business entity.
- *Online Master in Business Administration Leadership Specialization – Pepperdine University – This degree allows people to become true leaders in a changing world. The focus is on current demands for leaders, looking at human behavior and organizational dynamics. Pepperdine is featured in the America’s Best Online MBA programs ranking report.
- *Master of Business Administration – Leadership – Liberty University Online – This program creates graduates who can develop servant leadership, drive organizational change and understand the various theories surrounding leadership and management. The application of ethics to the principles of management is central to the degree. There is no GMAT required for this Online MBA degree.
- MBA in Leadership – Franklin Pierce University – This degree is incredibly versatile and creates leaders and people who can influence others. The goal is to ensure they can see any situation from a full system perspective, applying strategic thinking, collaboration and critical analysis to opportunities and challenges in management. The knowledge they obtain can be applied to community, organizational and human issues.
- Leadership and Management Development Executive MBA – Athabasca University – This Canadian university has developed an online Executive MBA program designed to allow students to directly apply their knowledge. It is delivered in a highly collaborative format so that students can immediately begin to build up business contacts with their peers.
- MBA Leadership and Change Management – Concordia University Chicago – This two year program can be completed either online or on campus. It is designed to ensure graduates understand a variety of different leadership theories and to become true champions for change.
- MBA in Leadership and Sustainability – Robert Kennedy College – This Swiss university offers one of the world’s most respected MBA programs. It creates graduates who are not only able to be inspirational leaders, but who also have a focus on environmental issues and sustainability.
- Global Leadership Executive MBA – UT Dallas – This degree is offered 70% online, which means students will have to make a number of campus visits. It is a five semester program that has been designed to create true leaders in the global world of business.
Pros & Cons
Choosing to study towards any kind of degree, particularly at master’s level, should include careful consideration. This means that you must also understand the associated pros and cons.
Pros:
- It is a highly prestigious degree that will open various career doors for you.
- By being a true leader yourself, you will have the opportunity to make a true positive difference to the organization for which you work.
- You can become employed across the full spectrum of different organizations, private, not for profit, educational and government, anywhere in the world.
Cons:
- Completing the degree program costs both time and money, even if you study online and receive financial aid.
- Competition for jobs is fierce, as many organizations understand the need to focus on leadership but struggle to budget for this appropriately.
- You are likely to have to resolve many conflicts, which can take its toll on your personal well being.
Financial Aid
- NYU Stern Scholarships – NYU Stern offers scholarships to around 40% of its students.
- Southern New Hampshire Scholarships – Southern New Hampshire University offers a range of merit based scholarships to students.
- Concordia Supplemental Church Professional Award – Concordia University Chicago offers a scholarship for church professionals who study at their university.
- Post University Scholarships – Post University offers a number of scholarships for their students.
- Liberty University Scholarships – Liberty University offers a range of scholarships and financial aid to their students. They also link to various outside sources of scholarships.
Career Paths
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Here, you are the head of a company and hence establish its policies and goals. You will frequently meet with various other top executives, working together to ensure a business continues to move in the right direction, keeping the board of directors satisfied. You will usually also have some responsibility for managing the budget. You may also delegate some of your responsibilities to others if you work for a large organization.
- General and Operations Manager: In this job, you will plan and coordinate the operations of the business you work for. You will work together with the company’s mid-level managers and top executives in order to deal with the various daily activities, create policies and decide on how to structure different departments. In most cases, you will work across all the branches of the organization that employs you, rather than focusing on a single department. Hence, you will provide overall coordination in order to ensure the company as a whole can meet its strategic and operational goals.
- Sales Manager: As a sales manager, you will most likely be employed in retail, managing a company’s entire regional operations. You will be responsible for leading the sales employees and making sure that the specific branch their work for meets its quota as has been determined by headquarters. You will work very closely with various teams to make sure customer service is top notch and that products are of high quality. You may also come up with new ways to increase sales, for instance through advertising and promotions. If you work for a particularly large organization, you may also be responsible for employee training and review as well as the budgeting elements of regional offices. If you work for a very small organization, you may hold these responsibilities as well as having to be involved in direct sales.
Further Reading
Suggested Websites
Six websites with helpful resources for those working in field relevant to an MBA in Leadership Management
