In a world where many workers are concerned that their jobs and skills may soon become outsourced or outdated, one thing remains a constant: every organization needs strong leadership. While companies may face shortages finding qualified managers or supervisors, the demand is always there, and the next generation of leaders must be prepared with an educational foundation that inspires their new ideas and methods.
For many of these prospective leaders, the journey to manager, director – and, eventually, the C-suite – begins with a degree in business leadership. If you’re wondering what you can do with a leadership degree, look no further than this blog. We’ll break down everything you need to know about a career with a leadership degree, including:
- What jobs you can get with a business leadership degree
- What skills you will learn with a business leadership degree
- What the salary is for a career with a business leadership degree
- What the top-paying job is in leadership
What Is a Leadership Degree?
In today’s business climate, your leadership style is essential to your success. A degree in business leadership exposes you to the theory and practice of leadership, the varying leadership styles and their effectiveness, the ethical challenges leaders face, and the strategies that leaders employ when developing effective teams and leaving their mark on organizational culture. Those lessons will be taught through a comprehensive curriculum of:
- Industrial and organizational psychology
- Conflict management
- Organizational behavior
- Strategic management
What Jobs Can I Get With a Leadership Degree?
A business leadership degree will shape your transformation into “management material” – to borrow an oft-used phrase. You’ll be able to compete for any role that includes the term administrator, supervisor, or manager, and your education will give you the flexibility to compete in the industry of your choosing.
Business leadership grads are entering the workforce at a time when their skills are in high demand. The number of management occupations is expected to grow 9% through the end of the decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the agency that monitors and reports employment data. That growth is expected to result in about 906,800 new jobs, and the BLS has identified a number of sectors that require a bachelor’s degree for managers:
- Administrative services and facilities
- Advertising, promotions, and marketing
- Computer and information systems
- Construction
- Finance
- Human resources
- Preschool and childcare
- Public relations
- Sales
Let’s take a closer look at one of those industries – human resources. With your business leadership degree, you will be in a position to enter this fast-growing field as a Human Resources Generalist, commonly known as a specialist.
According to the BLS, the Human Resources Specialist occupation is expected to grow 10% through the end of the decade, with 73,400 new positions opening each year.
“Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire,” the agency reports. Human resources generalists will also be needed to “handle increasingly complex employment laws and benefit options.”
Other job opportunities for someone with a leadership degree include:
- Administrator
- Supervisor
- Manager
What Is the Salary for a Leadership Degree?
While the salary for business leadership graduates will vary by many factors, including organization, location, and many more, the BLS reports that the median annual wage for management occupations was $123,370 in May 2021.
What Is the Top-paying Job in Leadership?
It should come as no surprise that the highest paid leaders are in the C-suite, with chief executives earning more than their colleagues and employees. The BLS reported the mean annual wage for chief executives was $197,840 in May, 2020.
What Skills Do You Learn With a Leadership Degree?
You’ve likely heard the “leaders are born, not made” statement over the years, but in actuality, that’s not quite how it works. Great leaders can certainly be made through a combination of education and experience. Your business leadership degree comprises the bulk of the former, with an emphasis on developing the leadership skills that employers find most valuable. According to Indeed, there are six key leadership skills:
- Decisiveness
Great leaders can make decisions without hesitation and with the confidence to inspire others to follow their lead. When a crisis situation occurs in the workplace, employees always turn to the leader in the room for a solution, even if that leader is not the manager or supervisor.
- Integrity
Honest leaders are able to inspire trust among those they supervise, as well as their own supervisors. To have integrity means approaching your work with a strong moral compass and being able to take responsibility – hold yourself accountable – for the decisions you make.
- Relationship building
Developing chemistry between yourself and an employee – or a group of employees – can create the kind of unity that helps an organization achieve a common goal. Relationship building, however, is difficult, and great leaders need to understand how to create a vision and goals for a team, embrace the diversity of team members, manage conflict, and delegate responsibly in order to generate team-oriented harmony in the workplace.
- Problem-solving
A manager’s toolbox must include problem-solving skills that can maintain everyday workflow and achieve harmony among employees. Problem-solving requires the ability to identify obstacles to solutions and develop a framework for overcoming them.
- Dependability
To be someone people can rely on, you have to do much more than stay until the end of the day or answer your emails in off-work hours. Dependable leaders are able to harness the trust of employees by following through on promises and showing a compassion for others.
- Ability to teach and mentor
Leadership is about so much more than giving direction. True leadership includes the ability to teach and mentor; which requires patience, placing value on input from your employees, and the ability to demonstrate and encourage constructive behavior.
Those are the top six skills that are developed through a business leadership program, and by the time you complete your degree with UAGC, you should be able to:
- Examine the influence of leadership, vision, and strategic planning in a variety of organizations and environments
- Assess the process of leading others in environments increasingly characterized by change and complexity
- Apply principles of human behavior and motivation to maximize use of human resources
- Analyze methods of organizational change and development
- Evaluate the most recent tools and concepts emerging in management and leadership
Can I Earn a Leadership Degree Online?
A Bachelor of Arts in Business Leadership can be earned online, which is especially appealing for adult workers who must balance the responsibilities of work and family with their desire to pursue a college degree.
Leadership is best learned from leaders, so during your research you will want to identify a university with a powerful affiliation and the right accreditation, such as Bachelor of Arts in Business Leadership from UAGC, which is IACBE accredited. This accreditation ensures that you are getting a quality education that is recognized by one of the top accrediting bodies.
If you’re seeking to take the reins in business leadership, or any career you choose, contact an advisor today.
Certain degree programs may not be available in all states.
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Written by University Staff