Business operations revolve around labor, land and capital. Without efficient production from the first and investment in the second and third, business does not work.
But it’s leaders who pull all these elements together.
The need for quality leadership has never been more profound. Today’s workplace is more diverse than ever. The global marketplace requires in-depth knowledge of business climates around the world. And technological innovation has made business more fast-paced and complex than ever.
However, there remains a gap between the need for good leaders and those who are available, according to the Center for Creative Leadership. One of the fundamental areas where there are issues is having leaders who have mastered the competencies required of quality leadership.
Graduate degree programs in leadership can help with these issues. They are especially needed in the following areas.
Healthcare
Healthcare is the most rapidly growing sector of the economy. The U.S. Census Bureau projects four million new healthcare jobs will be added over the next decade. That rapid growth requires quality leadership to guide medical operations through complicated times.
Other factors in healthcare include an aging U.S. population. Those over 65 will make up about 25 percent of the U.S. population by 2060. They already are about 15 percent of the population. This will drive the need for more sophisticated and diverse medical operations, both in hospitals and specialty clinics. All require skilled leaders.
Technology also is changing both how healthcare is delivered and how medical operations are run. More efficient operations that also deliver effective healthcare with improved patient outcomes are key.
All the above has made the need for those with a master’s degree in leadership with a concentration in healthcare in demand at healthcare operations around the country.
Higher Education
The issues facing leaders in higher education are multiple. With more students attending college than ever before – both recent high school graduates and adult students returning to school – the challenges have multiplied.
They include issues such as:
- Delivering quality education through online programs
- Providing support for adult students
- Creating diversity in both faculty and the student body
- Innovative approaches to finances
Providing leadership in higher education requires a diverse set of skills. That’s why most colleges and universities requires those in leadership positions to have earned a master’s degree in higher education leadership.
Organizational Leadership
Beyond healthcare and higher education, every type of organization is searching for those who can skillfully lead an organization through the specific challenges of its industry.
This extends beyond private businesses and into nonprofits and government agencies as well. Increasingly, the use of technology and data has opened the door to running operations better. However, such process improvements require buy-in from leadership, as well as knowledge of how such systems work.
A master’s degree in organizational leadership can provide that knowledge. Graduates from the Concordia University – Chicago program learn the skills needed to take on the challenges of leadership in a fast-paced, global environment. Those skills include:
- Communications. Leaders must have the ability to communicate business plans and goals to others, both inside and outside the organization.
- Decision-making. The buck truly does stop with top executives. They must understand the decision-making process, how to gather information from others and data and how to implement plans once they are developed.
- Management. No matter how much technology is implemented in the workplace, leaders still must know how to manage others in a way that maximizes their potential and benefits the organization.
- Problem-solving. Leaders must not only identify challenges but develop plans to deal with them.
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurs face a unique challenge: to gain the leadership and management skills to both launch a business and manage it. Those who invest in their education will acquire the precise knowledge and business savvy to succeed. We talk more about that here.
Leadership remains one of the most important components of business – perhaps the most important. Those who wish to take on the top jobs in any type of organization need to commit to earning the degree that will best place them in a position to succeed.
