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What is Organizational Leadership?

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Organizational leadership is a cross-disciplinary field that examines the psychology of leadership and its applications throughout the organization.

How does that make organizational leadership different from leadership? In emphasizing “leadership,” quite often the importance or responsibility of leadership methods and development is placed on those individuals already in a leadership position—usually management.

Organizational leadership goes beyond the development of individual leaders, approaching leadership holistically in light of the mission and goals of the organization. As an integrated discipline, organizational leadership includes topics such as effective leadership and leadership styles, how to motivate employees, communication, operating in diverse functions and industries, and change implementation and management.

Why is Organizational Leadership Important?

Leadership is crucial to achieving organizational goals. Organizational leadership, with its holistic approach, is crucial for setting the strategy behind those goals. The balance of leadership strategy and execution is what achieves organizational success. That’s why the long view of organizational leadership is so important.

The value of organizational leadership is even more evident when organizations find that it is missing. One Gallup poll of U.S. corporations estimated that a lack of organizational leadership capability costs companies up to $550 billion annually.

UK-based GBS Corporate Training attributes much of these corporate losses to employee “productivity drag,” noting that poor leadership practices can cause organizations to operate with a “5 – 10% productivity drag,” translating to a loss of millions each year. GBS surmises that an organization’s lack of strategic leadership and poor execution in its leadership ranks impact the organizational culture and employee productivity for a direct link to an increase in business costs and a reduction in profits.

Should You Get a Degree in Organizational Leadership?

Although strong leadership is often attributed to possessing certain elements of leadership, leaders can also improve their effectiveness by studying the science of leadership and how to use psychological principles to influence the human element of management. By taking a closer look at the leader, the follower and situation, organizational leadership covers the knowledge needed to navigate all components of the leadership process.

An article from the Society for Human Resource Management on “Developing Organizational Leaders” lists the top competencies and key leadership skills business leaders found to be most important for success. Such “hard skills” as technical proficiency or depth of industry knowledge didn’t even crack the top five, according to the 300,000 business leaders surveyed. Their top five:

  1. Inspires and motivates others
  2. Displays high integrity and honesty
  3. Solves problems and analyzes issues
  4. Drives for results
  5. Communicates powerfully and prolifically

These soft skills closely align with an organizational leadership degree, as strong leaders must be able to demonstrate all of these abilities and inspire others to follow their lead.

Organizational leadership education looks to develop agile leaders that can adapt quickly to changing business needs across different units and sectors. It places a priority on being able to compete in a global business environment, and being able to motivate others who have different worldviews, values, attitudes, beliefs and expectations.

Master’s in Organizational Leadership students will quickly learn that there’s no one road to effective leadership. Different styles must be employed to achieve different goals. Organizational leadership considers classic leadership styles in addition to newly emerging practices, such as transformational leadership and authentic leadership.

What Can You Do With a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership?

A Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership (MAOL) can help prepare professionals for roles in a variety of career fields, including:

  • Consulting

    An organizational leadership graduate is prepared to analyze management activities and advise companies on their leadership strategies and capabilities. This path might appeal to entrepreneurial-minded students, who can begin their own consulting companies, but there are opportunities to provide these services as part of a larger organization.

  • Human Resources

    Organizational leadership graduates will have the skills necessary to lead large teams of people with different backgrounds, working styles and expectations. Leadership professionals will also have the ability to handle conflict management and resolution.

  • Training and Development

    To make sure everyone in the organization is on the same page, it’s critical to ensure everyone has the knowledge to get the work done properly and a strong understanding of shared goals and responsibilities. Training and development leaders head up the process of designing and disseminating that information. In some organizations, training and development falls under human resources, or, depending on the size of the organization, may be a separate team.

  • Education

    Organizational leadership graduates can play an important role in helping students improve. Principals with strong leadership skills are required in elementary, middle and high schools. At the university level, leadership learned in an MAOL program can apply to admissions, financial aid, academics, research and student services.

Is a Master’s in Organizational Leadership Worth It?

Effective leadership is critical to organizational success, now more than ever. Being able to transcend individual and team leadership to the overall strategic approach of organizational leadership can help you to grow in your career, helping you move into and beyond manager to organizational leader in a variety of settings and career fields. A Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership can broaden your professional toolkit, equipping you with the soft skills that are transferable across companies and valued by organizations, regardless of industry.

Invest in your career growth with an MA in Organizational Leadership from Florida Tech.

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