College of Business

What can I do with a degree in leadership? 

By Stephen Tate | April 13, 2023

Great leaders bring out the best in the people they mentor and those with whom they collaborate. Every industry requires effective leaders. The business world offers extensive career opportunities for leaders who will drive both the bottom line and the personal development of other employees. 

Leadership is more than ensuring that the job gets completed. It is about inspiring and guiding others to get the job done flawlessly. Careers in leadership can take many forms, and there are numerous options for you to customize your own path as a leader. 

Pursuing a path in leadership can help you gain new team-building skills, communicate more effectively, and develop your own leadership style. 

Successful organizations need effective leaders. If you’re interested in a role where you get to showcase your organizational and communication skills, then a career path in leadership is a great choice. 

Organizations of all shapes and sizes need strong leadership. Whether it’s healthcare, education, finance, or another area, you can tailor your business management career to your interests. 

Here is a short list of careers that a leadership degree will help you prepare for: chief executive officer, computer and information systems manager, architectural and engineering manager, advertising and marketing manager, financial manager, sales manager, compensation and benefits manager, medical and health services manager, and industrial production manager. 

Careers in business leadership can be both fulfilling and lucrative. The typical business management salary is higher than the national average. Professionals in business management roles earn salaries well above average. 

 According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for management occupations is $105,660. By comparison, the median wage for all occupations was $53,490. 

Enhancing your leadership skills comes with other benefits. Being a good leader is likely to earn you more respect around the workplace, and because you are a fair and empathetic person, you are likely to make friends with more colleagues. 

By developing strong relationships with colleagues, you are able to understand what motivates them to innovate and succeed. This all contributes to improved working relationships and increased job satisfaction. 

Every leader wants a motivated and engaged workforce and many struggle to achieve this lofty goal. Gallup’s 2017 State of the American Workforce report found that 67 percent of employees in the United States are disengaged. The main reason is poor leadership and poor communication skills. 

A degree in organizational leadership focuses on the root cause of a disengaged workforce because special attention is given to critical leadership competencies including communication, personal growth, interpersonal skills, alignment of values, organizational change, and executive decision-making. 

A degree in leadership will allow you to grow as a person by helping the people within your company thrive. It will help you focus them on the mission the business is trying to achieve. 

The stick-and-carrot style of leadership is no longer effective today. New leadership ideology, remote working, team-think approaches, and new technology has changed the way we lead organizations. 

Exceptional leadership is the heart of a dynamic company. Could an organizational leadership degree from Charleston Southern University help you become the kind of leader that you would want to follow? 


Stephen Tate is a CPA in the state of South Carolina. His previous life experiences include being a nuclear reactor operator on fast attack submarines for the United States Navy. He also operated and maintained stamping presses, laser welders, and robots. He is driven to make his family successful and to make the world a better place.  


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