While it’s true that employers tend to favor strong aptitudes in so-called “soft” transferable skills in candidates for business leadership roles (e.g., leadership acumen, clear communication abilities, mentoring aptitudes), they also want more complex data analysis and financial forecasting skills. A formally trained manager, for example, can augment natural personality aptitudes with disciplined knowledge of different leadership styles.They will better understand when a more permissive, “seminar discussion” style is more productive and when a more organized and directive “project management” style is required.
This is what the best MBA (Master of Business Administration)programs seek to instill in their already talented students: building on the personality attributes that predispose them to leadership positions in organizations with rigorous knowledge about how businesses work and thrive.
For example, the online MBA at Kettering University, one of the top-rated universities for MBA studies in the United States, began by building on the solid technicalproblem-solving skill sets of engineers.It has since widened its appeal to anyone seeking full actualization of their leadership potential in a business setting. The Kettering MBA is also customizable, allowingstudents to choose graduate certificates in areas of particular interest (Business Practices, Global Leadership, Healthcare Management, Operations Management,and Supply Chain Management).
The independent online higher education choice platform Studyportals reports that MBA graduates come to their roles equipped with desirable abilities like managing fraught contingencies, such as financial crises or public scandals. But along with their leadership attributes, they’ll also bring an in-depth understanding of international business and strategic management for long-term business planning.
A good MBA graduate will bring a raft of invaluable skills to the table. They will include financial and strategic management, marketing management, in-depth understanding of organizationalbehavior and how to alter it, people management, and, at Kettering, the invaluable skillsof lean manufacturing for maximizingefficiency and eliminating waste.
Graduates are also encouraged in their seminars and formal MBA teaching to build up “big picture” understandings of business predicaments using strategic analysis techniques and critical thinking methods. You seemore when you understand how to go beyond the surfaceproblem to what’s driving it. Your new MBA appointee will have spent a significant amount of time during the degree analyzing a broad range of businesses, working out what solutions have worked, and which have proven ineffective.
Employers seeking long-term growth and sustainability in their businesses will have an ally on board with a good MBA graduate. He or she will have acquired a solid understanding of how each business function or department operates and how well-intentioned company decisions can impact those operations. This holistic perspective can help prevent unintentional negative consequences from what, on paper, look like bright, innovative ideas. And that means maintaining a sustainable position in a constantly evolving business ecosphere.
Employers also shouldn’t underestimate the value of an MBA graduate’s alumni connections. They will not only have had access to the inestimably valuable experience of faculty, but their alumni network often extends tomajor business organizations. At Kettering, for example, these include General Motors, Bosch, Boeing, Fisher-Price, Whirlpool, GE, and NASA, to name a few.
In short, with a well-selected MBA graduate employee, your business is significantly more likely to grow and flourish.