If you’re passionate about people management, a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership can be a great starting point to a leadership career. Whether you’re preparing to transition to a management or leadership role, looking to enhance your existing skill set or gain the management skills you didn’t learn on the job, a major in organizational leadership can take your skills and qualifications to the next level.
With a versatile skillset relevant to a variety of industries, a BS in Organizational Leadership provides the skill set to climb the ladder toward high-impact leadership roles. It can be a strong foundation for graduate management education.
What Is Organizational Leadership?
Organizational leadership is an approach to management where leaders not only inspire a shared vision for what an organization will look like, but they also model that vision and empower their employees to act on it. Strong organizational leaders also encourage their employees to challenge the ways they think about processes, while celebrating the wins both big and small.
Rather than fields like sociology, which focus more on studying how people currently are, organizational leadership focuses on how we can impact people’s behavior for the better—and how poor leadership can leave a negative impact on employees, performance and organizational success.
Why Is Effective Organizational Leadership Important?
Effective organizational leadership can be the difference between a successful organization with thriving employees and a company that ends up on the front page for all the wrong reasons. It’s essential for managers and leaders to understand how they can leverage their positions to support the people they manage while prioritizing organizational success, growth and development.
What Is the Difference Between Business Management and Organizational Leadership?
Business management careers usually focus on the strategic management of a business’s operations, including finances and logistics. Professionals in these areas can be found running function-specific teams (marketing, accounting, etc.) or consulting roles that support business development and efficiency.
Organizational leadership, on the other hand, focuses on why businesses do well, who is involved and how to inspire people. An organizational leadership professional might be focused more on:
- Aligning individual goals with organizational goals
- Ensuring employees have the training and development they need
- Developing fellow managers and leaders to be more supportive and effective
- Defining the company vision
- Empowering team members with stronger skills, ideas and confidence
While both are important to help organizations run as well as possible, they require different background knowledge and skill sets.
What Skills Do You Learn in an Organizational Leadership Bachelor’s Degree?
The curriculum of an organizational leadership bachelor’s degree focuses on the main skills that leaders need to succeed in positions that emphasize effective management and workforce development:
- Leading teams and maximizing productivity
- Using technology to enhance communication and organizational performance
- Engaging effectively in culturally diverse environments
- Leveraging personal strengths to inspire and influence others
- Applying values-based, ethical decision-making to benefit the organization and its stakeholders.
Coursework that introduces or enhances these skills is beneficial both for traditional students and professionals who are going back to school to finish their degree.
Cal Lutheran’s Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals program is flexibly designed for working adults and lifelong learners who already have some college credits. This program empowers professionals to complete their bachelor’s and advance their careers. To learn more about how a bachelor’s degree can benefit you, read our article.
6 Career Options With an Organizational Leadership Degree
A degree in organizational leadership prepares professionals to manage, supervise and lead diverse teams in a variety of settings. We’ll go over just some of the most popular jobs in organizational leadership here.
Remember that some organizations will prefer or require additional experience, education or skills for these roles. However, a bachelor’s in organizational leadership can be a great starting point toward any of these career paths.
| Job Title* | Median Salary* |
|---|---|
| Human Resources Manager | $140,030 |
| Training and Development Manager | $127,090 |
| Sales Manager | $138,060 |
| Nonprofit Executive Director | $102,800 |
| Management Analyst | $101,190 |
| Corporate Recruiter | $68,000 |
Source: Lightcast and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics
1. Human Resources Manager
Median Annual Salary: $140,030 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
HR managers are responsible for a variety of functions related to human capital. You can think of these professionals as the point person for the entire employee lifecycle, from hiring all the way to retirement. They oversee critical programs and tasks, including:
- Recruiting and hiring
- Onboarding new team members
- Managing benefits
- Ensuring compliance, especially with labor laws
- Fostering a positive work environment
- Mediating employee disputes
2. Training and Development Manager
Median Annual Salary: $127,090 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
These managers focus on training and developing talent for organizations, ranging from onboarding training for new hires to specialized training for more advanced roles. T&D managers may also develop and conduct regular training on a variety of topics relevant to entire organizations, such as harassment, phishing and data security, data-driven decision-making and stronger communication.
The BLS predicts a 7% growth rate for these professionals through 2033, which is faster than the average for all occupations.
3. Sales Manager
Median Annual Salary: $136,060 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Sales manager responsibilities often involve customer relationships and may involve managing a team of sales professionals. Some of their more specific tasks may include:
- Developing leads
- Nurturing relationships
- Engaging with current and potential customers
- Ensuring timely delivery of products and services
- Resolving customer complaints
The specific responsibilities of a sales manager can vary greatly depending on their organization, its size and its industry. For example, a sales manager at a large B2B organization will have a very different daily to-do list than a sales manager working at a small B2C company.
4. Nonprofit Executive Director
Median Annual Salary: $102,800 (Lightcast)
Unlike a private business where a CEO leads organizational goals, nonprofits are typically led by executive directors. These leaders are responsible for crucial decisions and tasks, such as:
- Creating strategic plans
- Delegating responsibilities down the ladder
- Setting goals for the organization and departments
- Offering guidance on direction
- Supervising employees and volunteers
- Collaborating with a board of directors
- Engaging with the community
At a nonprofit organization, where staff is usually kept small to invest more money into advocacy and the organization’s goals, executive directors will do a little bit of everything. In addition to the leadership tasks mentioned above, they might also handle financial management and program development.
5. Management Analyst
Median Annual Salary: $101,190 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
This role centers around reviewing an organization’s data and searching for opportunities to increase efficiency, reach organizational goals and improve profitability. Management analysts typically will interview managers and individual contributors in addition to analyzing any and all company data before they provide recommendations.
They may provide recommendations for improvements related to:
- Organizational structure
- Technology, systems and tools
- Processes and project management
- Management style
- Employee engagement
- Financial management
6. Corporate Recruiter
Median Annual Salary: $68,000 (Lightcast)
Corporate recruiters typically work within an organization’s HR department, but can be very large teams in their own right. Their primary function is to support the hiring goals and process of the business. They may collaborate with hiring managers and any other decision makers in the hiring process to perform important tasks like:
- Sharing open roles
- Reviewing potential candidates
- Completing initial phone screenings
- Tracking the application and interview process
- Reporting on hiring metrics
Is a Degree in Organizational Leadership Worth It?
Organizational leadership bachelor’s degrees provide students with crucial skills, including: Leadership Communication Organization Critical thinking These skills are applicable to nearly every career path, but they are critical to management and leadership roles. For professionals who are ready to transition into these roles, a bachelor’s in organizational leadership can be a strong foundation that positions them for significant earning potential in the future.
Going back to school for an organizational leadership degree is an investment, but with leadership knowledge and cross-functional skills, professionals will be ready to advance within their organizations and move up the ladder.
About the Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Financial Analysis Program at California Lutheran University
Continue your education and transform your career with our Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals, designed for working adults and lifelong learners with some college experience. This affordable degree completion program offers a focused major in organizational leadership that teaches students to transform complex financial data into useful business insights. Students will gain crucial knowledge of accounting principles, business concepts, analytical abilities and interpersonal skills for effective collaboration.
Cal Lutheran’s School for Professional and Continuing Studies serves individuals who desire to grow educationally, personally and professionally. Our work is grounded in the assessment of students’ needs and expectations. We meet these individuals where they are in order to provide tailored programs and resources that will help them clarify and deepen their purpose so that they can transform their communities — and the world.
Download a program brochure or start your application for the Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals program.
