Top Jobs for EdD Organizational Leadership Graduates

organizational leader running a meeting with their team

The world of business and nonprofits is constantly changing the need for organizational leadership and is stronger than ever. With more people working from home, organizational leadership skills help managers and CEOs address these changes and keep their organizations moving.

Organizational change has shifted to include worker productivity in remote situations. In addition, job satisfaction is a key issue, as workers struggle with the new realities of remote work. These problems can affect a company's bottom line. The career opportunities for those with organizational degrees, especially doctoral-level degrees, are numerous and varied.

What Is Organizational Leadership?

Students who earn doctoral degrees in organizational leadership learn how to meet business individuals goals concurrently. They learn what it takes to create leadership success. Many who are not already in higher-level positions go on to become successful executives.

Organizational leaders do not find themselves in narrow careers. Instead, their work involves many different people and is spread throughout a company’s departments. The work engages them with people outside the company as well as inside it, both as partners and as competitors. Organizational leaders focus on policies and people. They aim to create environments where people are effective and productive in meeting organizational goals.

What Classes Help Develop Advanced Organizational Leadership?

When you earn a master's degree in business administration, you learn the fundamentals of business. This degree often includes courses in human resources, accounting and finance.

A doctoral degree program in organizational leadership will build on this foundational knowledge, and experience you have gained in your career. You will develop your understanding of leadership in both theory and practice. Part of this is diving deeply into change management and how to lead during organizational shifts. Your advanced leadership degree will also help you assess and create robust cultures in an organization. You will complete extensive research to develop your theoretical and practical knowledge and build a stronger worldview.

What Skills Are Developed in an EdD Organizational Leadership Program?

Besides covering an array of academic and practical topics, a doctoral program in organizational leadership develops essential soft skills. Leaders need to be able to connect with their employees to inspire, engage and motivate. Some of the most important skill sets that organizational leaders can develop in their degree program include:

  • Interpersonal communication
  • Cultural intelligence
  • Relationship building
  • Decision making
  • Problem solving
  • Strategic planning
  • Stewardship

Many of these skills are integrated into the Education in Organizational Leadership doctoral program no matter which program emphasis you choose. Most of them are also developed through practical application on the job.

What Industries Hire Organizational Leaders?

If you are looking for a career change after you earn your Doctorate in Organizational Leadership, you can find work in many fields. Businesses and organizations in the public sector, private sector, nonprofit sector and academia all hire organizational leaders. With experience and a doctoral-level degree, you may be able to find work as a senior or executive-level leader.

Some common industries C-level leadership degree graduates go into include:

  • Finance and insurance
  • Tech and IT
  • Sales
  • Manufacturing
  • Marketing
  • Healthcare
  • Retail

What Can I Do With an Organizational Leadership Degree?

Jobs for organizational leaders are varied. Some of the top careers they enter include the following:

Management Analyst

Management analysts work as consultants. They are brought on by a business to increase the organization's efficiency and profitability. Management analysts spend time interviewing employees and managers and observing meetings or work in progress. They create reports and presentations about what they see and suggest changes designed to make the business more successful.

Senior Project or Product Owners

Organizational leadership degree graduates who want to coordinate projects in tech, construction and other industries may find roles as senior project coordinators. They plan, supervise and ensure the execution of specific projects. They make sure tasks are complete on time and help employees manage the workload involved in meeting their goals. A project coordinator also ensures that the product or project is completed according to criteria set at the beginning of the work. Doctoral leadership graduates make excellent project coordinators because they have developed the strong organizational skills and leadership abilities that effectively bring a team together to complete the work.

Managers

Managers oversee a team and are responsible for the products and services the team delivers. Nearly every department requires a manager for efficient oversight. Sales managers might work not only with their internal team but also with external clients. Production managers ensure that the daily operations of manufacturing plants and teams continue efficiently. Human resources managers are responsible for recruiting and onboarding new employees. They also help with performance assessments and managing employee benefits.

CEOs

The chief executive officer of a business organization is its top leader. The CEO sets the vision and culture for a team and manages the managers or a higher-level executive team. The CEO sets the standards for the business and needs to have excellent organizational, financial and business skills in order to be successful.

The College of Doctoral Studies at Grand Canyon University offers extensive student support services to help all our doctoral learners achieve their goals. In addition, the dissertation process is fully integrated throughout the coursework to enable students to stay on track toward graduation. You can click on Request Info at the top of your screen to explore our doctoral programs including our EdD Organizational Leadership degree.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.

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