As a concept, leadership can be thought of as an accelerant, something that increases the velocity of that upon which it acts. Is your career stagnating? Learning what it is to be a leader, and the nuts and bolts of how effective leaders work through traits, behaviors, and relationships, will help boost you from where you are to where you want to be. Are you an entrepreneur? Leadership studies will help you learn how to attract and gain the loyalty of followers, who will in turn elevate you and your ideas. You will learn how groups select a leader from amongst peers, and learn how to maximize the chances that you will be that leader chosen. If you already lead others, you can learn about how a leader creates meaning for others and shapes the reality they see, so that others decide on a course of action that the leader desires. You can study how leaders align the efforts of others towards a common goal by shaping and perfecting that goal (through storytelling, charisma, and emotional intelligence) and motivating followers to come along.
Leadership as a topic is not one to be kept in books. It provides value by being taken out, tested, and wrestled with every day.
Recently a book was published which highlighted the best jobs for the 21st century. In the midst of financial crises, increasing unemployment, and globalization, many of us are happy to just have a job, and are not worrying about if ours is the best. But these negative factors define the reality in which we operate, and the best jobs are a reflection of these conditions.
In short, the best jobs are those which cannot be outsourced: high-touch, on-site jobs. But these are not the only factors. After all, you can't get your car repaired overseas that easily, so it would seem that being a car mechanic would be a safe job. But it isn't, because you are highly replaceable, and when this is the case, wages are driven down and you don't make that much (because everyone competes on price).
The key is to not be a commodity. Be unique. Be hard to replace. Here I'll quote directly from an article that discusses the book:
Therefore, the best jobs for the 21st century--the high-growth, high-paying, job-creating occupations--will be in services that require some combination of creativity, sophisticated decision making, interpersonal sensitivity, and adaptability to a changing environment. This last factor, adaptability, means the ability to learn new skills and the flexibility to change work roles and possibly employers as opportunities emerge. It also means that a college degree, while serving as the entry ticket to one of these highly rewarding jobs, does not free the worker from the need for additional education or training. Continuing education is a legal requirement for many of these jobs and a practical necessity for the others.
Two points above are critical. First, the highlighted skills- those which make you unique and valuable- are all direct aspects of leadership development. They ARE leadership. Second, it isn't ever too late to go back to school and further develop your skill set. This is the beauty of a leadership graduate program: it is applicable to everyone.
Every year we watch students advance their skill sets and become more valuable in the workplace with our Masters in Leadership degree. Where they take those skills, how they apply them, and how far they go is up to them. What's certain is that as we head further into the 21st century, more and more indicators are showing that becoming a better leader in your field is the path to more stability, satisfaction, and apparently a shot at the "best jobs" the century has to offer.
Differentiate yourself. Consider BU Brussels.
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