Leading at the Next Level: Exploring Leadership Skills in an Executive MBA
Friday, March 7, 2025
If you’re ready to redefine what’s possible for your career, an Executive MBA (EMBA) program could be your springboard to the next level of leadership. An Executive MBA is a graduate degree program similar in scope to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree—with the primary difference being that the former master’s degree program is designed with experienced, high-level business professionals in mind. In addition to helping business professionals with leadership skills development, the Executive MBA program also focuses on the advanced business principles needed to oversee operations at the executive level.
The Value of an Executive MBA for Seasoned Professionals
Experienced business professionals must invest both their time and financial resources into an Executive MBA degree, but according to Investopedia, the investment is worthwhile. At the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, for instance, graduates in the Executive MBA program often see around a 20% salary increase from the start to the end of their studies. The Executive MBA program can provide seasoned professionals with a competitive advantage as they pursue executive-level positions in their industry, largely because this graduate degree program emphasizes building leadership skills.
Bridging the Gap Between Experience and Leadership
Many students who enroll in an Executive MBA program are experienced professionals in management-level positions in their industry. While they have a high-level understanding of their field, they are often focused on planning and implementing tactical approaches for their team. The Executive MBA allows them to develop a better understanding of the strategic business approaches used in executive-level positions in order to establish and achieve long-term organizational goals. Blending academic rigor with practical insights, the Executive MBA helps to bridge this gap and ease the transition into executive-level positions.
Why Building Leadership Skills Is More Crucial Than Ever
According to the World Business Outlook, visionary leadership is essential to any organization’s success, particularly in the current business landscape. Emerging trends in the global marketplace—coupled with rapid innovation cycles and advancing technology—require business leaders to be agile decision-makers. This reinforces the importance of leadership skills development throughout their careers.
Professional Growth Through Academic Rigor
One of the most common mistakes management-level business professionals make is assuming that their time in the classroom is behind them. In fact, the reality is quite the opposite; by returning to an academic setting, up-and-coming business leaders can hone their critical thinking skills while exploring the latest business research and theories.
Networking and Peer Learning
The Executive MBA degree attracts experienced managers and leaders from diverse industries, allowing students to connect with high-caliber peers who have similar goals and aspirations. This graduate degree program is designed specifically for business professionals with significant experience—which fosters peer-to-peer engagement that expands your professional network, introduces you to new perspectives and accelerates your leadership development.
Core Leadership Skills Cultivated in an Executive MBA
The Executive MBA degree focuses primarily on instilling leadership skills in professionals who are ready to advance their careers to the next level. According to research published in the Frontiers in Psychology journal, an Executive MBA program not only equips students with advanced leadership skills but also helps them prioritize the social impact of the business strategies that are implemented in their organizations.
The core leadership skills cultivated throughout the Executive MBA program include:
Strategic Thinking and Decision-Making
The rigorous coursework that anchors the curriculum for this graduate degree program focuses heavily on sharpening a leader’s strategic mindset. Students enrolled in the Executive MBA program will be required to complete courses on advanced business topics—such as business strategy, business finance, and business operations—to improve their understanding of business on the global scale as well as fine-tune their strategic thinking and decision-making skills.
Executive Communication and Influential Leadership
Business professionals who pursue an Executive MBA degree explore the central role of executive communication in overall organizational success. They will learn more about the importance of clear, concise, and consistent communication throughout every level of the organization, in turn enabling them to build stakeholder buy-in at the executive level.
Emotional Intelligence and Team Empowerment
Throughout the coursework and practical assignments that students complete, business professionals learn about the powerful role that emotional intelligence (EI) plays in effective leadership. By being emotionally aware and responsive, business leaders can develop an empathetic approach that improves effective leadership because it fosters a deep sense of trust among employees and encourages collaboration at every level of the organization.
Change Management and Organizational Transformation
Leaders at the executive level often guide organizations through considerable change and transformation. These moments can be unsettling for those who work at lower levels of the company—meaning there is great need for effective and confident executives. The Executive MBA leadership skill development program prepares leaders to manage uncertainty and lead transformation initiatives. The group projects they complete offer a safe setting to implement their newly developed change management skills.
Global Perspective and Cultural Competency
Regardless of whether you work for a domestic or international organization, you want to have an understanding of the leading global business practices in order to succeed at the executive level. The Executive MBA degree highlights the importance of cultural competency in business, and the rigorous academic curriculum for this graduate degree exposes you to diverse cultures and emerging international business trends.
The Executive MBA Curriculum: Enhancing Leadership at Every Stage
While Executive MBA and traditional MBA programs are comparable, one key difference is that the Executive MBA degree is designed for experienced professionals in management-level positions in their chosen industry. As a result, the format of the Executive MBA is distinctly different. Students have the opportunity to enroll in an in-person program which offers classes on Friday evenings and Saturdays, or an online program in which they participate in synchronous classes from a remote setting. The goal is to create a schedule that allows working professionals to balance their education with their existing professional responsibilities.
Focus on Leadership Development
The Executive MBA curriculum is designed to accelerate leadership skills development through leadership labs and seminars. These innovative programs provide students with hands-on experiences in which they can participate in self-assessment, develop leadership frameworks and receive personalized feedback from instructors and peers.
Real-World Application: Capstone Projects and Experiential Learning
Executive MBA students are required to complete a capstone project in which they develop their own innovative solutions to some of the most pressing modern business challenges. In many cases, students use challenges that have arisen in their own organizations as a basis for their capstone project. This experiential learning opportunity allows Executive MBA students to apply their newly acquired leadership techniques in real time.
Executive Coaching and Mentorship
Throughout the Executive MBA program, students can connect with faculty members who can offer insight into their own personal leadership style and how they accomplished their career objectives. These valuable relationships often extend beyond the degree program, giving business leaders a mentor with whom they can connect throughout their careers.
Leveraging an Executive MBA for Career Advancement
Considered one of the most desirable qualifications among executive business leaders, the Executive MBA degree can give graduates a competitive advantage as they begin to navigate the job market. You can leverage your Executive MBA for career advancement by using it to strengthen your professional brand and industry connections.
At the Carlson School, for example, on average 40% of Executive MBA graduates secure a promotion within one year of completing the program. This outcome reflects a balanced focus on strategic thinking, leadership development, and immediate real-world application.
Strengthen Your Strategic Leadership Brand
- Enhance your executive presence – Coursework that emphasizes effective executive communication, organizational strategy, and high-level decision-making helps you develop an executive presence in the job market.
- Apply lessons immediately – The Executive MBA’s practical, real-time approach lets you test new frameworks and leadership skills at work right away, allowing you to demonstrate your expertise.
- Develop a clear leadership narrative – Integrating your professional experience with the insights gained throughout your Executive MBA program, you will be able to craft a compelling story about how you can drive results, build teams, and navigate complex challenges in the workplace.
Expand and Leverage Your Professional Network
- Connect with diverse leaders – The Executive MBA program brings together accomplished professionals from various sectors—so you can engage with innovative leaders who can share new perspectives and extensive knowledge.
- Tap into alumni communities – Upon graduation, EMBA graduates join a powerful alumni network that often comprises top-level executives, successful entrepreneurs, and industry experts.
- Collaborate beyond class projects – Within the EMBA program, you will complete group assignments, case studies, and projects that allow you to forge deeper relationships with your peers and classmates.
Position Yourself for Senior-Level Roles and Board Seats
- Demonstrate immediate value – While you are completing your EMBA program, you can demonstrate your value to your company immediately by contributing at a strategic level. Offering data-driven insights and showcasing your strong financial acumen can put you in a position for career advancement.
- Transition into C-suite or board opportunities – Many EMBA graduates can leverage their elevated leadership skills and strategic perspectives to step into executive-level roles like CEO, COO, or CFO. The EMBA credential could also help you secure positions on nonprofit boards or take on advisory positions, which can broaden your leadership impact.
Why Choose an Executive MBA for Leadership Advancement?
The Executive MBA degree can help accelerate your leadership skill development, offering a fast track to higher-level decision-making roles that enable you to have a more significant impact on organizations. At the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, our Executive MBA program is curated with seasoned professionals in mind so you can apply your professional experience while building leadership skills. This comprehensive 20-month program strongly emphasizes executive leadership development, strategic thinking, and talent and team development—helping you prepare for the high-pressure demands of senior-level roles. Ranked #14 among U.S. public universities by Fortune (2024), the Carlson Executive MBA also boasts strong career outcomes, with, on average, 40% of graduates increasing job duties since completing the EMBA program.
What Is an Executive MBA? Learn More at the University of Minnesota
The Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota offers an Executive Master of Business Administration degree program that is consistently ranked as one of the leading Executive MBA degree programs worldwide. Featuring a rigorous academic curriculum that emphasizes the importance of strategic thinking, innovative leadership, and global business practices, this graduate degree program equips business professionals with the leadership skills necessary to achieve those coveted executive-level positions.
The Carlson Executive MBA program brings students a rich cohort experience, opportunities to learn from industry leaders, and a deep focus on executive leadership, strategy, and talent development. Whether you’re balancing a full-time job, family, or life commitments, this program is designed to help you seamlessly integrate new knowledge and skills into your career.
Request more information about our Executive MBA program today.