Maurice Flanagan, renowned British businessman and Emirates founder, once said,
“Some are born leaders, some achieve leadership, and some have leadership thrust upon them.”
The visionary corporate leader made an astute observation about leadership skills and talents. Many of us are born with a confident leadership streak and inherent talents to inspire and encourage others. Others learn, train, and strive to acquire leadership abilities and develop dynamic personalities that command attention.
Not all of us are born with bright and vibrant, extrinsic personalities who articulate opinions boldly and confidently. Many intrinsic thinkers and innovators struggle to cultivate strong communication skills to expand their opportunities. Leadership is a field of study rather than an inherent talent. It is a path of continual learning and improvement.
Why should you study leadership? Simply put, to cultivate a leader’s mindset and personality, and embrace a go-getting attitude to achieve your dreams. Keep reading to explore more compelling reasons why every student must study leadership.
A Well-Rounded Education
Our world is shaped and curated by dynamic and charismatic leaders who propelled the human race towards innovation. The world revolves around the leadership of nation-states, multinational corporations, international organizations, and the elite’s power.
Why should you study leadership living in a world dominated by leaders and their visions? Education in leadership allows students to learn how to embrace critical thinking, reasoning, and effective communication. Leadership skills enable students to anticipate change, work with uncompromising people, and stay motivated in stressful and disappointing circumstances.
Higher Job Marketability
Organizations don’t seek employees who can perform basic tasks to facilitate business activities and operations. In 2021, the employee talent dynamics are changing and shifting towards human intelligence. Today, businesses have the power of automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to automate mundane tasks.
Businesses hire talented professionals with leadership skills and innovative visions. Pursuing a masters of arts in organizational leadership can enhance your marketability and open up lucrative opportunities in multiple fields. You can work with corporate organizations in finance, healthcare, media and entertainment, and even academia.
Leaders not only train future leaders, but they also help businesses organize their resources and strategize effectively. Given the rise in technological advancement, businesses need human intelligence for strategizing and cerebral efforts rather than manual labor.
Improving Relationship Skills
All human interactions, personal and professional, involve building and maintaining relationships. Relationship dynamics deal with conflict management, communication, negotiation, compromises, listening, and comprehending each other’s perspectives. Studying and cultivating leadership skills allows students and aspiring professionals to embrace the art of managing healthy relationships.
In the corporate arena, professionals have to manage multiple relationships with employees, customers, investors, vendors, and other stakeholders. If any of these relationships get derailed, businesses incur high financial costs and loss of reputation. Companies hire professionals with dynamic leadership skills to handle these relationships with crafty strategies and masterful communication abilities.
In recent years, industry observers have identified a striking growth in leadership opportunities in human resource management. Organizations rely on managers and HR experts to recruit, train and motivate employees to drive productivity and efficiency. It may appear easier in textbooks, but managing employees and large teams are increasingly challenging.
Each employee has their potential and weaknesses, and leaders help them harness this potential and overcome their shortcomings. More importantly, leaders help organizations establish close relations with their employees to create a harmonious organizational culture. Given the demand for their skills, human resource specialist salary packages are immensely lucrative and rewarding. These professionals also enjoy job security and satisfaction.
Creating Leadership Opportunities
Studying leadership skills allows students to see their surroundings from a different perspective. These skills empower students with the confidence, high-self-esteem, creativity, improvisation, and the ability to perform under stress. Cultivating leadership is a powerful catalyst for change, and it opens up scores of opportunities.
Opportunities don’t come knocking at your door. But instead, it gets easier to identify leadership opportunities in your community, social circle, workplace, and your vision. Leaders continuously find a cause to support, goals to achieve, inventions to create, and creativity to pursue.
Acquiring leadership skills is the first step to mobilize cognitive forces, map out your vision and make a solid plan. Whether you seek professional glory or community service, a leadership mindset will help you set milestones and map out your progress pragmatically.
Demanding Political & Social Rights
We all witness injustice, cruelty, oppression, and inequality in our surroundings. While some of us are victims of social injustice, others are plagued by racism, poverty, and ethnic tensions. How many of us dare to speak out against inequality and demand our rights when they are usurped? How many of us can articulate ourselves, capture attention and make sure our opinions are heard?
Leaders are charismatic, and they rise above the noise to lend their voice to issues that matter. They have the vision and capacity to channel change and mobilize crowds towards one goal. Even if you don’t have lofty civic participation ideals and political engagement, studying leadership is still essential.
You see, leadership discourses will help you understand political dynamics, social leadership, and your rights as a citizen. Leadership skills encourage self-awareness and awareness of one’s surroundings and living conditions. Leaders cannot turn a blind eye to injustice, but rather, they formulate strategies to combat injustice and give back to their communities.
Conclusion
Education systems and job marketability trends often compel us to pursue degrees that offer job security and financial rewards. Leadership skills are a powerful lesson that allows us to excel in our professional and personal lives. Cultivating these skills promote self-awareness, confidence, motivation, self-esteem, and a bold attitude to combat adversities and pursue one’s vision.
There are very few subjects and disciplines that teach students how to strategize and socialize in the real-world. Leadership skills offer valuable insight into human psychology and managing personal and professional relationships tactfully. Learning these skills allows students to become constructive community members, loving partners, and supportive family members.
