Master leadership and management

There is more to business success than just growing the bottom line. It’s about making an impact on your team, your company, and the world. Leaders who are prepared can confidently face the opportunities and challenges in the workforce and the global business landscape.

Management and leadership skills are related but distinct from one another. Both managers and leaders deal with human relations and help develop the skills and success of a team. However, managers oversee workflows, improve efficiency, and ensure their teams meet deadlines. A leader can enact change in organizations and help employees improve their performance.¹ This article explores leadership strategies and management skills, such as effective communication and strategic planning, that are crucial to your career development.

Introduction to leadership and management

Business is evolving quickly, and so is the role of leadership. Today’s most effective leaders are not only visionaries but also decision-makers who streamline processes, empower teams, and drive sustainable growth. These are skills that are critical for staying ahead in today’s rapidly changing business world.

Why choose Marquette’s online MBA?

Marquette University's online MBA is designed for professionals who need flexibility without compromising quality. From live webinars to self-paced modules, you’ll gain access to a cutting-edge curriculum designed to fit your schedule and your career goals.

You’ll learn from our world-class faculty, who bring decades of real-world leadership experience as former C-suite executives, published authors, and coveted industry experts. Their instruction blends proven academic methods with practical insight to prepare you for the challenges of today’s business world.

This program also provides a community. Through virtual coffee chats, online student meetups, and open faculty office hours, you’ll become part of a supportive, engaged Marquette community. You’ll build lifelong relationships, expand your professional network, and develop the leadership principles that will shape your career for years to come.

Core leadership principles

Marquette believes effective team leadership is driven by much more than what you’ll find in a textbook. MBA students will leave the program with a firm grasp of these core principles:

• Leading and communicating with emotional intelligence
• Employing ethical decision-making and integrity
• Inspiring and motivating teams to achieve shared goals

Emotional intelligence can create an authentic connection between leaders and their employees. Teams led by managers with high emotional intelligence see over 40% lower instances of absenteeism and over 20% higher profitability, proving that empathy and a genuine desire to connect with employees drive the kind of engagement that gets results.²

Long-term success requires leaders to make the right decisions quickly, ethically, and with integrity. The results speak for themselves. Businesses with leaders consistently recognized for ethical leadership skills in business outperform their industry peers by over 12% over a five-year period.¹

Human beings have fundamental psychological and physiological needs, and meeting these needs in the workplace is essential for performance. Employees are far more likely to be engaged and productive when they feel valued, supported, and confident in their role. Marquette’s online MBA program integrates this understanding into its curriculum, combining research-backed strategies with practical leadership techniques to teach you how to improve employee performance and motivation through empathy, trust, and effective management.

Management strategies for organizational success

Through Marquette’s MBA curriculum, students apply time-tested and emerging frameworks to real-world scenarios that optimize workplace productivity. From standard SWOT analyses to live simulations, you’ll understand methodologies for strategic planning and problem solving that apply to everything from a bootstrapped startup to a Fortune 500 company.

Data-driven leaders consistently outperform their less-analytical peers in critical areas such as customer acquisition and sales growth.³ By leveraging data to guide decisions, they’re also better equipped to manage budgets and allocate resources in ways that drive long-term business success. Marquette faculty will teach you how to analyze and interpret data streams in your future management roles to create narratives that drive growth and inspire confidence for employees, stakeholders, and investors.

With strategic planning, problem solving, and data-driven methodologies at the forefront of your curriculum, you’ll be well-equipped as a leader who confidently manages through all types of organizational change.

Cultivating a global mindset

This era of quick economic and geopolitical change presents an opportunity for leaders with a global mindset to excel. Agile leaders, equipped to operate in a multinational setting, will stand out in their ability to manage the social, cultural, economic, and regulatory nuances in an increasingly global marketplace.⁴

While globalization presents a new set of learning opportunities, it also opens a door for leaders to promote healthy diversity in the workplace. Marquette’s online MBA program exposes students to real-world scenarios requiring expert navigation of fluctuating and diverse cultural and market conditions across the global business environment.

Real-world application and experiential learning

Experiential learning increases retention and recall by up to 75%, compared to lectures and reading alone.⁵ Online MBA students at Marquette are exposed to mentorship opportunities, case studies, group projects, and live simulations that reflect the challenges that leaders face today.

From analyzing and brainstorming through a business crisis to coaching in the workplace to collaborating with a group on launching a new product, you’ll gain experience through diverse, hands-on scenarios that turn classroom concepts into actionable career-ready skills.

Career advancement and outcomes

As you consider MBA programs, choose a program that will help you achieve your professional goals. Marquette’s online MBA program equips you with the skills, mindset, and network to advance in roles across corporations, nonprofits, and entrepreneurial ventures. You’ll graduate with a clear leadership vision and the tools to stand out in a competitive job market.

Throughout the program, you’ll build lasting relationships with faculty and peers who help reinforce your personal and professional brand well beyond graduation. From alumni panels to our graduate mentorship program, you’ll gain access to a powerful network and make connections that may accelerate your career, giving you a competitive advantage over other candidates.⁶

Combining rigorous academics with hands-on, real-world learning, Marquette’s online MBA program helps you master the leadership qualities employers seek, setting you up for a successful and meaningful career in any industry.

Enroll in Marquette's online MBA program

Prepare to become a transformative leader in fast-paced business environments. Marquette's online MBA program prepares professionals to excel in both leadership and management roles through a comprehensive curriculum that balances theoretical knowledge with practical application. Through courses in strategic management, organizational leadership, and business ethics, students develop the critical skills needed for visionary leadership and effective team management.

Speak with an admissions outreach advisor today to learn more about the admissions process or to discuss financial aid and scholarship assistance opportunities. Don’t wait to advance your career and master the skills that will drive you toward your future goals. Apply now or contact us to secure your spot.