Leadership Success: How Education and Self-Care Can Help You Succeed

Being a good decision-maker is a central aspect of being a successful leader! This is because the people who look up to their leader need them to lead by example, make difficult choices on their behalf, and ensure that the outcomes of their decisions benefit all those involved. As such, becoming a leader is no easy feat. As well as possessing certain personal attributes such as confidence, charisma, and of course, capability, a leader must also be armed with the skills and knowledge required to lead.

Of course, the best way to acquire these skills is to complete a tertiary qualification at a university - a degree that can arm you to perform optimally and to your full capacity as a leader. Fortunately, these types of university qualifications are readily available at many reputable and industry-recognized tertiary institutions and educational facilities. Better yet, they can often be completed online, minimizing the need to commute to and from your educational institution of choice, and allowing you to complete the degree in your own time.

Becoming a Leader: Educational Pathways to Leadership

While there are many pathways to leadership - networking, for one - education is a tried and true route that can help you reach your leadership goals. For example, completing an online Master of Business Administration - also known as an MBA course online - can help you to learn, gain, and develop a deep understanding of essential leadership techniques. Importantly, the course units and study areas of focus within this type of degree usually cover the development of leadership, management, and strategic decision-making skills, as well as analytical skills, comprehension skills, and an understanding of data analytics techniques. Generally broken up into 8 core study units and 8 minor course units, this type of online course can be taken part-time, over up to 2.5 - 3 years.

Further, the best thing about studying on an online basis means that the degree can quite literally slot into your busy personal life and professional commitments. This ensures work/life balance and provides the student with the ability to access coursework materials via an online university portal. This then enables you to study at your own pace, in your own time, whenever, however, and wherever suits you best. Prefer to study late at night, in the comfort of your own home? Or perhaps you’d like to take your laptop with you to your local cafe? All of this is possible. As an online student, you do not need to attend any in-person tutorials or lectures within the physical walls of the university campus itself. Best yet, your studying experience will not be negatively impacted by not having face-to-face contact. On the contrary, studying online is one of the most effective and efficient methods of course delivery there is!

Leadership Career Pathways: What Job Roles Are Available to Aspiring Leaders?

If you feel called to become a leader, the possible career outcomes you can aspire to achieve are exciting! Not least, the salary earning potential is comparatively high. Indeed, many company Chief Executive Officers or CEOs can expect to earn an annual salary of over AUD 230,000 per annum. Other than CEO, some other roles that are available to aspiring leaders can include:

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Admittedly quite self-explanatory, the role of the Chief Financial Officer or CFO is to oversee the financial operations and functions of a business. As such, decision-making in terms of the financial actions of the company is a paramount and central function of this particular role.

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

A Chief Operating Officer or COO is responsible for the management of the overall operation of a company. A day in the life of a COO will generally include overseeing the administrative functions that keep a business running, as well as delegating required tasks to those beneath them.

General Manager (GM)

The General Manager or GM of a company is essentially the liaison between each of the company’s various departments. As such, they will often liaise and be the point of contact for multiple facets of the business. Of course, a company GM will also need to have strong decision-making skills and be able to ascertain the order of importance of these tasks within the company strategy.

The Hard Truth: Leadership Challenges

Admittedly not without its challenges, the path to becoming a leader can be demanding, high-stress, and high-pressure. Stress and anxiety can, of course, take their toll on even the strongest and most resilient individual! Therefore, it is important for people who are in leadership roles to develop self-care skills that will enable them to relax, de-stress and unwind in their downtime.

For example, meditation and mindfulness go a long way in encouraging and curating a relaxed and calm state, even in the face of stress and pressure. Of course, a holistic approach to one’s overall health is also very important. Choosing to consume a diet rich in nutrients and vitamins will assist with maintaining the strength and energy levels required for a demanding leadership position. Regular exercise will also help with this. However, perhaps the most important element of self-care any individual in a high-powered job needs to develop is the ability to switch off. Scheduling personal time with loved ones, or alone, is very important, and will work wonders in reducing stress.

Becoming a leader can be both challenging and extremely rewarding. Of course, an individual who aspires to become a leader needs to display elements of strength, charisma, and capability, as well as be able to make difficult decisions when required. Fortunately, good decision-making skills can be taught! Of course, completing a qualification that prepares you for a career in leadership is the best way to develop this type of skill. Better yet, once you have graduated with a leadership or management degree, you can expect to attain a career that is likely to provide you with a great deal of job satisfaction.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes