If you envision yourself as a department head or company leader, a degree in organizational leadership will set the foundation for your career. Whether you plan to work in the glass towers of the Twin Cities, or pioneer your own start-up in Rochester, or elsewhere, you’ll obtain the skills needed to lead your team to success and fulfill the company’s mission with the skills you pick up in a bachelor’s in organizational leadership. If you already hold a bachelor’s degree, then an MSOL, MAOL, or MBA in organizational leadership will get you there.
At any level, a degree in organizational leadership will prepare you to develop workforce culture, make the most of the talent on your team, and assess the impact the organization has on the community.
There’s one key element you’ll need when studying organizational leadership: passion. It doesn’t matter what it’s for: health care, infrastructure, community outreach – whatever. That passion carries the motivation to apply the principles of organizational leadership to the organization you’re leading.
The Journey From Drafter to CEO of Minnesota’s Top Architectural Firm Was Driven by a Love of the Art and Some Serious Organizational Leadership Skills
For Mongeon Allen, the move to the respected architectural and design firm JLG, was a no-brainer. It was a position any up and coming drafter would dream of. Upon joining the company, she designed two projects that won American Institute of Architects awards.
It’s clear to anyone following her career that she believed in what JLG was doing from the get-go. So it makes sense that she would become a key leader in the firm’s history. After two years with the company, she led an expansion into Minneapolis. This was the spark that ignited the flame. She made partner in 2004, was named chief operating officer in 2007, and earned the CEO title in 2017.
“We have developed a very clear vision for our organization, so I really lean on that as our north star. Personally, I try not to get rattled by things we can’t control and surround myself with a remarkable team of internal managers and external advisers.”
There’s a lot to learn from Mongeon Allen. She understands the value of JLG’s business – “the talents of [JLG’s] people” – and analyzes key performance indicators to ensure the firm can continue to thrive as macroeconomic conditions change. If anyone is an example of an outstanding organizational leader, it’s Mongeon Allen.
For you, maybe architecture isn’t your passion, but that doesn’t matter: The lessons within Mongeon Allen’s story translate to whatever industry ignites that fire in your gut. A degree in organizational leadership helps you harness that fire, allowing you to direct it toward kindling initiatives that help businesses prosper.
What You Can Do in Minnesota With a Master’s or Bachelor’s in Organizational Leadership
While pursuing a master’s or bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership, you’ll develop a set of marketable skills when hunting for work in Minnesota. While your courses will vary depending on where you study, you can expect to hone the following abilities:
- Crafting a clear mission: Assess how the organization is participating in the market. What need is it fulfilling, and what is its purpose? How does it fulfill that purpose?
- Developing a company culture: Lead by example to influence how people throughout the organization communicate, share resources, and solve problems. Embody the attributes which will enable the organization to fulfill its mission, and those around you will follow.
- Analyzing business intelligence: Gather data from human resources, sales, marketing, and other departments to answer key questions about the organization. For example, how are customers using the products? Are there some use cases which weren’t originally intended by the design team?
You can apply these core skills in Minnesota’s economy or public service. Here are a few opportunities you could look into.
Governor Tim Walz’s Anti-Fraud Initiative
Due to a rise in federal grant fraud, Gov. Walz is launching an initiative to better oversee federal grant programs, according to WDIO. He intends to work with Minnesota Management and Budget and other agencies to “protect taxpayer dollars.” His plan includes:
- Expanding the Office of Grants Management. The goal is to give more people and resources to the agency in charge of grant administration. In conjunction with this effort, he wants the legislature to approve a statewide grants management system that would “root out” fraudsters applying for grants across all agencies.
- Implementing “enterprise-wide” auditing resources in Minnesota Management and Budget’s Internal Controls team.
- Empower individual agencies with more grant management resources. The idea here is to allow agencies like the Department of Education to better review grant applications and prevent grant fraud within their own organizations.
If public service has always appealed to you, this could be a perfect opportunity to apply your organizational leadership skills. State departments are going to need someone capable of integrating Gov. Walz’s changes while minimizing headaches. It’s going to take cultural adaptation, sound analysis of grant review processes, and then concrete recommendations as to how those departments can eliminate fraud.
Bringing Minnesota’s Factories into the 21st Century
You may have heard the term “Industry 4.0” over the past decade or so. It refers to the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.” While the Third Industrial Revolution referred to the integration of information technology to automate factory operations, the Fourth Industrial Revolution refers to the advent of “smart factories” those which use data from inside and outside the factory to scale production according to demand (among other things).
Making Industry 4.0 a reality isn’t without its headaches. For one thing, the communications infrastructure needs to be able to handle input from thousands of connected devices, from autonomous robots to sensors on conveyor belts. In addition, the companies operating these factories need a secure system that can analyze all that data to adjust operations.
Thankfully, the state is looking to help manufacturers rise to the challenge. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development recently announced a new program to help manufacturers achieve automation. The Automation Loan Participation Program will work in conjunction with private financing to help manufacturers receive the funding they need to purchase equipment, software, or machinery designed to increase productivity and automation.
If technology is an area that’s exciting to you, any company looking to enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution would be a great candidate for your skills. You’ll bridge the gap between sales, operations, IT, and other teams to make these factories competitive for the next 50 years.
Universities in Minnesota Offering Master’s and Bachelor’s Degrees in Organizational Leadership
So, where can you obtain a master’s or bachelor’s in organizational leadership? Check out our comprehensive list of schools throughout Minnesota offering these programs.
Augsburg University
Accreditation: HLC
Private School
Campus, hybrid
MA in Leadership
MBA with a concentration in Leadership
Also offers:
Leadership Studies minor, certificate in Leadership Studies
BA in Accounting and an MA in Leadership joint program, MAL/MBA dual degree
Capella University
Accreditation: HLC
Private School
Online
BSB in Management and Leadership
MS in Leadership and Organizational Management
Also offers:
DHS in Leadership and Organizational Management
DBA in Organizational Leadership and Development
PhD in Business Management, Leadership
Crown College
Bible and Theology Department
Accreditation: HLC
Private School
Campus
BS in International Leadership
Also offers: MA in Global Leadership
North Central University
Accreditation: HLC
Private School
Online
MA in Strategic Leadership
- Worship Arts Leadership
- Church Leadership
- Business Administration Leadership
Also offers: BS in Humanitarian Leadership
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
School of Business and Technology
Accreditation: HLC
Private School
Online
MA in Organizational Leadership
Also offers:
Accounting Leadership certificate
Individual and Team Leadership graduate certificate
Organizational and Change Leadership graduate certificate
St. Catherine University
Graduate College
Accreditation: HLC
Private School
Online
MA in Organizational Leadership
Also offers: Leadership minor, certificates in
- Foundations in Leadership
- Change Leadership
- Equity-Focused Leadership
- Healthcare Leadership
- Information Services and Technology Leadership
- Leadership and Ethics
- Library Leadership
- Nonprofit and Public Leadership
- Strategic Management
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
College of Education and Human Development
Accreditation: HLC
Public School
Campus
MA in Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development
Also offers:
Leadership minor
Integrative Leadership minor
Leadership for Managers postbaccalaureate certificate
Leadership for Science Professionals postbaccalaureate certificate
Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development Ph.D.
Public Affairs Leadership postbaccalaureate certificate
University of Northwestern - St. Paul
School of Business
College of Graduate, Online and Adult Learning
Accreditation: HLC
Private School
Campus, online
BS/BA in Nonprofit Leadership
- Leadership minor
- Graduate Certificate in Leadership
- Nonprofit Leadership minor
Also offers: MA in Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development
University of St. Thomas
Opus College of Business
Accreditation: HLC
Private School
Campus
BA in Business Administration with a concentration in Leadership and Management
Walden University
Accreditation: HLC
Private School
Online
BS in Human Services with a concentration in Leadership and Administration
MS in Leadership
Also offers:
MPA in Nonprofit Management and Leadership
MS in Nonprofit Management and Leadership
- International Nongovernment Organization
- Local Government Management for Sustainable Communities
- Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- Global Leadership
Graduate certificate in Public Management and Leadership
Post-Doctoral Bridge to Business Administration – Leadership certificate
Post-Doctoral Bridge to Management – Leadership and Organizational Strategy certificate
Winona State University
College of Education and Human Development
Accreditation: HLC
Public School
Online
MS in Organizational Leadership
Also offers: Organizational Leadership certificate