Using an Executive MBA to Reach the C-Level

Using an Executive MBA to Reach the C-Level

You can dress like a manager, walk like a manager, but can you think like an executive manager? Pretty much everyone’s familiar with the concept of climbing the corporate ladder, but few take the time to understand the subtle differences between each rung along the way. It takes constant education and evaluation to develop as a professional. That’s where it becomes easy to get stuck at one level, because you lack the career strength to rise up to that next step. If you’re a mid-level manager who is wondering what the Howard University Executive MBA might be able to teach you about advancing your career, the most important shift you will have to make is in abandoning some of the skills you used to rely on and adopting new skills you have yet to utilize as a leader.

Your Day-to-Day Skills

As a mid-level manager, you’ve gotten to that tier where you no longer simply supervise and motivate your teams, but you also must organize those teams, monitor their performances, reward them and fix the issues that may arise while they work. When you ascended to this position, it probably felt like a lot of extra responsibility, and you likely looked forward to these new challenges. In a similar way, you have to adjust to a new set of challenges that you will study carefully during the course of the online Executive MBA program at Howard University. That’s mainly because upper-level executives don’t just deal with internal operations of the business. They must also consider external factors such as political, social and economic trends. And let’s not forget the biggest external factor that every business faces: the competition.

Top-level managers typically oversee multiple departments, creating the goals, strategies and policies that mid-level managers implement within their single departments. Because mid-level managers work closely with executives, they often get the opportunity to witness firsthand what sort of passion and planning goes into this type of leadership, but it’s rare that experience alone can communicate these skills as well as an executive MBA program can. Executives must be able to define business objectives, motivate the managers and teams below them to follow through on those objectives and keep the business running smoothly to keep employee satisfaction and performance rates high. These at-times subtle differences in management styles can prove to be a difficult perspective shift for mid-level managers who aspire to further their careers to executive level jobs.

Active Steps to Become a Top-Level Executive

• Set goals for your team and achieve them. Top executives recognize and appreciate this skill in higher-level executives.
• Create a portfolio to keep track of your accomplishments and bolster your chances of getting the job by supporting your executive level skills.
• Dress for the job you want. Executives will recognize and appreciate the respect you have for the company’s appearance.
• Put in the time. Don’t be the first person to leave each day; instead demonstrate your commitment to the company by working overtime when necessary.
• Keep your options open. You may not get the opportunity to assume an executive job for your current company. Watch the job market for opportunities that appeal to you and apply to desirable openings.
• Network with other executives. In the same way that you like to hear from employees to create a more efficient work flow, don’t shy away from sharing your insights with executives who might recognize and reward your potential.

Choosing a Focus For Your Executive MBA

With the economy in the United States still shaken up from what many attribute to poor management decisions, businesses are looking for new, creative talents to hire as executives. It becomes increasingly important for professionals to recognize their own abilities and choose a focused MBA that will accentuate those skills and naturally further their careers through their area of functional expertise. At Howard University, professionals can adapt the online Executive MBA to enhance their functional abilities and prepare them to lead at the executive level.

Many companies are desperate for a financial wizard who can come in and magically fix a business’s failing financial plans. If this is a personal strength or if you have an interest in this path, consider concentrating your executive MBA on finance, where you’ll extend your skills to understand corporate finance policy and strategy. Then, there’s the issue of new technologies confusing the marketing minds of some companies who are looking for a new expert to shed light on communicating using social media and Web 2.0 tools that are still so foreign to many top executives. In this case, you might pursue a marketing focus for your executive MBA, examining channels of distribution and updated approaches to marketing strategies. Additionally, technology is contributing heavily to globalization, which could support your decision to pursue an executive MBA focused on International Business. Whatever your plan is in ascending from the mid-level management position to a top tier executive, you would do best to play into the best possible marriage of your professional talents and today’s business trends.