BA in Organizational Leadership

Organizational Leadership and Manager are related, yet they are also distinct concepts. The focus of each, while there is some overlap, are different. Here’s how.

Organizational Leadership is primarily about setting a vision, inspiring others, and guiding an organization or team towards achieving long-term goals. Organizational Leadership emphasizes motivation, influence, and the ability to drive change. Organizational Leadership will lead the necessary changes when organizations need to adapt and evolve. Those in these positions play a key role in setting strategic goals and help shape and maintain an organization’s culture and values.

Management is focused on day-to-day operations, ensuring the organization runs smoothly and efficiently. Management helps drive the organization forward toward the strategic goals set by leadership, but managers do this on a more granular level. Managers control resources, and handle planning and organizing to achieve short-term and long-term goals. You could think of managers as being responsible for the day-to-day workings of the organization as it strives to achieve the strategies set by leadership.

Students in the Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership address this question directly, as everyone who has come across a manager who is far from being a leader. Management degrees are focused on the granular day-to-day business environment, while Organizational Leadership considers bigger issues when leading people. Bottom line? The best managers have extensive training in leadership.

A Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a Leadership emphasis have distinct focuses, although they share some similarities in leadership education. Here are the key differences:

Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership

1. Focus — Primarily emphasizes leadership theories, practices, and strategies within various types of organizations, including nonprofits, governmental agencies, and businesses.
2. Curriculum — Includes courses in organizational behavior, change management, team dynamics, ethics, and communication. It often explores the human and cultural aspects of leadership.
3. Skills Developed — Leadership, communication, conflict resolution, team-building, and strategic thinking.
4. Career Paths — Suited for roles in human resources, training and development, non-profit management, public administration, and leadership positions across diverse organizations.

Bachelor of Business Administration with Leadership Emphasis

1. Focus — Concentrates on business fundamentals alongside leadership skills, blending general business knowledge with limited leadership-specific education.
2. Curriculum — Covers a broad range of business subjects such as finance, marketing, operations, and management, with additional courses focused on leadership and management skills.
3. Skills Developed — Business acumen, financial literacy, marketing strategies, operations management, as well as leadership and team management.
4. Career Paths — Prepares students for leadership roles within business contexts, such as management positions in corporate settings, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership.

Bottom Line

• A Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership is more specialized in leadership skills applicable across various organizational types.
• A Bachelor of Business Administration with a Leadership Emphasis provides a broader business education with a focus on leadership within the business context.

Choosing between the two depends on your career goals and whether you prefer a broader business foundation, or a more focused leadership skill set applicable in various organizational settings. At UMass Global, you can choose between a BA in Organizational Leadership, a BBA in Management & Organizational Leadership (in a self-paced, competency-based format), and a BBA in Organizational Leadership.

The great thing about a BAOL is that it is generally not industry-specific so students can apply their different backgrounds and look at how organizational leadership tools can be applied in any situation. The curriculum can include topics like marketing, HR, economics, ethics, team building, and finance.
 

Organizational leadership degrees are available at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree levels. Many universities like UMass Global also offer emphasis or concentration options within specialized programs. Some even have a variety of certificate options and courses that can be used for professional development.

Different from a business degree with a leadership emphasis, the UMass Global Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership builds a strong foundation in leadership, management, and organizational dynamics. These qualities make the BA in Organizational Leadership a versatile degree that can fit into various industries. Some of these roles would be more accessible if the person added an MAOL, but these are possible career options.

• Human Resources: HR managers, talent acquisition specialists, organizational development consultants
• Management: Operations managers, project managers, general managers
• Nonprofit and Government: Program managers, development directors, executive directors
• Healthcare: Healthcare administrators, patient care coordinators, quality improvement managers
• Consulting: Organizational consultants, management consultants

Although there are many types of leadership styles the four most referred to are democratic, autocratic, laissez-faire and transformational. Find out which style you gravitate toward the most with this 10 question quiz.