Developing Leadership Presence - How an Executive MBA Can Transform Your Career
Why do an Executive MBA? In this article, we discuss why applicants take this step and what the data shows about the positive impact on post-MBA career growth. We also consider the most typical obstacles and suggest ways to overcome them. Read on to learn more.
With an EMBA programme at a leading European business school costing between €37,000 and €132,000, the question is whether that level of financial investment can be justified. So what inspires successful mid-career executives to dedicate the time and effort required to complete this advanced level of professional education?
Time for growth
Typically, executives undertake the challenge of an Executive MBA when they realise they have reached a point in their career where genuine progression will be harder to achieve.
Perhaps they have built their success on their expertise in a specific niche – and to reach the next level, they'll need to transform their skills and broaden their outlook - refining their leadership and analytical competencies to gain credibility as strategic decision-makers.
They are looking to equip themselves with new ways of handling complexity to navigate the ever-shifting business landscape and confidently progress to more senior levels and are aware of a need for new, broader perspectives on critical business challenges. Candidates are looking for the insights a diverse and inspiring global cohort can provide.
'The EDHEC Executive MBA programme provided me with a solid foundation in leadership skills and team management ….It helped me develop a global approach to management and taught me how to make relevant and applicable decisions. Through the programme, I discovered my leadership style and learned to appreciate how to take a step back to see the bigger picture"
Michael Jain M, Executive MBA alumnus, Deputy GM, SOFINCO, France
Structured around your life and career
Because typical EMBA participants hold positions of responsibility, lengthy absences from the workplace aren't practical. Likewise, extended time away from their family is a sacrifice they may not wish to make.
At the other extreme, programmes that drag on for months and years with minimal attendance make it challenging to maintain momentum. They rarely provide opportunities to build strong peer networks or put new skills into practice.
The 16-month EDHEC Executive MBA in English provides regular on-campus learning designed to fit in with work and personal commitments, with ample opportunities to translate theory and action learning into the real-life context of the workplace.
With a weekend schedule (Friday & Saturday, twice per month, Lille campus) and a weekday schedule (Wednesday to Saturday, once per month, in Paris), selecting the format that aligns with work and lifestyle is possible. Both offer the same highly-relevant content and the opportunity to network with and learn from a richly diverse participant group.
The Executive MBA – a sound investment in your career?
Will the investment in an EMBA be repaid in terms of increased earning power? With an Executive MBA on your CV, professional opportunities expand,and the latest data suggests that typically salaries increase dramatically.
In 2022, graduates from EDHEC's programme reported an average 68% increase in salary. In addition, 39% of EMBA participants were promoted during their programme, with many crediting their coursework for transforming their leadership and decision-making skills.
Stephanie Levy, EDHEC EMBA cohort 2023, confirms the impact of this executive progrfamme: "As soon as I added "Executive MBA Candidate" to my Linkedin profile, recruiters started reaching out to me. It is an investment in yourself and in your career. In fact, I got promoted to a more senior role halfway through my Executive MBA programme."
"As soon as I added "Executive MBA Candidate" to my Linkedin profile, recruiters started reaching out to me. It is an investment in yourself and in your career.
In fact, I got promoted to a more senior role halfway through my Executive MBA programme."
Stephanie Levy, EDHEC EMBA cohort 2023
EMBA sponsorship - a win-win
Even though an EMBA will typically repay the cost in the long run, personal circumstances may mean it's not feasible for you to be one of the 56% of students who self-finance.
The solution is to seek support. According to the Executive MBA Council, in 2022, 27.5% were partially funded, and 16.4% were fully funded. While grants are available, employers, understanding the benefits of sponsoring rising talent, provided much of this because:
- They'll have a motivated employee with cutting-edge skills committed to the organisation's success.
- It is a means of bringing fresh insights and a global perspective into decision-making.
- Finding and recruiting 'ready-made' top executives is expensive and risky. Sponsoring an Executive MBA to prepare a high-potential employee for promotion is more cost-effective than recruiting and onboarding an external candidate.
- Supporting the development and providing progression within the organisation develops loyalty, so it's less likely that top talent will seek career growth externally.
- Sponsoring MBA programmes enhances an employer's brand, helping prepare for the future by attracting and retaining talent with the skills and motivation to help the organisation navigate the changing business and technological environment.
With employer sponsorship and the right programme, your enhanced skills will benefit both parties. The key to success is to present a well-researched and comprehensive business case that will appeal to decision-makers at each step of the approval chain.
Conclusion
The EDHEC Executive MBA offers a unique opportunity to reflect, review, and redefine personal and professional goals. The skills needed to achieve them are developed via an exciting mix of action learning and cutting-edge theoretical insights.
