It’s no surprise ‘change leadership’ is so sought after

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The history of the UK has any number of periods of upheaval and disruption, whether you’re talking about the Industrial Revolution, huge cultural shifts like the Swingin’ Sixties or radical changes due to progress in digital technology or transport, they’ve all affected the way in which we live. These changes are a problem for businesses, who delicately balance two extremes; traditionally preferring calm and settled conditions, but also embracing these shifts to gain a competitive advantage.

When ‘business as usual’ will mean no more business

We’ve seen how failure to handle big changes costs companies dearly. Big names such as Maplin and Toys ‘Я’ Us failed to recognise and respond to what customers wanted and literally dwindled away. In the last few years, many businesses have realised it’s better to predict these changes before they arrive, but it’s an extremely difficult task. A further challenge is to effect cultural or operational change at every level, as it can take a long time to not only update systems, operations and software, but also handle the most unpredictable resource a business has – the human element.

Generally speaking, people don’t like change and some resist it entirely. Two phrases specifically are feared by many managers, “But that’s how we’ve always done things” and “What was wrong with the old way?” Companies now recognise that it’s vital to be agile, responsive and seize opportunities to best serve their customers, which is why change leadership has become so prized.

The challenge businesses have to find the right people

The truth is, however, that there’s a shortage of suitable candidates with the right skillset to be effective change leaders and even fewer who can demonstrate their capabilities with the proper qualifications and credentials. This is why we’ve harnessed the world-class expertise and academics available at the University of York to create a range of 100% online Masters degrees in Leadership and Management, giving you the ability to demonstrate your capabilities to solve problems through innovative thought and objectively evaluate ideas.

Skills that you’ll perfect during study include effective communication and critical approaches to problem solving, which are extremely desirable to companies who need high-quality change leadership. The ability to solve a problem, such as adapting to sudden changes in customer behaviour, provides a unique competitive advantage to businesses. Keeping the workforce informed and connected to the wider company strategy and aims is one of the most effective ways to reduce resistance to changes in procedure or culture – and it also reduces the chances of misunderstanding or missing the bigger picture of why the change is necessary.

You’ll receive a top-class MSc from a prestigious Russell Group university, but with the ability to study whenever and wherever you like. As you can learn in your spare time, you don’t have to give up your current role or take a costly career break and we’ve removed large, up-front course fees with a pay-per-module structure. We even provide six start dates throughout the year, meaning you don’t have to wait for a new school year to begin.

While we can be sure that change will continue to be a constant throughout the business world, with the right skillset and qualifications you can not only weather the change, but use it to help your business thrive.

To find out more and apply, simply click here

Innovation could be your own selling point

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It’s apparent that businesses have undergone huge shifts in recent years. Technologies that would have been unthinkable fifty years ago are now used without a second thought, everything from Wi-Fi to contactless payments.

This has all been down to a culture of innovation; fostering creative thinking first changed how businesses function, then changed how products were sold and soon after that changed the world. Companies readily recognise that a failure to innovate can even bring down household names such as Blockbuster and Woolworths.

Creative thinking, effective results

Innovation has become something that businesses require at every level; it’s no longer the sole domain of R&D, but instead sits as a need throughout the entire company. When it comes down to it, creativity is required for products, processes, people and procedures, as improvement at any stage yields benefits to business.

Innovation and leadership as a skill set – the ability to take bold steps and build a solid future – has never been more sought after, as the world is in a constant state of rapid change. Businesses need people to hit the ground running with the skills to recognise, nurture and manage innovation from concept all the way through to implementation, keeping teams and even different departments up to date with the processes and goals.

Innovation and leadership

Creating a culture that can rapidly create new concepts and products, as opposed to incrementally improving existing processes, is incredibly attractive to businesses but difficult to implement. Proving this worth to employers can be the key to turbo-charging your career – or even giving you a whole new one!

Our new 100% online MSc in Leadership and Management Innovation was created to do just that. We have taken the world-class knowledge and facilities available at the University of York and applied them to a Masters degree, allowing you to study at a prestigious Russell Group university at your leisure – anytime, anywhere.

Innovative thinking, flexible learning

Our MSc in Innovation, Leadership and Management gives you the key skills that businesses need. Critical approaches to problem solving, effective communication, insight into professional development and even innovation management give you the tools to succeed in challenging environments. Proving your abilities with a top-class Masters from a Russell Group university could really set you ahead of the crowd.

As our Masters degree in Innovation Leadership is delivered entirely online, you can connect and learn whenever and wherever you like, meaning you can study around your current job without having to take an extended and costly career break. We also offer six start dates spread throughout the year, working pay-per-module, so you can start when you like and get a prestigious Russell Group degree without large, up-front costs! Keeping your salary and making bite-sized payments makes undertaking a Masters degree much more attractive.

The modern way

Conditions are still difficult for business, whether those global causes have been financial, political or even environmental and companies know it’s not good enough to say “But that’s how we’ve always done things”. Innovation is at the top of the list and a top-class Masters that doesn’t strain your time or your finances could soon make you the top of the list for your dream job.

To begin your application, find out more and apply, simply click here

The importance of understanding human behaviour for leadership

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Whereas once upon a time, the sum total of leadership was the power to instruct others without question, the world has thankfully moved on from such feudal structures. The ability to guide a workforce, keeping employees engaged, motivated and committed is prized by businesses as one of the highest skillsets managers can hold.

It wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution in the 19th Century that understanding great numbers of workers was required. Previous cottage industries were made up of families or tiny groups, but a mass workforce quickly became viewed in the same light as any other large, moving machine made up of intricate, individual parts.

Understanding the mechanics of groups

Modern businesses fully understand that employees are a valuable resource that can suffer dramatic dips in performance if not treated correctly. Creating engagement, commitment and drive for peak performance requires in depth knowledge of both the practical aspects of human behaviour as well as behaviour management theory.

The ability of any company to thrive relies on not only keeping customers happy, but also maintaining employee satisfaction levels. Communication between managers and individuals, teams and even entire departments is critical to success, and being able to inspire and coach employees as well as taking a critical approach to problems within the framework of HR can have a profound effect on unity and engagement.

The competitive edge of employee insight

The ability to guide employees creates a distinct business advantage, but with the global workforce expanding at an incredible rate, companies need management with knowledge of practical and theoretical aspects of HR and international business to hit the ground running. Having an immediate effect on company culture not only boosts departmental performance, but the success of entire businesses.

Modern companies can also be spread across great distances and even time zones; the ability to manage and co-ordinate large, diverse groups spread across different locations can put your company one step ahead of the competition. As new candidates enter the work force, the need for effective leadership grows; particularly as digital work paths and decentralised businesses become more common. The UK Commission for Employment and Skills predicts that 1.9 million more managers will be required by 2024.

The new MSc International Business, Leadership and Management Online from the University of York is the perfect path to getting the credentials to deal with this modern way of business thinking. All course content is delivered 100% online, letting you choose when and where you study, meaning you can continue in your current job role and apply the principles as you learn. We also offer six start dates per year and courses are pay-per-module, removing the burden of large, up-front payments. The ability to study for a prestigious Russell Group University Masters from anywhere in the world could be the very thing to turbo-charge your career!

The human resource is one of the most diverse, unpredictable and complex that any business has, but it’s also the one that has the greatest effect on not only the success of a company, but its very survival. A proven knowledge of leadership techniques, understanding of the challenges of HR and the ability to communicate effectively with insight into how employees will respond is what sets good businesses apart from universally successful ones.

Find out more – and begin your application

Successful financial management needs strong leadership

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While at one point, the company CEO would have been expected to work most closely with the Managing Director, in recent years the Chief Financial Officer has become regarded as the CEO’s ‘right hand’. Tough business conditions, rapid change in how business is done and difficult sales environments mean that Finance isn’t just numbers; Finance officers carry company-wide influence on everything, whether it’s sales, expenses, operations or organisational behaviour.

The ability of strong financial leadership in assessing risk, predicting financial outcomes and taking a critical approach to solving problems, all whilst protecting firms from overexpansion or overspend has greatly increased the influence of financial professionals.

A head for numbers is a head for success

It’s possible that finance is still regarded in some sectors as ‘bean counting’ but the days of ready credit and easy cash flow are long gone for most businesses. Companies must predict and respond to threats and changes more readily than ever before and good financial leadership that can assess, address and mitigate risk is a must for keeping a healthy bottom line.

Good financial thinking is at the top of business concerns; everything from regulatory introduction, legal compliance and even financial downturns can present a complex problem that needs to be gotten ahead of and handled. Businesses are no longer insular; global markets and international politics can throw up complicated situations that businesses must effectively manage to ensure smooth running.

People affect finance, too

Employees are the most valuable yet unpredictable resource that many businesses have and often represent their greatest finance concern. Involving finance in the strategic thinking behind updating and changing organisations and their structure, or even updating operations to run more efficiently can see finance professionals working closely with HR and IT. This means effective communication is incredibly important; sharing the vision and aims increases the effectiveness of any changes and preventing information silos greatly raises the chances of success.

Companies are now looking for professionals with this knowledge of the modern business world to hit the ground running and take control. Our MSc Finance, Leadership and Management equips you with all the skills that businesses want from their Finance Officers, delivered 100% online to allow you to study when and where it suits you. With six course start dates per year and the ability to pay-per-module, you can keep your current role and apply what you learn without having to take a career break to study, or make large up-front payments. A Masters degree from a prestigious Russell Group university, based on the world-class academics at the University of York is highly desirable by employers!

Modern Finance managers know and work closely with every department, whether it’s IT, HR or Sales. While finance has a reputation for being very complex, the skills you learn to work in unison can mean other departments not only appreciate how important the Finance Department is, but by working together how much more successful the company as a whole can be.

Find out more and begin your application