OVERVIEW
What Is a Leadership Consultant?
Every business can benefit from working with an expert to cultivate effective leadership within their organization. A leadership consultant is that expert. They collaborate closely with executives to identify potential leaders within an organization, help them refine their skills as a leader, provide coaching and personal development training, and guide the organization toward improved productivity and engagement.
Leadership consultants channel their expertise to drive meaningful change by improving leadership effectiveness and organizational success. They help shape the strategic future of businesses while fostering a culture of growth and excellence within management. If you're passionate about leadership, growth, and organizational transformation, then a career as a leadership consultant could be for you.
RESPONSIBILITIES
What Does a Leadership Consultant Do?
A leadership consultant primarily focuses on enhancing leadership capabilities within an organization to improve management effectiveness and achieve strategic goals. Day-to-day tasks will vary according to organization and industry being served, but typical responsibilities include:
- Consult clients. Conduct meetings in-person or remotely to establish expectations, create goals, provide leadership training, and more.
- Analyze organizational needs. Assess leadership performance, organizational culture, and team dynamics through data analysis and evaluation.
- Develop strategy: Identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities related to leadership within the organization, and develop an effective strategy to enhance leadership.
- Problem-Solve: Use creative and strategic thinking to identify and solve leadership challenges, at an individual and organizational level.
- Collaborate: Work with executives, teams, and other stakeholders to develop solutions and implement changes to leadership competencies and concerns.
- Create an actionable plan: Provide recommendations and training to enhance leadership capabilities and align them with organizational objectives.
- Conduct training: Facilitate an effective leadership approach through empowering workshops, seminars, conferences, coaching programs, and one-on-one training sessions.
Where Does a Leadership Consultant Work?
Leadership consultants work in a variety of industries, including finance, healthcare, business, and IT. Many leadership consultants work for private consulting firms or as independent contractors. Others work for Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and start-ups.
EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES
How Do I Become a Leadership Consultant?
Becoming a leadership consultant requires a combination of education, practical experience, certifications, and networking. These qualifications allow leadership consultants to acquire the necessary knowledge to better understand how to help their clients.
Steps to becoming a leadership consultant include:
- Earning a bachelor’s degree. This could be a business degree with a focus on management, administration, marketing, human resources, or another area relevant to the specific aspects of leadership you plan to consult on.
- Gaining experience in leadership roles. Practical experience can be earned through internships, entry-level positions, or working your way up in an organization. Building a track record of successful leadership is invaluable.
- Pursuing industry certifications. Earning certifications like WGU’s Business Leadership Certificate can set you apart from others in the field. Certifications demonstrate your expertise and commitment to staying current with leadership trends.
- Advancing your education. Pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or a master's degree in a related field can be highly beneficial. An advanced degree can lead to opportunities for higher-paying and more senior leadership consulting positions.
- Choosing your niche. Consider specializing in a specific area of leadership consulting. Specializing could include leadership development, executive coaching, team dynamics, or focus on a certain industry. This can help you target your services as you build expertise in a particular niche.
Best Degrees for a Leadership Consultant
Business
Business Management – B.S. Business Administration
Hone your business acumen and garner added respect:...
Hone your business acumen and garner added respect:
- Time: 61% of graduates finish within 19 months
- Tuition: $3,755 per 6-month term
- Courses: 40 total courses in this program
Skills for your résumé this program will teach you include:
- Business communication
- Product development
- Decision making models
- Project management strategies
- Budgeting for business
This online degree program is an excellent choice for kick-starting your organizational management career.
Business
Management and Leadership – M.S.
An online master's degree focused on change management, innovation, and...
An online master's degree focused on change management, innovation, and leading teams:
- Time: 60% of graduates can finish in 17 months.
- Tuition: $4,755 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 10 total courses in this program
Skills for your résumé that this program will teach you:
- Leadership
- Management
- Coordinating
- Communications
- Performance Management
- Planning
Develop a comprehensive suite of leadership skills and your confidence to navigate changing business structures.
Business
Master of Business Administration
The flexible MBA program you need, focused on business management,...
The flexible MBA program you need, focused on business management, strategy, and leading teams:
- Time: Graduates can finish in 12 months
- Tuition: $4,755 per 6-month term
- Courses: 11 total courses in this program
Skills for your résumé you will learn in this program include:
- Leadership strategies
- Talent management
- Communication
- Data collection and interpretation
- Financial statements
Our competency-based model gives you an innovative learning experience you won't find anywhere else—and our MBA grads tell us they loved accelerating their program to see a faster ROI.
Business
Leadership Certificate – School of Business
Enhance your résumé and take a step in your educational journey with the...
Enhance your résumé and take a step in your educational journey with the help of a leadership certificate from the School of Business.
- Time: 4 months from start to finish.
- Cost: $2,250 for the certificate.
- Courses: 3 courses total in this program.
This program is for emerging leaders, however this program does not require a bachelor’s degree, and provides transferable credit towards a WGU degree program.
Whether you aspire to work for a Fortune 500 organization, a government agency, a non-profit organization, or a fast-paced start-up, this certificate can give you the keys to success in a variety of industries, including:
- Finance and Banking
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing
- IT
- Consulting
- Nonprofit
- Government
How Much Does a Leadership Consultant Make?
$76,545
According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary for a leadership consultant is $76,545 as of September 2023. The low end of the salary range is $57,000 and the high end is $104,000.
What Is the Job Outlook for a Leadership Consultant?
10%
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of job opportunities for management consultants, including business and leadership consultants, will grow by 10% from 2022 to 2032. This is faster than average for all occupations.
SKILLS
What Skills Does a Leadership Consultant Need?
Leadership consultants benefit from having a diverse skill set that can help them adapt in a designated industry or with a variety of clients and organizations. These skills include:
- Problem-solving
- Critical thinking
- Written and verbal communication
- Presentation
- Interpersonal
- Active listening
- Industry knowledge
- Strong motivational skills
Consultants should remember to adapt their skills to the specific business model they are working with. By using the right skills in the right situations, leadership consultants can be a great asset to their clients.
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