Master’s program offers broader leadership perspective for 2021 grad
As an U.S. Army officer transitioning into an organizational leadership role, the KU School of Business master’s in organizational leadership program just made sense to Bryan Weaver.
“While I’ll still have direct reports in my next position, I’ll also be oriented on organizational-level problems and solutions,” Weaver explained. “When I was considering master’s programs, I wanted one that offered me broader leadership perspective and would set me up for success at the next level. Nearing the end of the program, I can confidently say that the program met all my expectations.”
Weaver will graduate in May 2021, and most of his classes were conducted via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While that format meant missing out on some out-of-class connections with classmates and faculty, team article reviews and case studies helped build community.
“I found the group projects to be extremely helpful because they closed the gap between face-to-face and virtual classes,” Weaver said. “Not only were they great for networking with classmates, but they also enabled us to get to know one another on a personal level.”
In the classroom, one of his favorite classes was Ethical Decision Making in Business with associate professor Niki den Nieuwenboer.
“Prior to the class, my experience with ethics training was founded on ethical or legal standards” Weaved said. “However, in Ethical Decision Making we went much deeper into the topic and explored how leaders cause unethical behavior within their organizations and strategies for preventing it.”
Weaver said he also personally benefited from the program’s capstone course. Through a series of guided self-assessments, students develop a greater understanding of why they lead, their leadership philosophy, and their strengths and weaknesses. Then they develop a personal learning strategy that provides a roadmap for taking action in areas where they can improve.
“I’m steadily working through my action plan now and have seen positive results,” he said.
In his next role, Weaver will serve as a primary staff officer on a brigade staff, an organization of about 4,000 people.
“Although it is not a command position, the great thing about the Army is that we are always leaders,” Weaver said. “I see myself using the knowledge I gained throughout the course daily. Whether it is through a newfound perspective on a given topic or an approach to solving organizational challenges, I feel well prepared to excel in my future jobs.”
