How do you decide when you’re ready to take the plunge? Prioritizing the varying elements of your life so that you can devote your time, money, and concentration to a master’s program, like a leadership graduate degree, is a challenging choice to make. You know it won’t be easy, and you know that other past-times – like hobbies, traveling, or even spending time with family and friends – will have to take a backseat as you focus on your studies. But will this advanced level of education pay off? Absolutely.

Though every individual has different reasons and motivations for deciding to go to grad school and pursue a Master’s in Leadership, or MSOL degree, most of them show signs of readiness. The below five signs, for example, confirm that a leadership graduate degree is a great next step towards your future:

1. You are looking for career advancement.

Do you feel stuck at your current position? As though your skills are not being utilized, or your talents are going unrecognized? If conversations about position advancement or raises have fallen on deaf ears, even when you have evidence to prove your positive performance, it might be time to move on. Earning a graduate degree in leadership is one way that you can move on by moving up!

For executive roles like the ones you probably aspire to have, hiring managers are looking for an advanced degree, coupled with an ambitious attitude in their new hires. You can show them that you’ve got both the competence, and the warmth, that The Muse says strikes the right balance – and causes the scales to tip in your favor.

2. You have strong leadership and communication skills.

“Leadership” and “communication skills” are almost synonymous. Why is that? According to Forbes, great leaders employ these five most-important components of communication: interpreting body language, video presence, careful listening, transparency and clarity, and writing skills. Both leaders communicators need to possess similar skills so that they can inspire and motivate others! Great leaders and communicators don’t just want to have their message heard – their work causes others to take action. For a valuable education in achieving success and confidence in your career, you may want to pursue a graduate degree in leadership.

3. You dream of running the operations of an organization.

Perhaps this dream is the fluffy stuff of most entrepreneurial individuals. Do you picture yourself at the helm, as the big-picture, problem-solver at an important company? The last fifty or so years in the American workforce have demonstrated a changing landscape, which The Atlantic explores. Baby boomers, many of whom have found a good job and stayed there for life, stand in sharp contrast with millennials, who are geared for change and rarely stay in a job for more than a year, much less two or five. Younger generations even switch career paths, maybe more than once or twice, along the way – something that 53 percent of older respondents think is a bad idea.

Despite their huge differences, both groups understand the importance of updating your skills along your professional path, and 77 percent overall feel that returning to school is a good choice. What do those statistics mean? That a leadership graduate degree could be the agent that makes those dreams solidify, and lets you take the warm seat at the top that’s been waiting there for you to achieve the right credentials.

4. You need a flexible master’s program.

It wouldn’t be fair to endorse flexibility as a leadership skill, and not have a flexible leadership master’s program! At Goodwin College, we understand that your graduate degree may not the only thing on your plate. Busy and ambitious people deserve a flexible schedule: consider an accelerated 7.5-week format of our Master’s in Organizational Leadership or go with the 20-month part-time version. Furthermore, you can mix up your graduate course schedule with fully online learning or attend a hybrid program that includes both classroom and online courses.

5. You see the possibilities for change and innovation.

One of the most important leadership qualities is possessing a sense of forethought. How can we improve the careers and daily lives for everyone at our organization? Is there a way to make our product or impact better? What can we do to ensure continuous out-of-the-box thinking? These are just a few examples of strong leadership thinking. Goodwin College’s MSOL graduates are poised to make the decisions that make history in their diverse fields. Are you ready to start making your own legacy with a graduate degree in leadership?

It’s up to you to decide for yourself whether your personal qualities match our list of five signs that show you should pursue a leadership graduate degree. Our team at Goodwin College is available for all of your questions: just call 800-889-3282 or visit us online here.