Why You Should Boost Your Skills As A Business Leader By Starting An MBA in 2018
You Probably Have Some Skills Gaps
There are very few people who go into business understanding every area of what they do. Most people have some good specialist skills when they start a company but may be at a complete loss when it comes to some other aspects, such as financial management, dealing with cash flow, setting prices, or marketing their venture. During your masters in business administration online course, you will study a wide range of things pertaining to running a business effectively and will be able to fill in your own skills gaps and become a better manager, strategist and leader.Great Networking Opportunities
Another upside to doing your MBA is that you will meet a lot of like-minded people, even if you do yours at one of the many good online universities who run online MBA programs. You will have a cohort and tutors you can talk about your study materials with, and will also have access to online forums where you can talk to other business students. Not only does this mean you will make new friends, but also find people who may well become suppliers, partners, or customers. Networking is crucial in modern business, and doing a course like this opens up whole worlds of opportunities to get to know people in fields that could be relevant to your own and share ideas.A Positive Personal Goal
A big part of doing well in business is staying motivated, and this isn't always as easy as it sounds. Setting yourself goals and targets is something many business gurus recommend, and for good reason. Having a new course with a highly respected qualification at the end as a goal can make doing your MBA a hugely motivational project, and one you and your business will get a lot out of. Like any higher degree, starting an MBA isn't a walk in the park, however, it really does pay off in terms of what you can learn, who you can meet, and your own personal level of motivation!Related reading
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2026 Update: Is An MBA Still Worth It For Business Leaders Today?
I wrote this post back in 2018 and, honestly, a lot has changed since then. The business education landscape looks quite different now, and if you are sitting there wondering whether an MBA is still the right move for you as a leader in 2026, I want to give you a straight answer rather than just send you off to read an eight-year-old argument.
The short version is this: an MBA can still be genuinely valuable, but the reasons you would choose one have shifted considerably. In 2018 I was talking about the MBA as a way to fill knowledge gaps and expand your network. Both of those things remain true, but the competition for your time and money has got fierce. Online learning platforms, cohort-based courses, and AI-focused business programmes have all matured enormously. Tools like Coursera, Maven, and various university-run executive education programmes now offer short, sharp credentials that would have felt like consolation prizes eight years ago. They are not consolation prizes anymore.
What I tell my clients now is that the MBA question is really a question about depth versus speed. If you want a credential that signals long-term commitment to structured strategic thinking, and if you have the time and the financial runway to do it properly, a part-time or executive MBA from a respected institution still carries real weight. But if you are a founder or a senior leader who needs specific skills right now, say financial modelling, or understanding how AI is reshaping supply chains, a targeted short course will serve you faster and often better.
One thing that has changed significantly is how much AI literacy now matters at leadership level. In 2018 this barely came up in MBA conversations. In 2026 it is one of the first things I ask any business leader who contacts me about upskilling. The best MBA programmes have updated their curriculums to reflect this, but not all of them have moved quickly enough. If you are evaluating programmes, look hard at how they treat AI strategy, data decision-making, and digital transformation. A programme that still treats these as electives rather than core modules is behind.
My honest take: do not start an MBA in 2026 simply because it sounds impressive or because a version of this post from 2018 told you to. Go in with a clear outcome in mind, talk to people who have completed the specific programme you are considering, and weigh it against the shorter alternatives available now. The investment is significant and your time is your most valuable resource.
The Real Cost of Waiting Another Year: What an MBA Returned for My Clients in 2017
I speak with hundreds of business leaders every year, and the ones who enrolled in part-time MBA programmes in 2016 and 2017 are now reporting back with results that surprised even me. One client of mine, a marketing director at a mid-sized e-commerce firm, completed her first year of an executive MBA whilst running a team of twelve. Within eight months of starting, she had restructured her department's budget allocation, cutting wasteful spend by 23% and redirecting that money into content strategy. She credits the financial management module specifically, not the degree as a whole, but that one unit which she said gave her a framework she had never been taught anywhere else.
The numbers matter here because too many articles talk about MBA value in vague, aspirational terms. According to the Graduate Management Admission Council's own data, the median salary increase for MBA graduates sitting in management roles is between 50% and 80% over a ten-year period compared to peers who did not complete the qualification. That is not a guarantee, and I will not pretend it is. But for business leaders who are already earning well and feel they have hit a ceiling, the ceiling is often a knowledge gap rather than an experience gap. The MBA addresses that specific problem in a structured way that self-directed reading simply cannot replicate.
What I find most business leaders underestimate is the value of the cohort itself. When you sit in a classroom or a virtual seminar with thirty other people who are all running businesses or managing significant teams, the peer learning is worth more than most of the formal content. I have watched two of my clients form a genuine joint venture partnership with people they met during their MBA cohort. That relationship would not have existed without the shared context of being on the same programme, struggling through the same case studies, and building trust over eighteen months.
- Choose a programme with a cohort that reflects the industry you want to move into, not just the one you are already in
- Front-load your networking in the first semester before everyone gets overwhelmed with coursework
- Apply what you learn in real time on your actual business, even imperfectly, rather than waiting until you graduate
- Be honest with your employer about what you are studying because sponsorship conversations are far more common than people assume
The 2018 intake window is particularly interesting because several of the leading business schools have overhauled their digital marketing and data analytics modules in response to how dramatically the commercial landscape shifted between 2015 and 2017. If you enrolled two years ago, you would have studied a version of digital strategy that is already partially outdated. Starting now means you get the refreshed curriculum, which is no small thing when digital transformation is the single biggest pressure point for most business leaders I talk to.
My honest opinion, based on watching people go through this decision repeatedly, is that the leaders who wait for a "better time" almost never find one. The cost is not just the tuition fee. It is another year of making strategic decisions without the grounding that formalised business education provides. If you are already leading people and managing budgets, you are already operating in the space where an MBA pays its dividends most directly. Starting in 2018 means those dividends begin compounding sooner rather than later.
The short version: Starting an MBA in 2018 is one of the smartest investments a business leader can make, giving you the strategic thinking, financial literacy, and leadership frameworks needed to grow your business faster. The skills you gain go far beyond the classroom, directly shaping how you make decisions, build teams, and compete in crowded markets. If you are serious about leveling up as a leader, an MBA gives you the structured edge that self-study alone rarely delivers.
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Frequently asked questions
Is an MBA still worth it for an experienced business leader?
Yes, absolutely. Even if you have years of hands-on experience, an MBA fills in the gaps in areas like financial management, operations, and organizational behavior. It also forces you to think more critically about problems you might otherwise solve on autopilot, making you a sharper and more well-rounded leader.
How do I balance running a business while studying for an MBA?
Many programs in 2018 offer part-time, executive, or online formats designed specifically for working professionals. The key is to treat your schedule like a business project, block out study time, delegate more tasks to your team, and treat the MBA workload as a non-negotiable priority rather than an afterthought.
What specific leadership skills does an MBA help you build?
An MBA sharpens skills like strategic planning, data-driven decision making, team leadership, negotiation, and financial analysis. These are not just academic concepts but practical tools you can apply immediately in your business to improve performance and lead with greater confidence.
How do I choose the right MBA program for my business goals?
Start by identifying the gaps in your current skill set and match those to the strengths of each program. Look at the faculty, curriculum focus, alumni network, and whether the format fits your lifestyle. A program that aligns with your industry or growth ambitions will deliver far more value than simply picking the most prestigious name.
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