What does a business leader do?
Business Leaders are considered trailblazers in their field. They are innovative thinkers who often introduce solutions to their industry's challenges. They inspire people pursuing careers in their field and even those outside the industry to strive harder and create their paths to success. Employees often look up to Business Leaders, which is why they must be motivating. They also oversee their business operations and often set long-term targets and strategies to achieve these targets. They think outside the box to set their business apart from their competitors.
Business leader responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real business leader resumes:
- Create and manage SharePoint portal site for SFA department.
- Lead process and results metric development for all components of Medicaid business system.
- Develop project plans, project status reports, manage the team and resolve day-to-day issues with emphasis on SDLC.
- Set up a governance document to be share throughout all of department which outline how SharePoint would be manage.
- Manage sales and technical group to complete a custom online shopping system and CRM system for digital and print products.
- Utilize GMP to manage department budgets for capital expenses, spare parts, tools, and yearly contracts with outside vendors.
- Document processes using Visio flow charts and narratives.
- Bill Medicaid on the 1st business day of the month.
- Increase team member engagement through FI teams and daily kaizen improvements.
- Maintain and send pending reports to clients on a bi monthly schedule.
- Key member of team that successfully launch, implement, and audit TPM program.
- Perform engineering analysis of program documentation, and SME support to the lead engineer at MCSC.
- Develop conceptual business model views towards new or improve business process solutions within a firm's SDLC.
- Optimize food and beverage strategy to drive growth, generate revenue, and maximize ROI within tight margins.
- Challenge fix ideas, current methods and look for ways to make improvements utilizing Kaizen plans and events.
Business leader skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Business Leaders are proficient in Analytics, Project Management, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Leadership skills, Management skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Business Leaders that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Analytics, 9%
Directed corporate-wide initiatives focused on transforming budgeting, forecasting and reporting activities, including development of operational and financial performance analytics.
- Project Management, 8%
Energized and stretched team performance to lead several successful system implementations with strict adherence to project management methodology.
- Customer Service, 7%
Directed management teams through LEAN process mapping activities to identify opportunities for increased efficiency, lower cost or improved customer service.
- Business Development, 6%
Work with Merchandising Business Development Managers to document business processes for item management, pricing and promotion.
- Lean Six Sigma, 4%
Redesigned implementation workflow using Lean Six Sigma principals
- Continuous Improvement, 4%
Collaborated with plant managers and line leaders to introduce a continuous improvement mindset through strategic production process management.
Common skills that a business leader uses to do their job include "analytics," "project management," and "customer service." You can find details on the most important business leader responsibilities below.
Leadership skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a business leader to have is leadership skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." Business leaders often use leadership skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "interacted with hr and it leadership team to procure data and user requirements for data warehouse. "
Problem-solving skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of business leaders is problem-solving skills. This skill is critical to many everyday business leader duties, as "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "participated in design of bi strategy that enabled the most efficient solutions to business requirements. "
Time-management skills. For certain business leader responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "time-management skills." The day-to-day duties of a business leader rely on this skill, as "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what business leaders do: "project management of a high-volume workload within a deadline-driven environment. "
Communication skills. Another crucial skill for a business leader to carry out their responsibilities is "communication skills." A big part of what business leaders relies on this skill, since "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." How this skill relates to business leader duties can be seen in an example from a business leader resume snippet: "performed planning, cost control, communication, and roi analysis for a $2.5m program development project. "
The three companies that hire the most business leaders are:
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Compare different business leaders
Business leader vs. Executive consultant
An executive consultant gives support and guidance to the company's management team. Their duties may vary depending on each client's needs. Other companies hire consultants to solve a particular problem or assist with operations, employees, or strategic planning. They advise partner companies in business development opportunities to pursue financial goals and financial growth. They can also provide consulting services for non-profit organizations to act as an executive member.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, business leader responsibilities require skills like "digital transformation," "analytics," "customer service," and "lean six sigma." Meanwhile a typical executive consultant has skills in areas such as "healthcare," "financial services," "c-suite," and "client relationships." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Executive consultants tend to make the most money working in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $139,883. In contrast, business leaders make the biggest average salary, $128,816, in the pharmaceutical industry.On average, executive consultants reach similar levels of education than business leaders. Executive consultants are 0.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.9% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Business leader vs. Senior manager
A senior manager is responsible for directing the overall efficiency of business operations. Senior managers monitor the performance of the staff, improve operational strategies, identify business opportunities, allocate budgets and resources, present reports to senior management, set goals to drive results on increasing the company's revenues and profitability. Senior managers must coordinate with various operations departments to maintain good feedback for the company, meeting client's expectations, and delivering the best results. They should have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle team members, as well as managing their needs and concerns.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that business leader responsibilities requires skills like "business plan," "business operations," "data analysis," and "dashboards." But a senior manager might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "portfolio," "professional development," "healthcare," and "oversight."
Senior managers may earn a higher salary than business leaders, but senior managers earn the most pay in the professional industry with an average salary of $136,663. On the other hand, business leaders receive higher pay in the pharmaceutical industry, where they earn an average salary of $128,816.In general, senior managers achieve similar levels of education than business leaders. They're 0.9% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.9% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Business leader vs. Process improvement manager
Process Improvement Managers oversee the operational processes of the company. These processes are usually related to production, sales, marketing, human resources, or finance. Process Improvement Managers are in charge of creating policies and procedures to guide the company's different departments. They analyze related data and craft recommendations to improve the procedures. They ensure that their recommendations lead to higher efficiency. Process Improvement Managers also ensure that these new processes are implemented properly and yield results.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a business leader is likely to be skilled in "digital transformation," "analytics," "customer service," and "business process," while a typical process improvement manager is skilled in "value stream," "dmaic," "management process," and "kpis."
Process improvement managers earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $99,802. Business leaders earn the highest pay from the pharmaceutical industry, with an average salary of $128,816.Most process improvement managers achieve a similar degree level compared to business leaders. For example, they're 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Business leader vs. Director of business operations
The position of a director of business operations involves the direction and coordination of an organization. It is the main responsibility of the directors of operations to oversee the profitability and overall growth of their organization. Their job includes staff management, department supervision, goods production, and expense control. They handle the company's resources, create and implement an operational plan, and make sure that the procedures are executed properly. The skills necessary for this position include leadership skills, management skills, customer service, and communication skills.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between business leaders and directors of business operations, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a business leader might have more use for skills like "digital transformation," "analytics," "lean six sigma," and "business process." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of directors of business operations require skills like "patients," "kpis," "oversight," and "financial management. "
In general, directors of business operations earn the most working in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $127,932. The highest-paying industry for a business leader is the pharmaceutical industry.directors of business operations reach similar levels of education compared to business leaders, in general. The difference is that they're 0.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of business leader
Updated January 8, 2025
