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What Wharton MBA Students Are Teaching Me About the Future of Leadership
Tuesday afternoon. Huntsman Hall, University of Pennsylvania. A group of Wharton MBA students cycles through their initial coaching sessions with me, each carrying a different story but the same undercurrent: the corporate world they’re preparing to enter feels unstable, accelerated, and unforgiving. They’re academically sharp, analytically advanced, and aware that the environment they’re stepping into is being reshaped faster than their coursework can adapt. This is especial
Mike Viola
Dec 9, 20253 min read


Start the Year Strong: An Executive's Guide to Building Momentum in Q1
Thursday. 8:10 a.m. The office is quiet, but your calendar isn’t. Q1 targets are already live. Slack channels are waking up. The first board meeting of the year is looming. Your team is back, refreshed but still shifting out of vacation mode. The year hasn’t even settled yet, and the pressure to “start strong” is already compounding. This is the moment where possibility and pressure collide. If you start with ambiguity, you will spend the rest of the year repairing what Janu
Mike Viola
Nov 26, 20254 min read


When Everything Is Loud: How Senior Leaders Think Clearly Under Pressure
Modern executive roles aren’t just high-stakes; they are high-density. On the days when the pressure spikes, what your team needs most from you is the one thing that feels hardest to access: clear thinking.
Mike Viola
Nov 5, 20254 min read


You Got the Nod: Your First 30 Days in a New Executive Role
You’ve just stepped into a new executive seat, and you are carrying a blend of readiness and low-grade anxiety. The role matches your capability, but the context is foreign. People are warm, but measured. Every hallway glance carries the same quiet question: Who are you, and what are you going to change? Your first 30 days is the calibration phase. Whether you realize it or not, everyone is reading your intentions, your leadership style, and your decision patterns.
Mike Viola
Oct 8, 20254 min read
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