Art as a Way of Leading: Inspiration, Presence, and Human Meaning

BIO: Stefano Olcese is an artistic consultant, opera singer and composer with international experience across the performing arts and executive education. He holds a Master’s in Leadership and Humanistic Management from Roma Tre University and a Master of Arts in Modern Letters from the University of Genoa. His work focuses on the role of voice, artistic presence, and inspiration in leadership and communication. Combining stage experience with ongoing research — including doctoral studies in Educational Sciences — he supports professionals and organizations in developing authentic, engaging, and impactful ways of connecting with others.

DESCRIPTION: What if art could teach us not only how to express, but how to lead?

In this session, Stefano Olcese draws from his experience as an opera singer, composer, and artistic consultant to explore how the practice of art – especially the embodied presence cultivated on stage – can offer new insights into leadership.

Moving beyond strategy and technique, he reflects on inspiration as a human process, presence as a relational act, and leadership as a search for meaning.

Blending personal experience and conceptual exploration, the session invites participants to reconnect with the aesthetic and existential dimensions of leadership, where voice, emotion, and authenticity become tools for engagement, resonance, and transformation.

QUESTION FOR THE AUDIENCE: Can you recall a moment when a work of art — a performance, a piece of music, a film — helped you see something differently or moved you to act? What does that say about the power of inspiration in leadership?

Please register by sending an email to danae.huijser@phd.uvh.nl topic ‘Webinar registration’.