Esteemed MBA | Leadership & Management School

Who It's For

Built for Leaders at Every Stage

Whether you were just promoted or have been leading for years without a framework, the Esteemed MBA meets you where you are.

📈

Business Owners

You built the company. Now learn to lead the people inside it — with clarity, trust, and a system that scales.

🎯

New Managers

You were promoted because you were great at your job. This program teaches you the job you now actually have.

🏢

HR Leaders

Equip your managers with a repeatable framework for feedback, hiring, delegation, and accountability.

🚀

Founders Scaling

You're growing fast. Build the leadership infrastructure your team needs before culture becomes your biggest problem.

Our Philosophy

Grounded in Real Experience, Not Theory

Humble, Hungry, Engaged

We rigorously vet our members. No egos. Just a hunger to grow, build better organizations, and leave a lasting impact on the San Diego business community.

Values-Led Leadership

Business has a responsibility to its people and its community. We build leaders who don't just extract value — they create it for everyone around them.

Sell with Purpose

Through our School of Selling, we teach genuine communication that earns trust. No pressure tactics. Just authentic, purpose-driven intent that gets results.

The Curriculum

Your Leadership Journey

Eight in-person sessions built around the real challenges of managing people — not abstract theory. Each class builds on the last.

Class 01

The Final Exam

The Purpose of Management & Principles of Followership

We open with the end in mind — reviewing what mastery looks like and why it matters. You'll connect the principles of management and followership to the real leadership challenges you face every day.

Class 02

The Most Important Meeting

One-on-One Meetings

The one-on-one is the manager's most powerful tool. We explore its structure, agenda, and how this simple practice builds empathy, trust, and retention while driving performance.

Class 03

Tiny Taps on the Wheel

Giving Specific Feedback on Performance & Behaviors

Most managers avoid feedback because it feels personal. This session makes feedback specific, objective, and as natural and regular as breathing.

Class 04

What Gets Measured Gets Done

Goal Setting

Goals aren't only about new projects — most often they drive productivity. We teach specific, measurable goal-setting and why consistent follow-up is the single most critical element of accountability.

Class 05

The Delegation Challenge

Delegating Effectively

Delegation is the most effective driver of organizational growth — and one of the most challenging skills to master. Students audit their calendars and learn to hand off with confidence.

Class 06

A+ Work, Don't Be a Jerk

Managing Behaviors

We don't manage results — we manage behaviors. This class explores the interpersonal skills that define how you're measured as a leader, and why being present with your people is everything.

Class 07

The Most Important Job

Effective Hiring

The first six classes help you lead the people you have. This class is about finding A+ talent. We teach behavioral interviewing, proactive bench-building, and a structured hiring process.

Class 08

Graduation Day

Culture in a Circle

Our final class ties together all eight sessions and captures the essence of an effective culture — the collective behaviors and results of people working in harmony toward a shared purpose.

Also from Gary Peterson

The Esteemed School of Selling

A 4-hour corporate workshop for professionals who want to sell with clarity, integrity, and purpose. No scripts. No pressure. Just confidence.

Enroll Now Learn More About the Workshop

What Our Graduates Say

Real Leaders. Real Results.

"The Esteemed MBA is more than a course — it's a journey that reshapes how you lead, connect, and inspire. What sets this course apart is its dual focus on management and followership — a powerful reminder that true leadership is not just about directing teams, but about inspiring others to follow your vision."

Betsy Brennan

Downtown San Diego Partnership

"I actually learned that I wasn't really much of a manager before. Since implementing the key tactics and principles of this course, my team is more aligned and effective than ever. I needed this course more than I knew."

Nathan Craig

Culture Insurance

"The course has drastically increased my confidence to handle challenges that present themselves when you are in a leadership position. 'What gets measured gets done' — by learning how to create specific KPIs, leaders can drive results while increasing clarity for their organization."

Jake Harmon

Callaway Golf

The Founder

Gary Peterson

Gary Peterson founded Esteemed MBA following the successful build and 2023 acquisition of gap intelligence — an eight-figure competitive intelligence firm he grew from a bootstrapped startup into a trusted partner to Fortune 500 companies.

Over more than three decades, Gary worked alongside executive leadership teams across the technology and consumer electronics industries, helping organizations navigate competition, execution, and long-term growth.

Having carried the responsibility of founder and CEO himself, Gary understands that many managers are promoted for performance but rarely taught how to manage people and lead teams. Esteemed MBA was created to close that gap.

"Grounded in real operating experience rather than theory, the Esteemed MBA focuses on the behaviors and decisions that define effective leadership long after the classroom ends."
— Gary Peterson, Dean, Esteemed MBA

Enroll Now Apply for Next Cohort