Innovative workshop puts executives through a real-time pressure test
ALEXANDRIA, VA, UNITED STATES, September 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Leadership coach Adriano Pianesi will host the inaugural live virtual session of Changemakers Fight Club on Friday, September 25, 2026, from 1:00–4:00 PM EST. The new program is designed for leaders who present business to a board, executive committee, or other decision-making body and want to learn and practice persuasion skills under pressure before the stakes are real.
Unlike a traditional leadership seminar, Changemakers Fight Club is structured as a live scrimmage. After some pointed instruction/tips from Pianesi, each participant brings a pitch to the session – an example of the kind of initiative they aim to move forward inside their organization. The group then challenges the pitch using the same tactics decision-makers commonly deploy to stall or derail new ideas – fear mongering, delay, manufactured confusion, and ridicule. Participants must recognize the attack in real time, respond succinctly, and redirect their answer to the room rather than the person pushing back.
“You do the work. I make sure it’s effective,” said Pianesi. “This isn’t about winning an argument. It’s about learning to keep the room – and your initiative – on track.”
Each round follows a structured format:
• 1 minute – Participant pitches their initiative
• 8 minutes -The group attacks using a common resistance tactic
• 4 minutes – Structured peer debrief
• 2 minutes – Direct coaching from Pianesi
The cycle repeats until every participant has taken a turn in the ring.
Who’s it for?
The program is built for leaders looking for sharper tools to earn the authority and political cover to move great work forward – not for those seeking general leadership theory or a passive course. This is a deliberately small learning environment with capped enrollment.
What do participants take away?
Every attendee leaves the live virtual session with:
• A named, public “next move” they can deploy in their next real meeting
• A complimentary 30-minute post-event strategy debrief coaching with Pianesi (a $300 value)
• The Buy-In Field Guide, capturing the response techniques practiced live ($49 value)
• The 100-Day Strategic Roadmap, a visual guide to next steps ($49 value)
Event Details
• What: Changemakers Fight Club – Live Virtual Session
• When/where: Friday, September 25, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM EST (3 hours)
• Cost: $499.00 – Group Rates available
• Enrollment: https://changemakersfightclub.com/
• Questions: adriano@pianesi.com
About Adriano Pianesi
Adriano Pianesi is a Johns Hopkins Carey Business School professor, an IFC-certified change coach, and the creator of Changemakers Fight Club. For over two decades, he has coached managers and executives at Microsoft, AMAZON, Johns Hopkins, NASA, the World Bank, and the IMF through the high-pressure conversations required to move change forward inside large organizations.
Media Contact: Adriano Pianesi adriano@pianesi.com; 202-262-3371
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