Leading Change from the Middle: Adriano Pianesi on Progress, Power, and Participation

Leading Change from the Middle: Adriano Pianesi on Progress, Power, and Participation

From What’s Possible w. Ilene Schaffer by Silicon Valley Change

May 21, 2026 · 38 min · Season 1 · Episode 138

About this episode

Ilene Schaffer interviews Adriano Pianesi about the challenges and importance of leading organizational change from the middle.

What does it really take to navigate organizational change, especially when you’re leading from the middle? In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with executive coach and professor Adriano Pianesi, who has worked with more than 2,500 leaders across sectors. Adriano shares why change so often feels exhausting, political, and stuck, and why middle managers are far more essential to successful change than they are often given credit for. Together, he and Ilene talk a...

People in this episode

Host: Ilene Schaffer

Guest: Adriano Pianesi

Topics covered

  • organizational change
  • middle management
  • leadership
  • executive coaching
  • participation
  • power dynamics

Keywords

  • organizational change
  • middle managers
  • leadership
  • executive coaching
  • change management

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Silicon Valley Change

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