Leadership practice, out loud, against someone who pushes back
Announcing a decision people will not like, holding a line under challenge, and answering the question you were actually asked. Practise the moments where a leader's credibility is spent or earned.
Built for L&D and executive coaching teams. Every call is spoken in real time — not a chat transcript — and ends with a scored debrief you can replay.
What you are scored on
These are the four axes the debrief grades, written out in full rather than summarised. Knowing them before the call is not cheating — it is the difference between practice and a test.
The message
Was the decision and its reasoning stated plainly and early, or buried under context and hedging?
Handling challenge
Did they answer the actual objection, acknowledge legitimate cost, and hold the line where it should be held — without either caving or dismissing?
Candour
Did they say what they did not know, and what was genuinely bad about this, rather than sell it? Nothing costs a leader more credibility than good news that turns out to be spin.
Result
Did the room leave understanding the decision, knowing what happens next, and believing they were told the truth?
How the call can end
The counterpart is not scripted to agree. Each of these is a real outcome the scenario can reach, ordered best to worst.
Aligned
winUnderstood, believed, and clear on what happens next — agreement not required.
Compliant, unconvinced
partialThey will do it and they do not buy it.
Confused
partialThe message did not survive the delivery.
Credibility lost
lossSpin was detected, or a question was dodged in a way the room noticed.
The scenarios
The decision nobody wants
Veteran · 15 minYou are killing a project two people have spent a year on. One of them is in this meeting and she is better at arguing than you are.
You are: A director of engineering. Your goal: Tell her clearly, engage honestly with what she says, hold the decision, and leave her with something real about what happens next.
Teaches: Holding a decision under intelligent challenge without dismissing or caving.
The promotion that went to someone else
Veteran · 15 minYou gave the team lead role to Hannah. Marcus expected it, his team knows it, and he asked for this meeting before you announce it tomorrow.
You are: An engineering manager with eight direct reports. Your goal: Tell him clearly, hear him out without reopening the decision, and leave with a credible plan for what happens to him — not a promise you cannot keep.
Teaches: Delivering bad news to someone who had a reasonable expectation, without caving or condescending.
Other things to practise
Sales discovery
Qualify without interrogating.
Objection handling
Price, timing, competitor, status quo.
Product demos
Demo to the problem, not the feature list.
Customer success
Renewals, QBRs and expansion.
Support de-escalation
Take the heat out before solving it.
Manager feedback
The conversation managers avoid for months.
Negotiation
Salary, contract and scope.
Take a leadership call
Set direction and hold the room. A real voice on the other end, a counterpart who does not simply agree, and a scored debrief against the four axes above. The first call is free.