Managing Yourself Before Managing Others (Episode One)

A Conversation with Alisa Cohn, one of the world’s leading executive coaches and author of “From Start-Up to Grown-Up.” Having coached founders and executives at companies including Venmo, Etsy, DraftKings, Microsoft, Google, and IBM, Alisa has spent her career helping leaders navigate the challenges of growth.

In Part One of our conversation, Alisa and I explore why effective leadership begins with self-awareness and managing yourself before managing others. We discuss how founders inadvertently influence company culture through their words and actions, and why many leadership obstacles stem more from the leader’s personal traits than the business itself.

Topics also include imposter syndrome, emotional regulation, the value of reflection, and the fact that praise remains one of the most underused leadership tools.

Building the Systems that Scale (Episode Two)

In the second part of my conversation with Alisa Cohn, the discussion shifts from personal leadership to organizational leadership

Alisa offers practical advice for leaders seeking to better understand their impact and to give effective feedback, build stronger cultures, and create the structure needed for growth. She explains why difficult conversations are often acts of service. We also discuss how trust is built in remote and hybrid environments and how the most successful leaders consistently make time to reflect and learn.

Whether you’re leading a startup, managing a growing team, or simply looking to become a more effective leader, this conversation is packed with actionable insights you can apply immediately.