Alisa Cohn

Alisa Cohn, an acclaimed executive coach and author, shares her insights on navigating difficult conversations at work. She discusses the psychology behind avoiding tough talks and offers specific scripts to make feedback more constructive. Alisa delves into handling defensive reactions and emphasizes the importance of three key questions to conclude meetings effectively. She also touches on leadership myths and the significance of aligning values among founding teams. With a blend of personal anecdotes, she highlights the power of embracing failure for growth.

Today we welcome Alisa Cohn to the podcast. Alisa is an executive coach who has worked with C-suite executives at prominent startups such as Venmo, Etsy, and The Wirecutter, as well as Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft, Google and Pfizer. Her clientele also includes leaders from around the world, including the first female minister of the transition state of Afghanistan and the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. She is the author of From Start-up to Grown-up, which won the 2022 Independent Press Award, and the creator and host of a podcast of the same name. In this episode, I talk to Alisa Cohn about the journey of leadership. Before we can guide others, Alisa believes we need to lead ourselves first. There are days when we don’t feel up to the task, but Alisa gives us practical advice on how to show up on those difficult days. Drawing on her coaching experience with executives, she shares with us that even the most successful entrepreneurs experience imposter syndrome and negative self-talk—but these can be overcome with the right management tools.   Website: www.alisacohn.com/Twitter: @AlisaCohn Topics02:59 What is executive coaching?06:17 What makes a great master coach?09:45 Managing your self 15:33 Combat negative self-talk18:12 Deal with imposter syndrome26:33 Leadership is an unnatural act30:59 The co-founder prenup33:23 The journey of entrepreneurship36:42 Three questions for productive meetings39:17 From Start-up to Grown-up Podcast42:25 Lead yourself45:18 The experiences of different leaders53:04 Alisa’s leadership journeySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this engaging discussion, Alisa Cohn, a prominent startup coach and author, shares her insights on navigating the entrepreneurial world. She emphasizes the concept of 'pre-mortems' as a proactive approach to foresee challenges and mitigate failures. Alisa also dives into the importance of 360 feedback in leadership, revealing its emotional complexities. Lastly, she highlights the journey of career reinvention and self-discovery, detailing how meaningful connections and honest communication can shape professional growth.

Alisa Cohn, an executive coach with experience at major firms like Venmo and Etsy, shares invaluable insights for founders transitioning from startups to thriving organizations. She emphasizes setting directions over rigid goals and the significance of effective hiring and onboarding. Cohn provides strategies for productive meetings and communication, advocating for a culture of continuous improvement. The discussion highlights building sustainable teams while mastering the nuances of leadership, setting the stage for long-term success.

Alisa Cohn, a top startup coach known for guiding founders into powerful CEOs, shares her insights on the difficult task of firing employees. She emphasizes the importance of preparation and mindset before these conversations. Cohn introduces the CPR framework to help leaders deliver feedback effectively, focusing on patterns rather than isolated incidents. The discussion also highlights the significance of psychological safety in the workplace and the need for early checkpoints to support new hires, ensuring accountability and growth.