Episode Summary
Change is a constant in every organization, but how leaders respond to it can truly define the outcome.
Today, we’re joined by Lisa Rogoff, an expert in guiding leaders through times of transition and complexity.
Lisa is the founder of Launch Project, a certified executive coach, consultant, and facilitator with over 20 years of experience helping leaders navigate change, align teams, and cultivate thriving cultures. Her work spans tech companies, nonprofits, and global organizations, with a focus on self-awareness, trust, and intentionality—driven by values like candor, presence, and zest.
In this episode, Lisa and Arin explore the challenges engineering leaders face when navigating change and managing complexity. Lisa shares valuable tips from her extensive practice, including how to build emotional regulation, the power of coaching over over-thinking, and the transformative benefits of off-sites for leaders and teams.
Tune in for actionable insights that can help you lead through change with purpose and clarity!
About Guest:
Name: Lisa Rogoff
What she does: She’s an Executive Coach and Consultant.
Company: Launch Project
Where to find Lisa: LinkedIn | Website
Key Insights
⚡Coaching is a fundamental leadership skill. Leaders juggle many roles—strategist, problem-solver, and mentor—but coaching is one of the most critical for unlocking full potential.
Lisa explains why, “It’s about helping them amplify their strengths to see and navigate blind spots and to hold them accountable for what’s possible. And I think what I really have grown to love about coaching is that it’s about helping other people build the confidence, gain the tools, create their own resourcefulness to tackle both the problem in front of them, whether it’s a challenge with their team or to think more broadly about how do I apply these same principles beyond just my team today and think about my career long-term, to think about my life, my relationships, and my life long-term.”
⚡Build a mindfulness routine to cultivate resilience. Leaders face high-stress moments that require quick, clear thinking. But to navigate those moments effectively, you need to build resilience long before the pressure mounts.
Lisa shares a powerful practice she’s cultivated: “Find your own way and practice it and do it before you need to have it to rely on. So, for me, I wake up every morning. I do not look at my phone. I immediately take a seat, take a breath. I journal, I meditate, and I work out, all before I look at a screen. And for me, that’s been a practice something I have to actively think about not reaching for my phone. But it’s been really meaningful. And it’s allowed me in those moments where stress is high, where I feel dysregulated, to come back to my breath. So, I think my advice would be to build the practice before you need it.”
⚡True leadership starts from within. Effective leadership begins with mastering the inner game. Lisa explains, “I don’t think that leaders can handle the complexity outside of themselves until we are able to notice and to empathize and to manage what complexity does inside of us. So, I think maybe in closing, what I would do is just invite leaders to not just focus on the outer game of leadership. I often hear the hard skills versus the soft skills, right? The outer game of leadership being the frameworks, the skills, the tools. But to really invest in developing the inner game of leadership, the ability to regulate, to tune into your emotional landscape, to not just react to what’s in front of you, but to know and to lead with your core values. And ultimately, remember that it’s the inner game that runs the outer game.”