Beyond the Title: 12 Questions with Lisa Marshall

Lisa Marshall

CEO, REALTORS® Association of South Central Wisconsin & South Central Wisconsin MLS

Lisa Marshall is CEO of the REALTORS® Association of South Central Wisconsin and South Central Wisconsin MLS, where she leads strategy, operations, advocacy, technology, and organizational transformation. A REALTOR® and REALTOR® Certified Executive, Lisa brings a multidisciplinary background spanning real estate, human resources, operations, marketing, and organizational leadership. She is passionate about strengthening Wisconsin communities through greater housing opportunity, thoughtful collaboration, and solutions that support sustainable homeownership. Known for challenging conventional thinking and moving organizations from conversation to action, Lisa believes strong communities are built when people across income levels have meaningful opportunities to live, work, invest, and build lasting roots.

01Built to Last starts with a strong foundation. What is the foundation your leadership is built on, and how do you return to it when things get shaky?

My leadership is built on resilience, integrity, and the belief that you have to be willing to do what is right even when it is difficult. I have learned that leadership gets shaky when you become too focused on being liked, being understood, or controlling the outcome. When that happens, I return to the purpose. I ask myself: Why are we doing this, who are we serving, and what decision will I still be able to stand behind when the moment has passed? That usually brings me back to center.

02Where do you come from, and how do your roots keep you steady when leadership gets hard?

I come from Chicago, where my parents taught me early that hard work beats talent when talent is not willing to work hard. In our family, you showed up, did what needed to be done, and did not expect success to simply find you. That foundation has stayed with me throughout my career.

When leadership gets hard, I go back to those lessons. I remind myself that I have never needed the easiest path to keep moving forward. I know how to work, I know how to figure things out, and I know how to start again when necessary. Chicago gave me grit, but my parents gave me the work ethic behind it. No matter what title I hold, that is still the foundation I stand on.

03What's a piece of advice that has stood the test of time for you, the kind you still come back to years later?

Do not make permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances. I have had seasons when something felt like the end, professionally or personally, only to discover later that it was simply a transition. That perspective has taught me not to panic when things change. Sometimes what feels like something falling apart is actually making room for what is supposed to come next.

04What's a book, quote, lyric, or scripture that has stayed with you and shaped how you lead or live?

One idea I return to often is, “To whom much is given, much is required.” I think about that in leadership because opportunity comes with responsibility. Having a title, influence, resources, or a seat at the table should never just be about what you can accomplish for yourself. I believe you have an obligation to use what you have been given to create opportunities, advocate for others, and leave something better than you found it.

05What's something you've had to rebuild after it broke or fell apart, and what did that teach you about building things that last?

I have had to rebuild my career more than once. There were periods when caregiving and life responsibilities changed my professional trajectory, and I had to find my way back without knowing exactly what the next chapter would look like. Rebuilding taught me that what lasts cannot be built entirely around a title, a company, or someone else's validation. You have to build yourself first. Your skills, character, relationships, reputation, and ability to begin again are the foundation no one can take from you.

06What's one question every leader should ask if they want to build something that outlasts them, and why?

“Would this still work if I were not here?”

If the answer is no, you have built dependency, not sustainability. Leadership should not be about making yourself indispensable. It should be about creating strong people, systems, culture, and clarity so the organization can continue to succeed without you. One of the greatest compliments a leader can receive is watching something they helped build continue to grow after they are gone.

07Who are you actively preparing to carry this work forward, and what are you doing to set them up to succeed without you?

I think about this less as identifying one successor and more as developing a bench of leaders. I want the people around me to understand more than their individual jobs. I want them to understand the business, the why behind our decisions, how to solve problems, and how to lead without waiting for permission. I try to give people meaningful responsibility and room to make decisions because leadership cannot be developed if the leader never lets go of anything.

08When leadership feels heavy, what do you turn to (music, travel, culture, faith) that restores you and keeps you feeling like yourself?

Travel restores me. There is something about leaving my normal environment, seeing a different part of the world, experiencing another culture, and remembering how much exists outside of whatever problem feels enormous at the moment. I also value quiet. My professional life requires me to constantly make decisions, solve problems, communicate, and be available to others. Sometimes restoration is simply having nowhere I have to be and nobody needing an answer from me.

09When you think about the legacy you want to leave, what do you hope still stands long after you've moved on?

I hope the organizations are stronger, but I hope the people are stronger too. I want people I have led to believe more is possible for themselves because someone saw something in them, challenged them, and gave them an opportunity to grow. Programs change, technology changes, and organizations evolve. The part of leadership that can truly last is what you build in people. If someone becomes a better leader because our paths crossed, that matters to me.

10What's a small daily habit or discipline that has compounded into something meaningful over time?

I write things down. Ideas, questions, things I want to accomplish, problems I am trying to solve, and sometimes just thoughts I do not want to lose. Writing forces me to turn something abstract into something I can examine and eventually act on. Many of the things I have accomplished started as a thought that I captured before I knew exactly what I was going to do with it.

11What's a moment in your life where the music playing in the background ended up meaning more than you expected, a song that showed up right when you needed it, or made an ordinary moment stick with you?

For me, that song is “Home” by Daughtry. It has followed me through different chapters of my life and has come to represent more than a physical place. It reminds me that no matter how far my career takes me, how much changes, or how many times I have to reinvent myself, there is something powerful about knowing where you come from and who you are.

As my career has grown, the song has taken on even more meaning. I have spent so much of my life pushing forward, caring for others, working, rebuilding, and pursuing what is next. “Home” reminds me that success is not just about how far you go. It is also about staying connected to the people, values, and places that made you who you are.

12What's a tradition in your life or family that you hope lasts for generations?

I hope the tradition of showing up for one another continues. In my family, caregiving taught me that love is not only what you say. It is what you are willing to do when someone needs you, especially when doing it is inconvenient, exhausting, or requires sacrifice. I hope future generations of my family continue to understand that success is important, but being successful means very little if we stop taking care of the people we love.