Small business leadership development is not about promoting the most motivated person. It is about building decision-making, accountability, and values-based leadership inside a real entrepreneurial culture. In this BizBlend Podcast episode, host Sana sits down with Rich Ashton to break down how to develop leaders from within without creating peer drama, entitlement, or chaos. Rich shares his practical approach to leadership training in small businesses. Identify what is holding someone back, build real human connection, give structured leadership reps, and manage promotions with transparency so you control the narrative instead of letting resentment run the room. If you are a founder, entrepreneur, or small and medium business owner trying to improve employee empowerment, customer service culture, and internal leadership pipelines, this conversation is a straight shot of reality and strategy.

Rich Ashton is a long-time entrepreneur who has spent 45 years acquiring and turning around businesses. He built a leadership training program to help motivated employees become skilled leaders and eventually run the company. He is the author of Growing Your Own and teaches a leadership course focused on values, transparency, and internal promotion done right.

Motivation is energy. Leadership is responsibility, judgment, and showing up when it is awkward and difficult.

Build a leadership pipeline to reduce founder dependency and make succession realistic in small business growth.

Start by identifying what is holding each person back. Emotional barriers, confidence ceilings, and lack of exposure need different coaching.

Small businesses can win by giving one-on-one attention, real projects, and celebrating progress fast. Big companies cannot move that quickly.

Connection is a leadership accelerator. Talk about shared human context, then coaching conversations land without ego defense.

Promote from within thoughtfully. The culture hit from external hires can signal “you were not good enough” to loyal top performers.

Prevent peer resentment by controlling the narrative. Explain why a decision was made and what the runner-up can improve next.

Train values before titles. If values are not deeply understood, growth can break the brand and force bad expansion decisions.

Not everyone should lead. Offer mastery paths and make it clear that impact and pay should not require a manager title.

Do not carry low performance forever. It blocks the next superstar hire and stagnates operational excellence.

Website and course info: https://www.growingyourown.net/ 

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