What if the conversation you’re avoiding is the one your business needs most?

A lot of founders start a business because they have an idea, a product, or a vision they believe in. But at some point, building the business also means learning how to lead people, give feedback, handle tension, and communicate when things feel uncertain.

Ashli Carter, senior lecturer in management at Columbia Business School, helps leaders build the skills that matter most in those moments: trust, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and difficult conversations.

In this episode, Ashli shares practical ways to prepare before a tough conversation and how to build trust with your team even when you’re still figuring things out.

If you’ve ever struggled to give feedback or felt like leadership was the part of entrepreneurship no one prepared you for, this episode is for you.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Thisissmallbusiness

In this episode of This Is Small Business, you’ll learn:

(01:24) — What leadership really asks of small business owners

(03:54) — How Self-Awareness Makes You a Better Leader

(05:57) — How to Stay Grounded When Feedback Feels Overwhelming

(08:13) — How to Make Difficult Conversations Productive

(12:13) — Why perfection can get in the way of leadership and how to overcome it