In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik sits down with Rich Ashton to unpack the real reason small businesses stall. Leadership gaps. Rich shares what he learned across a 45-year career acquiring and turning around small businesses. Hiring “experienced” leaders from outside often fails because they miss the realities of small business and they can break trust with internal teams. Promoting great employees can fail too when people get a title without training.
Rich explains how self-imposed limitations show up in frontline employees. From emotional baggage and self-doubt to the belief that “I’m just a technician.” He also lays out what actually works. Practical support, direct feedback, consistent leadership conversations, and a culture rooted in shared values. If you want to build leaders who can run the business without you, this is the blueprint.
Rich Ashton is a longtime entrepreneur and operator who developed an internal leadership training program after repeatedly seeing outside hires fail and internal promotions struggle. He is the author of “Growing Your Own. Common Sense Advice for Developing Leaders in Small Business.”
Outside hires can flop in small businesses because they do not understand the pace, constraints, and culture.
Internal promotions fail when people are expected to lead without training and real coaching.
Self-imposed limitations often sound like “I’m not leadership material” or show up as emotional reactivity and low confidence.
Some employees never saw leadership modeled at home or at work. That shapes what they believe is possible for them.
Leadership growth works best as a step-by-step process. Not a one-time workshop.
Make development mentally safer by pairing support with clear accountability. Kind but direct beats vague and “nice.”
Connection comes first. Leaders get better results when they understand what makes people tick.
A simple operating rhythm matters. Rich used bi-weekly leadership blogs and then forced discussion in meetings. That unlocked real behavior change.
If you are a business owner you are not automatically a leader. Build your own leadership skills or get help fast.
Shared values like integrity, customer service, and employee empowerment create culture alignment and reduce leadership friction.
Website and course info: https://www.growingyourown.net/
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