About this episode

Dr. Mark Costes and Ashlee Hirschfeld discuss leadership and how to handle difficult conversations effectively.

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by Ashlee Hirschfeld for another Back to Basics conversation, this time focused on leadership and difficult conversations. Mark and Ashlee discuss why leadership requires self-awareness, emotional intelligence, clear expectations, and the willingness to address issues before they damage the entire team. They also explore how to approach corrective conversations with less drama, why avoiding conflict can create bigger problems, and how strong leaders take ownership before asking others to do the same. This episode is a reminder that great culture starts at the top, and the way you communicate, respond, and hold people accountable will shape the health of your entire practice. Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast! EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.truedentalsuccess.com Dental Success Network Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Mark Costes

Guest: Ashlee Hirschfeld

Topics covered

• leadership
• difficult conversations
• self-awareness
• emotional intelligence
• team dynamics

Keywords

• leadership
• difficult conversations
• emotional intelligence
• team culture
• conflict resolution

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Dental Success Network, The Dentalpreneur Podcast, True Dental Success

More episodes of The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes

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• 2555: Fired Up but Going Nowhere- Turn Today into the Day Everything Actually Changes · July 17, 2026 · 1h 2m
• 2554: Evolve - Thriving in Dentistry's New Reality · July 16, 2026 · 1h 4m
• 2553: Inside a High Tech Dental Practice Built for Education · July 15, 2026 · 24 min
• 2552: Paying Yourself & The Influence You Have Pt. 2 · July 14, 2026 · 32 min

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