How to Lead Your Team When You’re Still Figuring Things Out

How to Lead Your Team When You’re Still Figuring Things Out

June 23, 2026 · 15 min · Season 7 · Episode 105

About this episode

Ashli Carter discusses essential leadership skills for small business owners navigating uncertainty.

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…

People in this episode

Host: This Is Small Business

Guest: Ashli Carter

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Columbia Business School, This Is Small Business, Amazon

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