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Business owners and managers are right a lot. That is usually a strength… until the moment they are wrong and refuse to hear the other side.

In this episode of The Business Fix, Chrissy and Josh dig into one of the most underrated leadership skills in business: intentional listening. Not the “I’m waiting for my turn to talk” kind of listening. Not the “let me reload my rebuttal while you’re still speaking” kind either. Real listening is the kind that helps leaders uncover hidden risks, build trust, improve culture, and make better decisions.

They break down the difference between reactive listening and intentional listening, and explain why leaders who refuse to hear opposing views often create teams that stop sharing bad news. And when teams stop sharing, problems get buried, risks show up late, and shadow workflows are born.

Chrissy and Josh also walk through the three L’s of stronger leadership: Listen, Learn, Lead. You’ll hear practical ways to slow down conversations, ask better questions, remove personal bias, pressure test your own ideas, and create a culture where employees feel safe enough to tell the truth even when the truth is inconvenient.

This episode is especially valuable for small business owners, managers, founders, and leadership teams who want to improve communication, strengthen company culture, reduce workplace conflict, and make better operational decisions.

You’ll learn how to:

• Listen without immediately defending yourself
• Use silence as a leadership tool
• Ask clarifying questions that reveal the real issue
• Separate facts from assumptions
• Avoid changing processes based on one emotional moment
• Build trust even when you overrule someone’s idea
• Use “devil’s advocate” the right way
• Balance collaboration with decisive leadership

Because the fastest way to improve your business is to get the truth faster and the truth usually shows up when leaders stop trying to be right long enough to listen.

The habits that built your business can become the bottlenecks holding it back. We help leaders eliminate culture drift, reduce conflict, strengthen accountability, and build a company that thrives without them in every room. Because kindness without clarity is expensive avoidance. Learn more at https://businessfixpodcast.com.

Tired of keynotes that inspire your team for an hour but change nothing on Monday morning? The Business Fix Live delivers practical tools for stronger leadership, better accountability, healthier culture, and real business growth. Book Josh and Chrissy for your next keynote, summit, or manager workshop at https://businessfixpodcast.com.

Still hearing, “Nobody wants to work anymore”? It’s time for a better strategy. Join Chrissy and Josh at the BIG Summit in Cleveland on October 15 at 10:15 a.m. for practical tools to build a culture that works and lead with clarity. Get tickets at https://cose.org and use code Troche26 for your attendee discount.

If you're looking to get help with your culture, or to help out an entire group, reach out to Josh and Chrissy today! We would love to see how we can help you, your business, or your event. Contact us!

🎙 Ready to Fix What’s Holding Your Business Back?
The Business Fix podcast delivers real-world strategies to grow your business, lead your team, and reclaim your time. New episodes drop weekly—packed with insights for business owners and managers who want to do better.

🔗 Connect with Chrissy and Josh at https://www.businessfixpodcast.com/ for more tools, support, and clarity.

Enjoy the episode? Leave us a review, share it with your leadership team, and let us know your biggest takeaway in the comments!