Why Your Business Problems Are Actually Leadership Problems (And How to Fix Them) | Lazy Leverage #58

Most small business owners think leadership is instinctual—something you figure out once you’re “in charge”. But if your managers act like friends, choke on tough conversations, or drown their teams in bureaucracy—you've got a leadership gap that’s preventing you from taking your company to the next level..

Today, Jon and Peter break down why leadership is taught, not caught. Their message is simple: great companies don't just promote top performers and hope for the best. They train leaders the moment they’re knighted into management—and they make the expectations painfully clear.

It’s not enough to hand someone a team and hope they "figure it out." You have to define leadership (get the job done, care for, and retain your people), teach core skills (giving feedback, holding accountability without micromanaging), and most critically, create psychological safety.

Jon’s most important move? Running a weekly emerging leaders meeting—teaching frontliners how to think, fire, hire, and lead before the problems show up. Leadership isn’t about being the smartest guy in the room. It’s about creating the space for others to thrive and grow.

Culture isn’t just vibes—it’s the operating system of your company. Skip investing in leadership development, and you’ll be stuck wondering why no one takes initiative. Train your people to lead with clarity, courage, and care—and you won’t just survive—you’ll scale.

Key Topics: (02:47) Peter’s New Favorite Definition of Leadership (07:24) Jon and Peter’s Leadership/Management Philosophies (11:24) How Great Leaders React When Things Go Wrong (20:00) Setting the Tone with Younger Leaders (27:12) The Importance of Defining Leadership/Management to Team Members Early On (32:04) Developing Your Leaders and Staying Accountable to Your Team (39:45) The Empathy Edge

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Jon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MatznerJon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lazyleverage.beehiiv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Peter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@pslohmann⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on X and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peterlohmann.com