Real Talk: Leading Small Teams

Real Talk: Leading Small Teams

Lia Garvin

Episodes 225
Avg. Duration 13m
Activity Highly Active
Since Feb 2023
Latest Episode Mar 2026

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
86%
Hosting
feeds.buzzsprout.com

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About This Podcast

Real Talk: Leading Small Teams is a weekly leadership and management podcast for founders, entrepreneurs, business owners, and people managers who want to lead high-performing teams without falling back into the work themselves.


Each week, host Lia Garvin- Fractional COO & leadership strategist, TEDx speaker, and 3x bestselling author- breaks down the real, everyday challenges of leading teams, people management, team accountability, delegation, communication, culture, and performance with practical strategies you can implement immediately. Lia’s work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, and Fortune.


With Lia, there’s no beating around the bush. No corporate jargon. Just actionable leadership insights that help you build your people management and leadership skills and get better results from your team.


If you’re asking leadership questions like:
• How do I get my team to take ownership and accountability for their work?
• Why do I have to repeat myself constantly as a manager?
• How do I know if I hired the wrong employee?
• How do I delegate effectively without things falling apart or micromanaging?
• How can managers tell if team members are overusing AI at work?
• What actually motivates employees today?
• How do I give feedback that actually moves the needly?
• How do I communicate vision, expectations, and strategy clearly?
• What are best practices for performance reviews, compensation, and growth conversations?


How do you lead a team through change, uncertainty, and rapid growth with confidence?


You’ll find the tools, frameworks, and leadership strategies you need to lead your team better, starting today.


Real Talk: Leading Small Teams is for:
✔ Founders & Business Owners scaling teams without burning people out
✔ Entrepreneurs balancing business strategy and people leadership
✔ Experienced leaders ready to modernize how they manage teams

✔ Corporate managers navigating continual change

New episodes drop every Tuesday, delivering leadership lessons, people management tools, and team-building strategies you can apply immediately.


Learn more at liagarvin.com

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Recent Episodes

223: What should I be paying people to attract top talent?

Mar 03, 2026 14m

You find the perfect senior hire. They have the résumé. The experience. The track record. But the salary makes your stomach drop.Do you stretch and hope it pays off? Or walk away and risk staying…

222: What investing in your team could cost you OR earn you

Feb 24, 2026 13m

What’s the cost of waiting too long to address a problem on your team?In this episode, we’re breaking down the key actions that separate leadership disasters from record-breaking success.You'll…

221: I want to hand off work to my team, but the clients want ME, what do I do?

Feb 17, 2026 16m

You built a reputation for being the best. So why does it feel like your success is the very thing keeping you stuck?If clients keep asking for you by name and you cannot seem to step out of the…

220: I hired managers- why am I still in the details?

Feb 10, 2026 15m

You finally hired managers… so why are you still stuck in every decision, every issue, every fire?If you feel like promoting managers was supposed to free you up and somehow did the opposite, this…

219: Did I make a bad hire? How do I know? What do I do?

Feb 10, 2026 14m

Hiring is exhausting, and nothing messes with your confidence faster than wondering, “Did I just make a really expensive mistake?”In this episode, we take a clear-eyed, practical look at how to…

218: How to get out of the friend-zone with your team members?

Feb 10, 2026 14m

You didn’t mean to become the “cool boss.”But now feedback feels awkward, boundaries are blurry and accountability keeps slipping.In this episode of Real Talk: Leading Small Teams, we break down what…

217: This question will 10x your impact as a leader and grow your revenue

Feb 03, 2026 14m Transcript

You know that thing on your team you keep meaning to deal with… but haven’t?The underperformer. The role you should hire for. The expectations conversation you keep postponing.Avoidance feels easier…

216: Why your team isn't following through... and how to fix it

Jan 27, 2026 15m

You’re full of ideas in meetings.You explain the plan. Your team nods. And then somehow… nothing changes.If that sounds familiar, you don’t have an accountability problem — you have a follow-up…

215: Why your team seems entitled (and what’s really causing it)

Jan 20, 2026 19m Transcript

Your team is asking for more.More flexibility. More pay. More exceptions. More say in decisions.And you’re sitting there thinking, when did this turn into entitlement?In this episode, we unpack…

214: How to give the feedback after you've waited too long

Jan 13, 2026 17m

You were going to say something.About the missed deadline. The behavior in the meeting. The way they handled the client.But you waited… and now it feels awkward, overdue, or impossible to bring…

213: What to say in compensation conversations without over or underpromising | Part 3 of 3

Jan 06, 2026 14m

You have a compensation conversation coming up.You want to reward good work. You want to be fair. You also know you can’t open the floodgates or promise something you can’t sustain.And one wrong…

212: Avoiding the biggest pitfalls with tough feedback | Part 2 of 3

Dec 30, 2025 15m

You know you should say something.About the missed deadline. The behavior in meetings. The drop in quality.But the conversation feels uncomfortable, so you wait.And that’s how small issues turn into…

211: How to communicate vision so your team buys-in | Part 1 of 3

Dec 23, 2025 19m

You’ve explained the direction.The priorities. The goals. Where the company is headed.And yet your team still seems misaligned, disengaged, or focused on the wrong things.If that sounds familiar, the…

210: How to lead when you are already stretched thin

Dec 16, 2025 13m

Most people become managers with zero training.No reps.No practice.No preparation for feedback, conflict, or decision-making.They’re told to lead anyway.In this episode, I use my experience training…

209: Why your team feels lost even when you are communicating

Dec 09, 2025 15m

Your team keeps asking the same questions.They seem unsure.Morale feels shaky.People want clarity you cannot fully give.And you are wondering, I already explained this. Why does everyone still feel…

208: What AI should replace on your team and what it should not

Dec 02, 2025 17m

AI can schedule meetings, draft emails, take notes, build slide decks.And it does a pretty darn good job at it.So it is fair to ask, do I still need all these roles on my team?But when we reduce a…

207: The simple action that keeps your best people from leaving

Nov 25, 2025 17m

People say employees leave managers, not companies.If that is true, then managers are also the biggest reason people stay.So what does it actually take to become someone your team wants to work for,…

206: How to motivate your team when you cannot give raises

Nov 18, 2025 15m Transcript

Your best performer didn't get the raise.Promotions are on hold.Budgets are tighter than ever.And people are starting to wonder what their future looks like.So how do you keep motivation high when…

205: Your team is watching how you react. Here is why it matters

Nov 11, 2025 13m Transcript

You get the email, the meeting invite, or the change in direction.And you feel your stomach drop.But as a leader, your reaction does not stay private. Your team is watching, interpreting, and…

204: Decoding your team’s requests- what you’re missing and how to respond

Nov 04, 2025 14m

Your employee wants to be in more meetings.Or you inherit a team and have to give feedback on work you never saw.Or maybe, you say your calendar is open, but people still feel left out.And you are…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Real Talk: Leading Small Teams have?

Real Talk: Leading Small Teams has published 225 episodes since February 2023, covering topics in Business, Entrepreneurship.

Is Real Talk: Leading Small Teams still active?

Real Talk: Leading Small Teams is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 13m.

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