Leadership in 5
Execution without excuses. Five minutes. One insight. No wasted words. Leadership In 5 is the podcast for founders and executives who are done with vague advice and tired of hearing “just communicate better” like it’s a strategy. I’m James Mayhew. I’ve served as Chief Culture Officer, coached hundreds of leaders, and made the thousand-plus execution mistakes so you don’t have to. I work with high-growth companies that are scaling fast — but who still want to lead with values, not ego. Each episode delivers one sharp insight you can act on. You’ll hear practical guidance built on clarity, not cha...
When Listening Isn’t Leading
Episode 23: When Listening Isn’t Leading
What happens when your team speaks up — and nothing changes?
This episode digs into the silent killer of culture: listening without acting. Founders often believe they’re open to feedback — they nod, take notes, thank people… and then move on. But when nothing changes, the team learns that speaking up isn’t worth it. Over time, silence sets in — and silence is not alignment, it’s resignation.
If you’re a founder who wants your meetings to be alive with truth, ideas, and ownership, this episode shows how to rebuild tru...
You Can’t Force Ownership and That’s Why You’re Still Carrying It All
Episode 26 — You Can’t Force Ownership and That’s Why You’re Still Carrying It All
You’ve probably felt it: the company is bigger, the team is larger, but somehow you’re still the one carrying the weight.
The meetings end, the updates sound fine, but deep down you know—nothing has really shifted off your shoulders.
That’s the Ownership Myth.
The belief that if you push hard enough, remind often enough, or “hold people accountable” enough, they’ll finally care the way you do.
But you can’t force ownership...
Trust Is Personal
Episode 21 Show Notes — Trust Is Personal
Series: It’s All Personal, 5 of 5
What do you think about at 2 a.m.?
If you’re like most founders, it’s not strategy decks or long-term plans.
It’s the meeting where your managers gave safe, predictable answers.
It’s the quiet room where no one moved until you did.
It’s the spiral: How did I get here? How do I keep going? How much longer can I do this?
That’s the founder’s blind spot.
It’s not that...
20. Feedback Is Personal
EPISODE 20 — Feedback Is Personal
Arc: It’s All Personal
If the word “feedback” makes people in your company brace for impact, you’ve got a problem.
When it’s done right, feedback builds trust, strengthens relationships, and accelerates growth.
When it’s done wrong — or not at all — it breeds confusion, resentment, and missed opportunities.
In this episode, James reframes the f-word so it stops being something people fear and starts being something they value.
If you’re a founder leading a growing team, this episode will help you strip away...
19. Ownership Is Personal
EP19: Ownership Is Personal
Arc: It’s All Personal
Theme: What "ownership" actually looks like inside a growing company, and how founder-led companies can create the conditions for it to thrive.
It’s one thing to get someone to complete a task.
It’s another to see them take real ownership of the work.
In this episode, James digs into what ownership really looks like inside a growing company — and why so many founders want it but don’t create the conditions for it to thrive.
If you’re lea...
18. Presence Is Personal
EP18: Presence Is Personal
Arc: It’s All Personal
Theme: Presence is the multiplier that makes your systems and strategies actually work
If you’re always available, you’re probably reacting, too deep in the details, and maybe even getting in the way of progress. And as I shared back in Episode 5, The Bottleneck You Didn’t Mean to Build, that’s exactly how leaders become roadblocks to the development of others.
In this episode — the second of five in the It’s All Personal series — we dig into why presence is the multiplie...
17. You’re Not Leading a System—You’re Leading People
EPISODE 17: You’re Not Leading a System—You’re Leading People
Arc: It’s All Personal (Part 1 of 5)
Your systems don’t create excellence — your people do.
In this first episode of the It’s All Personal series, James unpacks the real reason your business feels stuck when the systems are strained, leaders are still in the weeds, and the tools you’ve outgrown are slowing you down.
The truth? It’s not just about the systems. It’s about the people behind them — and whether they’re able to bring their best work forward...
Getting Work Done Isn’t... Obvious?
Momentum isn’t always progress.
In this episode, James tackles one of the most costly assumptions in growing companies — believing that your team “just knows” how to execute.
At 20–100 employees, “good enough” execution stops being a strength and starts creating confusion, rework, and burnout. And the scariest part? Your team thinks they’re helping.
If you’re a founder leading a growing team, this episode is for you.
You’ll learn how to turn speed from a liability into an accelerator by aligning your people before they start moving.
Takeaways:
People...The Difference Between Alignment and Agreement
Episode 15: The Difference Between Alignment and Agreement
Series: Execution Is Not a Pep Talk
When everyone nods... but no one follows through—was there really alignment?
This episode dives into the critical difference between agreement and alignment, and why your team’s execution problems might not be about commitment at all—but clarity.
If you’re a founder, executive, or manager who keeps seeing the same gaps in follow-through and execution, this episode is a wake-up call worth hearing.
We’ll unpack:
Why agreement feels productive—but rarely isHow alignm...Is it *Really* a Communication Problem?
Episode 14: Is it*Really* a Communication Problem?
The project missed the mark. The timeline slipped. The results weren’t what anyone hoped for.
And in the post-mortem, someone finally said it:
“We just need to communicate better.”
But what if that’s not the real problem?
This episode exposes the hidden leadership and execution breakdowns that get mislabeled as “communication issues”—and why that label keeps you stuck in the same cycle.
If you’re leading a team that keeps missing expectations—or if you’re frustrated that things aren’t g...
The Drift Is the Danger
EP13: The Drift Is the Danger
Leadership in 5 | Execution Is Not a Pep Talk
Is your team really aligned—or just drifting quietly?
This episode unpacks how teams slide out of focus without ever realizing it—and what leaders must do to stay ahead of it.
We’re not talking about distraction. We’re talking about slow, quiet drift: the erosion of clarity, the absence of reinforcement, and the quiet fade of alignment.
If you’re a founder or executive wondering why things feel a little off— this might be the real...
If You Want Something Done Right...
EP12: If You Want Something Done Right…
Leadership in 5 | Execution Is Not a Pep Talk
What if doing it yourself is the problem… not the solution?
This episode confronts the hidden cost of founder rescue mode.
Because if the standard only gets met when you step in, that’s not leadership. That’s babysitting the system.
We’re not talking about letting go of excellence—we’re talking about building a team and system that can carry your standard without your constant oversight.
If you’re a founder or execu...
Suffocating Excuses
EP11: Suffocating Excuses
Leadership in 5 | Execution Is Not a Pep Talk
When excuses stack up—what are they hiding?
This episode explores how well-meaning leaders accidentally give or accept excuses, and how that slowly suffocates execution, clarity, and trust.
We’re not talking about blaming your team—or yourself.
We’re talking about the quiet ways high performers explain around the real issue… until the system starts gasping for air.
If you're a founder or executive who’s trying to lead with grace but keep ending up with confusi...
They Want to Help but Don’t Know How
Title: They Want to Help but Don’t Know How
Arc: Execution Is Not a Pep Talk
When it feels like your team is just waiting on you…
Maybe they’re not slacking off.
Maybe they want to help... but just don’t know how.
This episode is for the founder who's still carrying the weight, even with good people in place.
You’ve delegated tasks. You’ve hired leaders.
But the decisions? The direction? The vision? It still falls back on you.
In this epis...
How the Desperation Mindset Destroys Your Leadership
When the pressure rises, what kind of leader are you?
This episode explores the dangerous shift from tension to desperation, and how it rewires your leadership, your team’s trust, and the health of your entire system.
We’re not talking about a rough week... we’re talking about the slow, quiet erosion of clarity, culture, and conviction when survival mode becomes the default.
If you’re leading a company through real financial pressure — whether you’re at $5MM, $25MM, or $100MM — this is a wake-up call worth hearing.
Because your team can feel...
Stop Saying “We Need to Execute Better"
Title: Stop Saying “We Need to Execute Better”
When a founder says, “We need to execute better,” it sounds like strategy, but it’s usually a signal, a symptom.
And a cover for something deeper.
In this episode, we unpack what’s really behind those words, and why saying them will actually derail the clarity and structure your business needs most.
You’ll walk away with a sharper understanding of alignment, leadership, and the next conversation your team actually needs.
Resources:
The right question changes everything. Grab the free Next Q...
Don’t Trust Your Memory
EP07: Don’t Trust Your Memory
Leadership in 5 | Earned Authority
At some point, every founder realizes their brain just isn’t enough.
You used to remember everything. But now, things are slipping—and it’s not because you’re forgetful. It’s because you’re overloaded.
In this episode, James explains why relying on memory breaks trust, creates drift, and slows execution. You’ll learn how small systems and visible rhythms protect your leadership and keep your team moving without chasing clarity.
In this episode:
Why your memory isn’t a leadersh...Why Your Team Isn’t Stepping Up (Even Though They Want To)
EP06: Why Your Team Isn’t Stepping Up (Even Though They Want To)
Leadership in 5 | Earned Authority
If your team isn’t stepping up, it might not be a motivation issue—it might be a leadership pattern.
In this episode, James explores how well-meaning leaders accidentally train their teams to hesitate. When everything is urgent and high-stakes, founders often shift into control mode—and in doing so, they shut down ownership, initiative, and risk-taking. This is desperation in disguise.
You’ll learn how to recognize the patterns you may have unintentionally created—an...
The Bottleneck You Didn’t Mean to Build
EP05: The Bottleneck You Didn’t Mean to Build
Leadership in 5 | Earned Authority
Most founders don’t mean to become the bottleneck—but they do.
Not out of ego, but out of pressure. Fear. A drive to protect what they’ve sacrificed so much to build. In this episode, James breaks down how the desperation mindset quietly drives control-based leadership—and how it slows your team, exhausts you, and caps your growth.
You’ll learn how to recognize when you're the blocker, and what systems help you step out without letting standards sl...
You Don’t Need to Be the Expert
EP04: You Don’t Need to Be the Expert
Leadership in 5 | Earned Authority
Founders often carry a quiet pressure to have all the answers. But leadership isn’t about being the smartest person in the room—it’s about bringing out the best in the room.
In this episode, James explores how the pressure to “know everything” stems from a desperation mindset: the belief that everything rests on your shoulders alone. You’ll learn how to shift from control to clarity—and why listening may be the most powerful leadership move you make.
In this epi...
Alignment Is the Highest Form of Clarity
EP03: Alignment Is the Highest Form of Clarity
Leadership in 5 | Leadership Foundations
Just because you said it, doesn’t mean it’s clear.
In this episode, James breaks down why so many execution problems aren’t caused by laziness or lack of discipline — but by misalignment. Clarity isn’t just about saying it well. It’s about making sure everyone walks away with the same understanding of what’s being done, who owns it, and when it matters.
In this episode:
Why clarity without alignment leads to driftWhat “everyone’s pulling hard in di...Try Harder Isn’t a Strategy
Leadership in 5 | Earned Authority
“Try harder” isn’t a strategy—it’s a stall tactic.
In today’s episode, James unpacks why effort alone isn’t enough to drive real execution. Leaders often default to emotional language when what’s actually needed is structural clarity. You’ll learn what to say — and what to ask — instead of repeating the motivational mantras that burn people out without moving the business forward.
In this episode:
Why “try harder” feels right, but failsThe hidden obstacles that get mislabeled as effort problemsWhat high performers actually need from you as a leaderA bett...The Next Question Changes Everything
🔍 Summary
Most leaders think their job is to provide answers. But great leadership begins with better questions—ones that surface clarity, unlock new thinking, and change the course of a conversation.
In this opening episode, James shares a real moment from a team meeting where one powerful question broke through noise and sparked a better strategy. If you want to lead with intention, this is your starting point.
💡 Insight
The next question you ask could be the one that changes everything.
🧭 Reflection Prompt
What question do you need to ask...
