Episode 42

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Published on:

25th Sep 2025

42. How New Hires Change Your Company Culture Faster Than You Realize

Episode 42: How New Hires Change Your Company Culture Faster Than You Realize

Episode 5 in the series, Scaling Growth

Culture doesn’t disappear overnight — it drifts. One day you look around and realize your company doesn’t feel the same. The people you’ve hired don’t carry the same ownership, the same hunger, or the same fight that you did in the early days.

This episode tells the story of how culture dilutes layer by layer, from the founding four to the second wave of hires, and eventually to the third and fourth. What gets passed down isn’t culture — it’s fragments, mixed with habits from past jobs and a lot of ambiguity.

This episode is for founders who feel their company slipping into something they barely recognize, even though growth is happening on paper.

  • Why every new hire absorbs less of your original DNA
  • How missing systems and onboarding accelerate culture drift
  • Why founders misdiagnose the problem and keep grinding harder
  • The shift you must see: culture doesn’t vanish—it gets rewritten

Reflection Questions

  • If I asked your last 10 hires to define your company’s non-negotiables, would they all give the same answer?
  • When was the last time you reinforced, in plain language, what can never be compromised here?

Links and Resources

The Next Question Guide → NextQuestionGuide.com

LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/jamesmayhew

Website → JamesMayhew.com

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About the Podcast

Leadership in 5
Lead better in 5 minutes. Tactical insights for founders who want clarity, momentum, and a business that doesn’t break them.
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 charisma. No theory. No fluff. Just real leadership tools that work in real companies with real people.

This show exists to help you stop over-functioning, stop repeating yourself, and stop holding it all together just to keep the wheels turning. You deserve a business that works without breaking you.

The show is grounded in The IDP Way, a leadership system built on Integrity, Dignity, and Prosperity. If those words resonate, you’ll feel at home here. And if they challenge you? Even better. Growth starts with honesty.

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Thanks for listening... and for leading.

About your host

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James Mayhew

James R. Mayhew is a leadership coach and strategic advisor to founders and executives building fast-growth, values-driven companies. He created the IDP Way, a leadership system grounded in integrity, dignity, and prosperity. James helps leaders align people, purpose, and performance so their business can scale with clarity, not chaos.

He’s served as Chief Culture Officer, coached hundreds of leaders, and built execution systems that actually work.