Episode 40

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Published on:

22nd Sep 2025

41. When Growth Threatens Your Best People

Episode 40: When Growth Threatens Your Best People

Episode 3 in the series, Scaling Growth

What happens when the people who built your company start to feel like strangers in it?

Your early employees wore every hat. They hustled, patched holes, and carried culture when you had no budget and no systems. Now that you’re growing, those same people can feel displaced—defensive, territorial, and unsure of their place.

This episode is for founders who are watching their best people struggle in the very growth they helped create.

  • Why your culture carriers often resist change during scaling
  • How generalists experience loss of identity as specialists arrive
  • The hidden danger of mislabeling their reaction as “difficult”
  • What founders must do to reframe their evolving roles and protect culture

Scaling isn’t just about adding headcount—it’s about helping the right people grow with you, not against you.

Reflection Questions:

  • Who on your team feels like growth is happening to them instead of through them?
  • What conversations have you avoided about evolving roles and responsibilities?
  • How are you recognizing and reinforcing the contributions of your early culture carriers today?

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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.