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:

1. People often start working before they’re aligned, and it’s not intentional — it’s early movement without direction.
2. Speed without alignment creates problems you’ll have to fix later.
3. Execution breaks down when no one defines the problem, the order of work, or what “right” looks like.
4. Alignment isn’t about slowing down — it’s about making momentum work for you.

Practical Application:

1. Review your meeting structure.
2. Where do meetings need to happen that currently aren’t?
3. Which meetings are wasting time or missing the right focus?
4. Decide where the goal is connection, alignment, or decision-making — and structure accordingly.
5. Identify where people already feel empowered.
6. Look for the teams or individuals who consistently move work forward without constant oversight.
7. Ask why that’s happening.
8. Is it the leader? The clarity of the work? The trust they’ve built?
9. Once you know, look for ways to replicate it in other parts of the business.

Reflection Questions:

1. Where is your team succeeding in the wrong direction?
2. What part of your execution still runs on founder instinct, not shared clarity?
3. Who’s trying to move fast, but quietly drowning in confusion?

Links and Resources:

The right question changes everything. Grab the free Next Question Guide at NextQuestionGuide.com

Connect with James on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jamesmayhew

Learn more at JamesMayhew.com