SYNOPSIS

This episode opens Chapter 1: What Leaders Think They’re Seeing in the High Performers lens. Leaders often feel confident they know who a high performer is early on. But that early certainty can quietly shape opportunity, trust, and interpretation long before performance ever becomes an issue. Episode 64 explores how misrecognition forms — and why some capable people disappear not because they lack ability, but because they were understood too quickly.

SHOW NOTES

Most leaders trust their instincts for a reason.

They’ve learned to move fast, decide quickly, and rely on what feels clear.

But what if some of the most important performance decisions get made before anyone realizes a decision was made at all?

In this episode of Leadership in 5, James Mayhew slows down the moment where confidence turns into certainty — and how that moment quietly shapes who gets seen, trusted, and developed over time.

This episode opens Chapter 1 of the High Performers lens: What Leaders Think They’re Seeing.

In this episode, James explores:

1. Why confidence often gets mistaken for performance
2. How early certainty limits what leaders continue to notice
3. Where misrecognition quietly begins
4. Why disappointment later often traces back to decisions made too early

REFLECTION QUESTION

Who did you feel certain about early — and what might that certainty have caused you to stop noticing?

LINKS & RESOURCES

Founder's Growth Newsletter: jamesmayhew.com/newsletter-opt-in

LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/jamesmayhew

Website → JamesMayhew.com