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 multiplier that makes your systems and strategies actually work. Because excellence looks operational, but it’s always about people.

This episode is for you if:

• You’re constantly pulled into the weeds instead of leading from the front.
• You’re in meetings but not truly connecting with your team.
• You want to inspire better work without adding more hours to your week.

You’ll learn:

• Why presence is the real entry point to leadership.
• How to balance availability with intentionality.
• The simple habits that make you a “noticer” instead of a bottleneck.

Two ways to apply this episode:

1. Choose one meeting or 1:1 this week to be completely distraction-free — no phone, no laptop, just full attention.
2. Ask one new question: What’s getting in the way of doing your best work right now? Then remove one obstacle they name.

Reflection questions:

• When was the last time you were fully present for someone on your team?
• Where are you physically present but mentally absent?
• Who could benefit most from you being all-in this week?

Links and Resources

• The Next Question Guide → NextQuestionGuide.com
• LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/jamesmayhew
• Website → JamesMayhew.com