Suffocating Excuses

EP11: Suffocating Excuses

Leadership in 5 | Execution Is Not a Pep Talk

When excuses stack up—what are they hiding?

This episode explores how well-meaning leaders accidentally give or accept excuses, and how that slowly suffocates execution, clarity, and trust.

We’re not talking about blaming your team—or yourself.

We’re talking about the quiet ways high performers explain around the real issue… until the system starts gasping for air.

If you're a founder or executive who’s trying to lead with grace but keep ending up with confusion, misalignment, or underperformance—this episode is for you.

We’ll unpack:

• Why excuses don’t always sound like excuses — they sound like compassion
• How giving or accepting excuses hides real operational issues
• The difference between empathy and enabling
• Why protecting the dysfunction ends up punishing your best people
• A call to recalibrate clarity instead of padding performance

Reflection Questions (from the episode):

• What excuses have you made on behalf of your team?
• Where are you tolerating dysfunction instead of addressing it?
• What patterns are you explaining instead of solving?
• What’s one hard truth you need to stop excusing?

Bonus Reflection Questions (for deeper insight):

• What would happen if you addressed the issue without softening it?
• Where has grace drifted into avoidance?
• Are you protecting your people—or protecting the discomfort?
• How might the system breathe differently if the excuses were removed?

Links and Resources:

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

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

Want to learn more or work together? → JamesMayhew.com