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James Fleming had everything you’re meant to want: a senior exec role in oil and gas, the house in Dubai, the pool, the salary, the status. But he realised he wasn’t happy.
Then life stepped in. A corporate reshuffle made him redundant, and overnight his three-year plan to start a business became a three-month deadline to survive.
He and his wife launched The Power Within from their living room, selling watches to fund marketing and building their first leadership programme from scratch.
Today, James trains leaders around the world on what he calls motivational intelligence: the mindset shift that turns self-doubt into self-leadership. It’s practical, human, and built on hard-earned lessons.
We talk about what it really takes to rebuild after losing everything, why confidence comes before competence, how to balance empathy with standards, and why your vision is the anchor for every decision you make.
If you’ve ever wondered whether mindset really makes the difference, this episode will leave you with no doubt.
🔗 Find James on LinkedIn
Takeaways from James’ episode
1️⃣ Before you can have, you must become
James doesn’t believe in “fake it till you make it.” He believes in acting like the person you’re trying to grow into. Show up like an owner before you technically are one. Your behaviour sets your ceiling.
2️⃣ Confidence comes before competence
People wait until they “know enough” to lead. That’s backwards. You only get competent by doing reps, getting it wrong, adjusting and going again. If you’re waiting to feel ready, you’ll never ship.
3️⃣ Excuses are just mislabelled priorities
“I don’t have time” usually means “it’s not important enough to me.” James draws a hard line between a reason and an excuse. A reason comes with learning and ownership. An excuse comes with nothing.
4️⃣ Vision is not optional
Every client he coaches has to answer one question: in 12 months, if everything went right, what would you be telling a friend in the pub about your business? If you can’t picture it, you can’t build it. Your brain can’t execute on a blank page.
5️⃣ Success is not money
James had the cash, title and status. He still felt empty. His definition now: aligned expectations and reality. When what you’re doing matches who you believe you are, that’s when you get peace. Everything else is noise.
📘 Check out James Fleming’s book
In this episode we cover:
00:00 Introduction to James Fleming
02:11 Walking away from comfort (and a big salary)
07:50 Redundant on Friday, founder on Monday
12:34 The first two years nearly broke him
18:58 How James actually coaches leaders
24:19 Why mindset beats tactics
29:03 Act like the person you’re trying to become
34:04 The four-day work week experiment (what really happened)
38:17 Success vs excuses
40:51 Getting called out by your own team
48:18 Building a company (and a marriage) together
52:09 Your vision is the operating system
The cost of confidence: Why ambition isn’t a dirty word 🌱 | Lauren Currie (Upfront)
Why visibility matters, what ambition really costs, and how to keep showing up anyway
