Lee Povey and Steve Mellor are leadership coaches and hosts of The Founders Catalyst, a podcast dedicated to helping founders, executives, and rising leaders navigate the complexities of personal and professional growth. With decades of combined experience in elite sports, executive coaching, and team development, Lee and Steve offer real-world insights, sharp coaching tools, and thought-provoking conversations for the modern leader.

📝 Episode Summary: In this insightful and candid conversation, co-hosts Steve Mellor and Lee Povey unpack the hidden struggles of being a high performer in leadership. Drawing on personal stories, from elite sports to startup boardrooms, they reveal how their own perfectionism, drive, and “abnormal” standards shaped both their successes and their blind spots. Together, they explore the emotional disconnect many leaders feel when their vision isn’t shared, their intensity isn’t understood, and their expectations aren’t met.

If you've ever felt alone at the top, frustrated that others “just don’t get it,” or caught between your future self and your current reality, this one’s for you.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Why high performers often create a warped sense of “normal” that others can’t relate to
• The emotional cost of resilience, from pushing through injury to avoiding support
• How leadership can feel incredibly lonely, even in successful, growing organizations
• The danger of measuring yourself against an idealized future version of you
• Why your team doesn’t “get it” yet, and how to help them catch the vision
• How to balance big-picture ambition with clear communication and compassion
• What to ask yourself when you feel misunderstood or disconnected as a leader

🔗 Resources & Mentions:

💬 Join the Founders Catalyst Community on LinkedIn

🌐 Lee Povey’s Coaching & Leadership Work

🌐 Steve Mellor's Executive Coaching

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