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I'm your host, Paul Alex. I went from being a cop to an eight figure entrepreneur that helps average people like you and me make money every single day. I created this podcast to help you get motivated and to crush your goals. Let's win together. Remember, I have your six. Get ready to level up right now. What's up everyone? Welcome back to the Level Up Podcast. I'm Paul Alex and today we are tackling a massive failure in executive leadership. The mind reading fallacy. Because, let's be real. If you are constantly angry at your team for failing to deliver what you wanted, but you never actually gave them clear instructions, the problem is entirely yours. Let's break down how to communicate with absolute precision. First, understand that common sense is a complete myth in business. In my past life in law enforcement, assuming someone knew the protocol could be completely catastrophic. You have to vocalize the exact Standard. Too many CEOs drop a massive project on a manager's desk with a one sentence email and expect a flawless result. If the team has to guess what success looks like, they will inevitably guess wrong, whether it is a marketing campaign or a new client. Onboarding ambiguity breeds failure. If you assume they know, you kill the execution. Second, you have to clearly define the finish line. People do not underperform because they want to annoy you. They underperform because the instructions were terrible. So instead of just telling an employee to handle a situation, tell them exactly what the final outcome must look, feel and function like. Make your expectations so incredibly obvious that a total stranger could follow them. Lastly, over communication creates absolute trust. When your team never has to second guess your vision, their speed and confidence explode. Radical clarity, documented standard operating procedures, and patient leadership create an unstoppable operation. When you stop hoping they read your mind, they start hitting your targets. Bottom line, you are the director of this movie. Stop expecting the actors to guess their lines. Write the script, clarify the vision and lead the team. Because when you do, you will operate smoother than ever. Thanks for tuning in to the Level up podcast. I'm Paul Alex reminding you, communication is the foundation of scale. Speak clearly, set the standard, and as always, keep Leveling Up. Thanks for listening up to the Level up podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, make sure to share with a family, friend and everyone you know who's ready to level up. Leave a five star review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you tune in. It really helps spreading the word. And forget to check out officialpaulalex.com for more episodes and resources to kickstart your journey. Let's level up together.
Episode: The Mind Reading Fallacy
Date: June 19, 2026
Host: Paul Alex Espinoza
In this episode, Paul Alex tackles “The Mind Reading Fallacy”—a widespread failure in business leadership where executives expect their teams to deliver without providing clear, actionable instructions. Drawing from his experiences as both a former law enforcement officer and an 8-figure entrepreneur, Paul breaks down why “common sense” is a myth in organizations and emphasizes the power of radical clarity, over-communication, and defined expectations for operational excellence.
Definition: Expecting your team to know exactly what you want without explaining it is not only unrealistic, but sets everyone up for failure.
Paul shares:
"If you are constantly angry at your team for failing to deliver what you wanted, but you never actually gave them clear instructions, the problem is entirely yours.” [01:01]
In his law enforcement background, Paul stresses that unclear instructions can be “completely catastrophic”—there is no room for ambiguity when success depends on details.
"Common sense is a complete myth in business. … Assuming someone knew the protocol could be completely catastrophic. You have to vocalize the exact standard." [01:25]
Paul urges leaders to:
“Make your expectations so incredibly obvious that a total stranger could follow them.” [02:10]
He debunks the idea that under-performance is rooted in laziness or malice—it's usually due to unclear or poor instructions.
“When your team never has to second guess your vision, their speed and confidence explode.” [02:36]
“Bottom line, you are the director of this movie. Stop expecting the actors to guess their lines. Write the script, clarify the vision and lead the team.” [03:00]
On Leadership’s Responsibility:
“If the team has to guess what success looks like, they will inevitably guess wrong, whether it is a marketing campaign or a new client onboarding. Ambiguity breeds failure. If you assume they know, you kill the execution.” [01:45]
On Instructions & Outcomes:
“Instead of just telling an employee to handle a situation, tell them exactly what the final outcome must look, feel and function like.” [02:08]
On Over-Communication:
“Over communication creates absolute trust.” [02:30]
On Execution:
“When you stop hoping they read your mind, they start hitting your targets.” [02:50]
Closing Motivation:
“Communication is the foundation of scale. Speak clearly, set the standard, and as always, keep leveling up.” [03:15]
Host: Paul Alex Espinoza
Connect: Instagram @PaulAlex | OfficialPaulAlex.com
Call to Action:
Paul encourages listeners to share the episode, leave a 5-star review, and visit his website for more resources.
Summary prepared for those who want practical, actionable insights from Level Up Podcast without listening to the full episode.