The Partnership Playbook: Lead with Clarity, Partner for Leverage, Reclaim Time

Phil Hayes-St Clair
  • 5.0 (1)
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Helping leaders grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and bring real meaning to their teams. The Partnership Playbook is for CEOs, founders, and go-to-market leaders who want to grow without noise, scale without burnout, and build partnerships that actually matter. You’ll hear clear thinking on: - How to become a great CEO - How distribution, supply chain, and product partnerships create resilience - How leaders use partnerships to simplify strategy, not add more work Hosted by Phil Hayes-St Clair - CEO coach and partnerships advisor with 20+ years of experience across healthcare, biotech, aerospace, and eCommerce. Each episode blends practical insight with leadership reflection you can actually apply. New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, including: - A weekly partnership episode - A weekly leadership episode - A long-form CEO conversation If you’re looking to grow with intent, lead with confidence, and build something your team believes in—you’re in the right place. Start anywhere. Stay for the clarity. Learn more at philhsc.com Know a great future guest? Send them here: philhsc.com/expression-of-interest

  1. 165. How CEOs help their best leaders leave (and still win)

    1D AGO

    165. How CEOs help their best leaders leave (and still win)

    What does it say about your leadership if your best people never outgrow their roles? CEOs want loyalty and great companies require growth. And sometimes, those two forces collide. In this episode Phil explores what it really means to lead when one of your best people is ready for their next play. Learn how to spot the difference between healthy growth tension and silent disengagementUnderstand why helping leaders leave well often strengthens long-term growth and trustGain a practical CEO framework for expanding roles, planning succession, or leading strong exits If you want to grow as a leader without creating dependency — and build a company where people become more capable because of you — this episode is for you. New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. More from Phil Hayes-St Clair Subscribe to the free Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault) FOR CEOs If you’re stepping into bigger leadership moments and want support at the CEO level, explore my CEO Coaching. FOR GTM LEADERS If you're ready to build a repeatable GTM system that actually closes deals and creates leverage for your organisation, apply to join The Partnership Lab Find me on LinkedIn The Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts. PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

    10 min
  2. 164. CEO Doug Taylor on why growth without partnership isn’t ambitious enough

    4D AGO

    164. CEO Doug Taylor on why growth without partnership isn’t ambitious enough

    What if your growth ceiling isn’t capital, talent, or strategy… but your approach to partnership? Too many leaders try to scale impact alone—only to discover complexity is outpacing capacity. In a world of digital exclusion, rising inequality, and fractured trust, sustainable growth demands something different: aligned partnerships built on shared value. Meet Doug Taylor, CEO at The Smith Family, Australia’s largest children’s charities. In this episode, you’ll discover: How to assess whether a partnership will accelerate or dilute growthWhy shared value is the key to long-term, scalable partnership successA practical framework for building trust-driven growth across sectors If you want partnership-driven growth that lasts beyond the next quarter, this conversation will change how you lead. Tune into The Smith Family’s new podcast All I Can Be on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. More from Phil Hayes-St Clair Subscribe to the free Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault) FOR CEOs If you’re stepping into bigger leadership moments and want support at the CEO level, explore my CEO Coaching. FOR GTM LEADERS If you're ready to build a repeatable GTM system that actually closes deals and creates leverage for your organisation, apply to join The Partnership Lab Find me on LinkedIn The Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts. PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

    46 min
  3. 163. How to build redundancy into your GTM strategy (before growth stalls)

    6D AGO

    163. How to build redundancy into your GTM strategy (before growth stalls)

    What happens when a critical part of your go-to-market engine disappears overnight? In this episode of The Partnership Playbook, Phil Hayes-St Clair breaks down why redundancy is mission critical and how GTM teams can design backup options that protect growth without creating complexity. Learn how to identify hidden single points of failure in your GTM strategy before they breakDiscover a practical framework for building redundancy that protects revenue, partnerships, and growth velocityGain the confidence to lead calmly through disruption by designing optionality into your GTM system If you want to build durable growth and lead your GTM function with clarity and conviction, this episode will reshape how you think about leadership and risk. New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. More from Phil Hayes-St Clair Subscribe to the free Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault) FOR CEOs If you’re stepping into bigger leadership moments and want support at the CEO level, explore my CEO Coaching. FOR GTM LEADERS If you're ready to build a repeatable GTM system that actually closes deals and creates leverage for your organisation, apply to join The Partnership Lab Find me on LinkedIn The Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts. PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

    11 min
  4. 162. Why strong CEOs are always closer to the numbers than you think

    FEB 10

    162. Why strong CEOs are always closer to the numbers than you think

    Are you leading with conviction or quietly hoping your numbers don’t get tested? Most CEOs say they want clarity, confidence, and trust from their teams. But many unknowingly give away authority the moment they admit they’re “not close to the numbers.” In this episode, you’ll learn how knowing the right numbers strengthens leadership and fuels sustainable growth. Why knowing your numbers is a signal of strength that inspires followershipWhich metrics reveal true business health beyond sales and top-line costsHow numbers protect CEOs from being blindsided when making high-stakes decisions If you want to lead with more confidence, make smarter bets, and drive growth through grounded leadership, this episode will sharpen how you think — and how you lead. New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. More from Phil Hayes-St Clair Subscribe to the free Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault) FOR CEOs If you’re stepping into bigger leadership moments and want support at the CEO level, explore my CEO Coaching. FOR GTM LEADERS If you're ready to build a repeatable GTM system that actually closes deals and creates leverage for your organisation, apply to join The Partnership Lab Find me on LinkedIn The Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts. PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

    13 min
  5. 161. RE-RELEASE: Christiana Brenton and the growth of FlightStory Studio (Home of the Diary of a CEO)

    FEB 9

    161. RE-RELEASE: Christiana Brenton and the growth of FlightStory Studio (Home of the Diary of a CEO)

    What if your revenue playbook was slowing your growth? Most sales teams push harder. Christiana Brenton thinks differently, starting with curiosity, empathy, and humility. From scaling Flight Studio to rejecting a $100M offer, this conversation flips traditional thinking on partnerships and performance. In this episode you’ll learn: How curiosity and care outperform brute-force tactics in salesThe “first principles” mindset behind Flight Studio’s exponential growthWhy long-term trust beats short-term wins and how to build it Get a front-row seat to the mindset and strategy behind the world's most culturally relevant podcast brand. Listen now to rewire how you grow through partnerships and a true growth mindset. New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. More from Phil Hayes-St Clair Subscribe to the free Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault) FOR CEOs If you’re stepping into bigger leadership moments and want support at the CEO level, explore my CEO Coaching. FOR GTM LEADERS If you're ready to build a repeatable GTM system that actually closes deals and creates leverage for your organisation, apply to join The Partnership Lab Find me on LinkedIn The Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts. PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

    1h 8m
  6. 160. How “great deals” quietly destroy growth (and what GTM leaders can do differently)

    FEB 4

    160. How “great deals” quietly destroy growth (and what GTM leaders can do differently)

    What if the deals your team celebrates most are quietly undermining your growth and leadership credibility? Most GTM leaders are trained to optimize for speed, logos, and booked revenue. But when pricing decisions ignore margin durability and capacity strain, “great” deals can quietly erode unit economics, exhaust teams, and distort future negotiations. This episode reframes how strong leaders evaluate deals—without becoming blockers or sounding negative. Learn how pricing, margin, and capacity trade-offs actually work—and why ignoring any one of them damages growthUnderstand how incentives and “strategic” discounts distort deal structure and become permanent over timeGain practical questions that help you challenge bad deals with commercial confidence and leadership clarity If you want to grow with discipline, protect your unit economics, and lead GTM conversations that hold up under pressure, this episode will sharpen how you think about deals. New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. More from Phil Hayes-St Clair Subscribe to the free Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault) FOR CEOs If you’re stepping into bigger leadership moments and want support at the CEO level, explore my CEO Coaching. FOR GTM LEADERS If you're ready to build a repeatable GTM system that actually closes deals and creates leverage for your organisation, apply to join The Partnership Lab Find me on LinkedIn The Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts. PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

    12 min
  7. 159. You want to lead a basketball team (not a golf team)

    FEB 2

    159. You want to lead a basketball team (not a golf team)

    Are you leading talented people who work hard but don’t really move together? Most leadership teams don’t struggle with effort. They struggle with coordination. As companies grow, it’s easy to drift into a model where everyone performs individually, yet progress feels heavy, slow and overly dependent on the CEO. In this episode, Phil breaks down a simple but powerful distinction that reshapes how CEOs think about leadership, growth, and team performance. Learn how to diagnose whether your company is operating like a golf team or a basketball teamUnderstand why individual excellence can quietly stall company-wide growthDiscover practical leadership moves that shift teams from effort-driven to intent-driven performance If you want to lead a team that creates real momentum (not just activity) this episode will give you a clearer way to see, think and act as a CEO. ALSO, take a listen to Ryan Hawk's Learning Leader Show. It's a brilliant leadership resource. New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. More from Phil Hayes-St Clair Subscribe to the free Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault) FOR CEOs If you’re stepping into bigger leadership moments and want support at the CEO level, explore my CEO Coaching. FOR GTM LEADERS If you're ready to build a repeatable GTM system that actually closes deals and creates leverage for your organisation, apply to join The Partnership Lab Find me on LinkedIn The Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts. PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

    8 min
  8. 158. How to go from sales to strategic partner in complex markets with CEO Hamid Ghanadan

    JAN 30

    158. How to go from sales to strategic partner in complex markets with CEO Hamid Ghanadan

    What if the fastest path to growth wasn’t selling harder but partnering deeper? If you’re scaling in healthcare, biotech or B2B you already know this: the complexity is compounding. Partners are either a liability or your greatest growth accelerant. In this episode with CEO Hamid Ghanadan, we explore: How empathy + clarity unlock high-trust partnershipsWhat most CEOs get wrong about change readiness and executionA leadership framework for growth when data is unclear Learn how to position your product and your people for growth through partnerships. 🎧 Listen now and rewire your go-to-market thinking. New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. More from Phil Hayes-St Clair Subscribe to the free Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault) FOR CEOs If you’re stepping into bigger leadership moments and want support at the CEO level, explore my CEO Coaching. FOR GTM LEADERS If you're ready to build a repeatable GTM system that actually closes deals and creates leverage for your organisation, apply to join The Partnership Lab. Find me on LinkedIn The Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts. PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

    1 hr
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Helping leaders grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and bring real meaning to their teams. The Partnership Playbook is for CEOs, founders, and go-to-market leaders who want to grow without noise, scale without burnout, and build partnerships that actually matter. You’ll hear clear thinking on: - How to become a great CEO - How distribution, supply chain, and product partnerships create resilience - How leaders use partnerships to simplify strategy, not add more work Hosted by Phil Hayes-St Clair - CEO coach and partnerships advisor with 20+ years of experience across healthcare, biotech, aerospace, and eCommerce. Each episode blends practical insight with leadership reflection you can actually apply. New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, including: - A weekly partnership episode - A weekly leadership episode - A long-form CEO conversation If you’re looking to grow with intent, lead with confidence, and build something your team believes in—you’re in the right place. Start anywhere. Stay for the clarity. Learn more at philhsc.com Know a great future guest? Send them here: philhsc.com/expression-of-interest

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