The Partnership Playbook: Lead with Clarity, Create Leverage & Reclaim Time

Phil Hayes-St Clair
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Management
  • Updated Semiweekly

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. 1d ago

    231. How to forecast honestly when nothing is certain

    Get the CEO Leadership Collection: Five curated conversations in a private podcast, each under ten minutes, on the decisions and pressures that define the role. Visit listentophil.com What if the biggest forecasting mistake isn't being wrong, it's pretending to be more certain than you really are? In volatile markets, leadership doesn't need false precision. They need a forecast that honestly reflects uncertainty while still supporting confident decisions. In this episode: Learn why a forecast should communicate confidence, not certainty.Discover a simple framework using ranges, confidence levels, and key drivers instead of a single fragile number.Build greater credibility with executives by separating execution issues from market volatility. Listen now and rethink how you communicate forecasts that leadership can genuinely trust. 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.

    231. How to forecast honestly when nothing is certain

  2. 3d ago

    230. A CEO's guide to creating capacity without hiring

    Get the CEO Leadership Collection: Five curated conversations in a private podcast, each under ten minutes, on the decisions and pressures that define the role. Visit listentophil.com Are you solving a capacity problem—or a clarity problem? Before adding headcount, the biggest opportunity for growth often lies in how you're using the people already on your team. In this episode, Phil explores why structure creates leverage, how clarity unlocks performance, and the three conversations every CEO should have before approving the next hire. In this episode you'll learn: Why "we need more people" is often a symptom rather than the real problem.How unclear priorities, shared ownership, and decision bottlenecks quietly reduce output.A simple three-conversation framework—Remove, Refocus, Redistribute—to increase performance without increasing payroll. Before you write the next job description, redesign how the work is being led. 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.

    230. A CEO's guide to creating capacity without hiring

  3. 6d ago

    229. CEO Ian Whitehead on the leadership journey from BP to regional healthcare

    Get the CEO Leadership Collection: Five curated conversations in a private podcast, each under ten minutes, on the decisions and pressures that define the role. Visit listentophil.com What if leadership growth had less to do with authority and everything to do with curiosity? The most effective leaders don't rely on one leadership style. They evolve through new experiences, difficult decisions, and meaningful partnerships that expand their perspective. In this conversation, CEO Ian Whitehead shares how working across industries and cultures reshaped his approach to leadership and why purpose has become the driving force behind his career. You'll discover: How adapting your leadership style accelerates growth.Why partnerships create stronger organisations and better outcomes.The mindset shifts every leader needs to build a lasting legacy. If you're looking to grow as a leader while creating greater impact through partnership and purpose, this episode is packed with practical insights worth applying immediately. 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.

    229. CEO Ian Whitehead on the leadership journey from BP to regional healthcare

  4. Jul 15

    228. How to spot a deal that will destroy your economics

    Get the CEO Leadership Collection: Five curated conversations in a private podcast, each under ten minutes, on the decisions and pressures that define the role. Visit listentophil.com Have you ever celebrated a deal that looked like a huge win—only to discover months later it was quietly making your business weaker? Revenue is visible immediately. The real economics of a deal reveal themselves over time. In this episode you'll learn: Why some marquee customers quietly erode your unit economics despite impressive contract values.The hidden costs that don't appear in the sales forecast but shape long-term profitability.A simple framework to test whether a deal strengthens your business or simply helps you hit this quarter's number 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.

    228. How to spot a deal that will destroy your economics

  5. Jul 13

    227. Why some decisions need speed and others need time

    Get the CEO Leadership Collection: Five curated conversations in a private podcast, each under ten minutes, on the decisions and pressures that define the role. Visit listentophil.com What decision have you been carrying around for weeks that should have taken ten minutes—and what decision did you make in ten minutes that really deserved a week? Most CEOs don't struggle because they make bad decisions. They struggle because they apply the wrong speed to the wrong type of decision. Discover why reversibility, not importance, is the best guide to decision speed.Learn a simple four-question framework to separate decisions that need momentum from those that deserve reflection.Leave with a practical way to sort this week's decisions into two piles: Fast and Slow. Listen to this episode, then spend ten minutes dividing every major decision on your desk into the Fast or Slow pile before your next leadership meeting. 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.

    227. Why some decisions need speed and others need time

  6. Jul 10

    226. CEO Lisa Annese AM on women in leadership, how numbers tell the story and the impact of sustained advocacy

    Get the CEO Leadership Collection: Five curated conversations in a private podcast, each under ten minutes, on the decisions and pressures that define the role. Visit listentophil.com What if the biggest barrier to growth isn't strategy but deeply inclusive leadership? The strongest organisations don't grow because they have the smartest people. They grow because they create cultures where diverse perspectives are heard, partnerships are built, and better decisions become possible. In this episode, Lisa Annese AM, CEO at Chief Executive Women, shares decades of experience helping transform leadership across Australia through research, advocacy and action that support women in leadership. You'll discover: How the often invisible but sustained work of thoughtful advocacy drives change and how it often starts with a small group of dedicated peopleWhy psychological safety produces stronger leadership decisions.How inclusive leadership is a competitive advantage not simply a social responsibility. If you're serious about leadership, partnership and long-term growth, this conversation offers practical ideas that will reshape how you lead. 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.

    226. CEO Lisa Annese AM on women in leadership, how numbers tell the story and the impact of sustained advocacy

  7. Jul 8

    225. The one metric that predicts revenue better than pipeline

    Get the CEO Leadership Collection: Five curated conversations in a private podcast, each under ten minutes, on the decisions and pressures that define the role. Visit listentophil.com If your pipeline keeps growing, why is your close rate getting worse? A full pipeline can create the illusion of growth while deals quietly stop progressing through the buying journey. Learn why pipeline volume and pipeline health are two very different metrics.Discover how to diagnose exactly where opportunities are stalling before they become forecast misses.Use Phil's Quiet Stall Review to improve coaching, forecasting and commercial conversations without chasing more leads. Listen now and learn how to find the hidden friction that's quietly reducing your win rate. 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.

    225. The one metric that predicts revenue better than pipeline

  8. Jul 6

    224. How CEOs can prepare their team for the unexpected

    Get the CEO Leadership Collection: Five curated conversations in a private podcast, each under ten minutes, on the decisions and pressures that define the role. Visit listentophil.com What if the biggest threat to your business isn't the crisis itself—but what wasn't built before it arrived? Most leaders think about crisis management when disruption appears. The stronger approach is to build the organisational capabilities that allow your company to absorb disruption without losing direction. In this episode, Phil explores why resilience is less about reacting well and more about designing a business that remains dependable under pressure. You'll learn: Why decision clarity, leadership alignment, information discipline, relationships and organisational learning determine how well a company responds to disruption.Why crises rarely create weaknesses—they expose the ones that already existed.The READY framework: five practical questions every leadership team should ask before the next market shock, competitor move or internal rupture. If this episode prompts you to look differently at your leadership team, don't wait for the next crisis. Start strengthening the system while conditions are still calm. 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.

    224. How CEOs can prepare their team for the unexpected
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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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