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

Phil Hayes-St Clair
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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. 197. Why your best people leave before you notice

    1D AGO

    197. Why your best people leave before you notice

    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 ABOUT THIS EPISODE What if your most important people have already started to leave… and you just can’t see it yet? Most CEOs don’t lose their best people in a moment — they lose them in the quiet months before anyone notices. Why your biggest retention risk isn’t your top performers — it’s your quiet load-bearersHow disengagement starts with uncertainty, not dissatisfactionA simple 3 x 3 framework to re-recruit your best people before they start looking Identify your three — and book the conversations this week. 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.

    9 min
  2. 196. Wayne Gerard on how partnership-led growth drives scale in B2B businesses

    4D AGO

    196. Wayne Gerard on how partnership-led growth drives scale in B2B businesses

    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 ABOUT THIS EPISODE What if your biggest growth opportunity isn’t inside your business, but outside it? Most leaders are stuck trying to scale in isolation: Hiring more, building more, pushing harder. But growth doesn’t happen in silos. It happens through partnership, ecosystems, and aligned incentives and today’s guest, serial entrepreneur and venture investor, Wayne Gerard has lived it. In this episode, you’ll learn how to rethink your approach to growth: How to turn partnerships into a scalable growth engineWhy collaboration beats competition in modern marketsThe leadership mindset required to unlock ecosystem-driven growth If you’re serious about building sustainable growth through partnership, this conversation will change how you think. 👉 Listen now and rethink how you grow. 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.

    53 min
  3. 195. From updates to influence: Changing how your CEO sees growth

    6D AGO

    195. From updates to influence: Changing how your CEO sees growth

    Get the Partnership Kickstart: In less that 30 minutes learn how to identify your best partnership opportunity, start the right conversations, and close deals. Visit philhsc.com/close-better-deals ABOUT THIS EPISODE Why does your CEO still not fully understand how your revenue engine actually works? Because most GTM leaders either over-explain or under-communicate and both leave the system unclear. In this episode learn how to: Reframe your role from “reporting up” to shaping how your CEO sees growthIdentify the one GTM concept that’s quietly driving misalignmentUse a simple narrative to create consistent, repeatable clarity Pick one misunderstood concept and build a two-minute business story you can repeat across every strategic conversation this month. 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
  4. 194. How to lead the strategy pivot conversation with your board

    APR 27

    194. How to lead the strategy pivot conversation with your board

    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 ABOUT THIS EPISODE Are you changing strategy when the real problem is execution? One of the most expensive mistakes CEOs make is misdiagnosing performance issues — pivoting too early or pushing harder on the wrong plan. A simple 3-part diagnostic to separate strategy problems from execution gapsThe “three-quarter rule” to avoid premature pivotsClear language to lead high-stakes board conversations with confidence Before your next strategic review, run the test: have you fully resourced and consistently executed this strategy for three full quarters? 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
  5. 193. CEO Nick Astwick on claiming back New Zealand’s lost health span

    APR 24

    193. CEO Nick Astwick on claiming back New Zealand’s lost health span

    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 ABOUT THIS EPISODE Nick Astwick is one of those leaders who feels deeply grounded in purpose and never disconnected from performance. He’s spent more than 25 years across financial services and healthcare — from National Bank to UBS Warburg, through to becoming COO at Kiwibank and then CEO of Southern Cross Health Society in 2017. And what makes his story so compelling is that it doesn’t read like a classic CEO narrative. In fact, Nick once thought he’d become a detective. Instead, a temporary banking role turned into a career that has taken him right to the centre of some of New Zealand’s most important institutions. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to use partnership as a core lever for scalable growthWhy “good decisions” beat perfect ones in uncertain environmentsHow culture alignment determines whether your strategy actually works If you want to scale faster, make better decisions, and build a business that stays relevant—this conversation will change 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.

    49 min
  6. 192. Why every “Stalled Deal” looks different (but isn’t)

    APR 22

    192. Why every “Stalled Deal” looks different (but isn’t)

    Get the Partnership Kickstart: In less that 30 minutes learn how to identify your best partnership opportunity, start the right conversations, and close deals. Visit philhsc.com/gtm ABOUT THIS EPISODE Why does a full pipeline still fail to convert? Most GTM teams misdiagnose pipeline problems — and apply pressure in the wrong place. The one question that reveals why deals really stallHow to separate ICP, champion, and positioning issues fastA 90-minute diagnostic to uncover the real pattern in your top deals Before your next pipeline review, shift the question — and diagnose what the buyer actually believes. 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
  7. 191. What your last three hires say about you as a CEO

    APR 20

    191. What your last three hires say about you as a CEO

    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 ABOUT THIS EPISODE Are you hiring the best person — or the one you feel safest leading? The moment a candidate makes you slightly uncomfortable might be the most important signal in your hiring process. Why discomfort in senior hiring is often a sign of capability, not riskHow unclear leadership design turns strong hires into “control problems”A simple 3-question framework to separate real risk from ego-driven hesitation Review your last three senior hires and decide — did you hire for comfort, or for elevation? 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.

    9 min
  8. 190. FlightStory’s Georgie Holt on leadership, obsession, and the long hard path

    APR 17

    190. FlightStory’s Georgie Holt on leadership, obsession, and the long hard path

    What if growth isn’t about better ideas—but better choices? Most leaders chase shortcuts—faster growth, easier wins, predictable playbooks. But real growth, especially through partnership, doesn’t work like that. In this episode, Georgie Holt, CEO at Flightstory, home of the second largest podcast in the world, Diary of the CEO, breaks down what actually separates good from exceptional—and why most people quit before it compounds. You’ll learn: How consistent decision-making drives long-term partnership growthWhy obsession—not balance—is often the real differentiatorHow to build a culture that sustains high-performance growth If you’re serious about building meaningful partnerships and sustainable growth, this episode will challenge how you think—and act. 👉 Listen now to rethink how growth really happens. New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. More from Phil Hayes-St Clair Subscribe to my weekly Leadership Letter (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.

    59 min
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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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