What do you do as a CEO when two opposite decisions are both right — and choosing only one puts your business at risk?

In this episode of The Partnership Playbook, Phil Hayes-St Clair breaks down how to build the paradox leadership muscle — the capacity to think clearly, decide confidently, and coach teams effectively when contradictions are real and unavoidable.

You’ll learn:

1. How to recognize and name the paradoxes shaping growth and leadership in 2026 — before they paralyze decision-making
2. Why the human brain resists contradiction, and how strong leaders train capacity instead of chasing certainty
3. A practical coaching framework to help your team communicate, revisit, and act on paradoxes as they mature over time

If you want to grow as a leader who brings clarity without false certainty — and helps your organisation move forward inside complexity — this episode will give you the language, structure, and confidence to lead.

New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:

Subscribe to the Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault)

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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.

Can your partnerships actually scale—or are they just good intentions?

Many leaders confuse volume for value and "partner" for "vendor." But as David Johnson, CEO of Vervent, explains—real partnership is a strategic lever for growth and resilience, not just a nice-to-have.

In this deep-dive episode, you’ll learn:

1. A proven 3-part framework to identify and grow strategic partnerships
2. Why integrity, not innovation, is your real growth multiplier
3. How to balance risk, regulation, and go-to-market velocity

🎧 Listen now to redefine how you scale through partnership and growth.

New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:

Subscribe to the Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault)

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.

My thoughts on leading in light of the devastating events at Bondi Beach in Australia on 14 December 2025.

Learn more at philhsc.com