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 risk
• How 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.