Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

Too many workplaces use “leader” and “manager” interchangeably — and it’s hurting their people and their culture. In this solo episode, Relationships at Work host Russel Lolacher explains the real difference between leadership and management and why misunderstanding the two leads to frustration, disengagement, and poor decision-making.

Russel explores how:

• Leadership focuses on people, growth, and purpose
• Management focuses on tas...

Most leaders treat development like a checkbox — a course, a conference, an annual review.
 But what if the real key to growth and retention isn’t an event… but a relationship?

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel sits down with leadership and career development expert Julie Winkle Giulioni to rethink how growth actually happens at work — through trust, curiosity, and small, meaningful moments shared every day.

Julie ...

In this solo episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher digs into a leadership trap that quietly damages culture, disengages teams, and derails real progress: celebrating effort instead of impact.

We hand out recognition for hard work, long hours, new initiatives, “busy-ness,” and well-packaged plans—but rarely pause to ask the only question that matters: Did any of this create meaningful change?

Russel explores why organ...

We’ve been taught that being busy means being successful — but what if it’s actually holding us back? In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher talks with performance optimization expert and author Peggy Sullivan about how to escape “time poverty” and achieve more by doing less.

Peggy shares how leaders can recognize the traps of constant hustle, eliminate low-value activities, and replace them with purpose-driv...

You’ve heard it before — “let your results speak for themselves.” But in reality, results don’t talk — you do.

 In this solo episode, Relationships at Work host Russel Lolacher breaks down why staying silent about your success can stall your career and how communicating your impact with clarity, alignment, and presence helps leadership truly see your value.

Russel shares actionable ways to advocate for yourself and your team:

• Alig...

Accountability in leadership isn’t about blame — it’s about ownership.

In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher talks with leadership expert Michael Timms on how great leaders inspire accountability by modeling it first. Together they explore how to move beyond micromanagement, empower teams through clarity, and build trust that fuels performance.

You’ll learn how to:

• Redefine accountability as ownership, not...

We talk a lot about the importance of taking breaks — but how do you know when you’ve actually had one?

In this solo episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher shares what happened when he took a real pause from creating, producing, and strategizing — not because he stopped caring, but because he cared too much to keep going unsustainably.

Through small grounding habits, reflection, and honest self-checks, Russel explores...

Most leaders think their organizational problems are structural — that if they just rearrange the boxes on the org chart, everything will flow better.
 But as organizational design consultant and executive coach Susannah Robinson explains, that’s rarely the real issue.

In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher and Susannah break down what organizational design actually means — and how it connects directly to...

Originally released: June, 2024

In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher discusses the causes and answers to cultural debt.

Technical debt is a common term in software development to explain growing issues caused by not properly addressing problems. By only implementing "band-aid" solutions, the root problems only continue to grow and fester. Cultural ...

Originally released: August, 2024

What if being 'professional' is actually holding your workplace back? In this episode, host Russel Lolacher challenges the traditional norms and reveals why respect, not rigid professionalism, is the key to a thriving, diverse workplace.

The idea of professionalism is usually about aligning behaviours, dress codes, communication styles and work ethics around the norms of the domin...

Originally released: April, 2024

In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher showcases common resistances to change at work and how leaders can avoid these pitfalls. 
 
 Change is a constant in the workplace, but so is resistance to it. The success and failure of change will be found in how leadership introduces, leads, implements and follows up on that change, and ...

Originally released: January, 2025

Ever felt like you’re "babysitting" your team instead of leading them? You’re not alone. Many leaders hit a point of frustration, but that feeling is a signal—an opportunity for reflection and growth. 

In this episode, we explore why some leaders feel this way, what it says about their leadership approach, and, most importantly, how to shift from micromanaging to mentoring. Learn...

Originally released: May, 2024

In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher recommends we share our values publicly to build better connection.

Knowing our values is vital to our self-awareness and in helping us make decisions and setting boundaries that help our career and our employee experience. But they are too valuable to keep to ourselves. Share them. With eve...

Originally released July, 2023. 

In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher highlights the gap between leadership assumptions and employee reality.

Numerous surveys have been conducted by SHRM, Deloitte, Forrester showing executives have a very different perception of their organizational culture than those who work for them.

Russel asks the question, &qu...

In this Relationships at Work mini-episode, host Russel Lolacher gets real about the warning signs of burnout and why stepping back is one of the most important — and overlooked — leadership skills. Drawing from his own experience producing daily episodes, running a newsletter, and working a full-time job, Russel shares how to recognize when your passion is turning into a grind, and how to model sustainable leadership by setting bo...

Part 4 of our 4-part conversation on turning adversity into opportunity.

Organizations often say they embrace failure — but do they really? Executive coach Whitney Faires and host Russel Lolacher dive into how leadership accountability and honest feedback shape a healthier workplace culture. From avoiding toxic positivity to taking extreme ownership, Whitney shares why cultures that accept setbacks as learning opportunities unlock t...

Part 3 of our 4-part conversation on turning adversity into opportunity at work.

When adversity hits, teams look to their leaders for guidance. Executive coach Whitney Faires joins host Russel Lolacher to explore how leaders can normalize setbacks, create space for mistakes, and help teams grow through challenges. Whitney explains how modeling resilience, encouraging problem-solving, and maintaining perspective builds trust and moti...

Part 2 of our 4-part conversation on turning adversity into opportunity at work.

Failure feels personal — but it doesn’t have to define you. In this episode, executive coach Whitney Faires talks with host Russel Lolacher about reframing adversity through mindset and self-reflection. Whitney shares how to separate emotion from fact, regulate your response, and see setbacks as chances for growth. Learn why resilience starts with self-...

Part 1 of our 4-part conversation on turning adversity into opportunity at work.

Setbacks are part of every workplace — but how do we define adversity without downplaying its impact? Executive coach and leadership expert Whitney Faires joins host Russel Lolacher to explain what adversity looks like at work, why leaders should avoid minimizing challenges, and how to clearly understand obstacles before responding. Discover why clarity...