Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

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...

Corporate jargon might sound polished, but it’s destroying trust, relationships, and humanity at work. 

In this Relationships at Work mini-episode, host Russel Lolacher — internationally recognized leadership speaker and host of this globally ranked top 5% podcast — breaks down why corporate speak fails and how leaders can replace it with clear, human communication. Learn why jargon alienates teams, what it signals about leadership,...

Part 4 of our 4-part conversation on leadership design.

What does a workplace look like when leadership design is at its core? Host Russel Lolacher is joined by Georgi Enthoven — global advisor and thought leader on purposeful, high-impact work — to reveal how cultures shaped by vision and contribution inspire employees to say, “I’m proud of what I do.” This episode explores how organizations can foster community, pride, and sustain...

Part 3 of our 4-part conversation on leadership design.

Leaders often mistake strategy for identity, creating rigidity and disconnection. In this conversation, host Russel Lolacher and Georgi Enthoven — bestselling author and venture partner with deep experience advising businesses on impact and culture — discuss how leadership design helps teams align on a compelling vision. They explore how to co-create purpose with diverse perspe...

Part 2 of our 4-part conversation on leadership design.

How can leaders design their impact if they don’t know themselves first? Host Russel Lolacher sits down with Georgi Enthoven — a seasoned entrepreneur and podcast host who helps professionals align ambition with purpose — to uncover the importance of self-awareness in leadership. Georgi shares how identifying your unique strengths (not just fixing weaknesses) builds the confide...

Part 1 of our 4-part conversation on leadership design.

In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher explores what “leadership design” really means. Guest Georgi Enthoven — entrepreneur, venture partner, advisor to global family businesses, and USA Today bestselling author of Work That’s Worth It — shares why leadership is more than profit or promotion. She explains how integrating impact into business models is be...

In this solo episode of Relationships at Work, host and leadership communication expert Russel Lolacher challenges a common leadership blind spot: treating communication as one-way. Drawing from decades of experience and real workplace stories, Russel explains why leaders—not employees—carry the full responsibility for ensuring messages are understood.

You’ll learn practical actions to:

• Make communication relevant to employees.
• De...

Part 4 of our 4-part conversation on shifting our leadership from friction to flow.

Culture is built on behaviors, moods, and systems that either fuel friction or create flow. In this Relationships at Work episode, host Russel Lolacher talks with Margaret Graziano, keynote speaker and bestselling author of Ignite Culture, about how leaders can take responsibility for toxic environments and transform them into thriving, high-performi...

Part 3 of our 4-part conversation on shifting our leadership from friction to flow..

What does a team in flow actually look like? In this Relationships at Work episode, host Russel Lolacher is joined by Margaret Graziano to unpack how leaders can shift their teams from defensive, draining dynamics into collaboration and empowerment. Discover why the “magic number” for team problem-solving is five to eight people, how laughter and tr...

Part 2 of our 4-part conversation on shifting our leadership from friction to flow..

Flow begins with you. In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher talks with Margaret Graziano, culture transformation expert and bestselling author of Ignite Culture, about how ego, triggers, and old patterns affect leadership. Learn why personal awareness is the first step toward flow, and why leaders can’t move their teams forw...

Part 1 of our 4-part conversation on shifting our leadership from friction to flow..

What’s the difference between friction and flow in the workplace? In this episode of the Relationships at Work podcast, host Russel Lolacher sits down with Margaret Graziano — CEO of KeenAlignment and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Ignite Culture. Together they define friction in leadership, explore how it wastes energy and productivity, ...

In this solo mini-episode, host Russel Lolacher shares a leadership tool that helped him retain a team for more than a decade: the team credo. Drawing from his own experience, Russel explains how a short, clear set of guiding principles can improve communication, build trust, and align your team around what matters most. You’ll also get seven practical steps to create a credo that inspires and strengthens workplace culture.

And conn...