Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast
Relationships at Work - the leadership podcast helping you build workplace connection, improve culture, and avoid blind spots. A relatable and honest show on leadership, organizational culture and soft skills, focusing on improving employee engagement and company culture to inspire people to apply, stay and thrive. Because no one wants leadership that fosters toxic environments at work, nor should they. Host, speaker and communications leader Russel Lolacher shares his experience and insights, discussing the leadership and corporate culture topics that matter with global experts help us with the success of our organizations (regardless of industry). This show will give you the information, education, strategies and tips you need to avoid leadership blind spots, better connect with all levels of our organization, and develop the necessary soft skills that are essential to every organization. From leadership development and training to employee satisfaction to diversity, inclusivity, equity and belonging to personalization and engagement... there are so many aspects and opportunities to build great relationships at work This is THE place to start and nurture our leadership journey and create an amazing workplace.
Episodes
Leaders often complain about their teams — disengaged employees, poor performance, difficult conversations.
But what if the real issue isn’t the team?
In this episode, Russel sits down with leadership expert David Dilger to explore how leaders shape the behavior, performance, and culture of their teams — often without realizing it.
They discuss why avoiding tough conversations hurts everyone involved, how focusing on observable behavi...
Some of the most damaging leaders aren’t the obvious tyrants. They’re the ones celebrated on stages, praised in boardrooms, and admired on LinkedIn.
In this solo episode, Russel Lolacher explores how performative leadership can hide behind recognition, results, and a polished public image. He challenges leaders to look beyond awards and social media presence to examine the real impact leaders have on their teams.
Because leadership i...
What if conflict isn’t the problem — but the engine of innovation?
In this episode, innovation expert Jeff DeGraff joins Russel to explore why adaptability isn’t about reacting to change — it’s about embracing ambiguity, practicing paradox, and creating constructive conflict inside your teams.
They discuss:
- Why over-alignment kills innovation
- The difference between reacting and adaptive thinking
- How small experiments build momentum
- W...
Are you leading from values — or reacting to emotions?
In this solo episode, Russel Lolacher explores why values must anchor workplace decisions, culture, and accountability. Empathy matters. But without clear values, leadership becomes mood management.
And connect with me for more great content!
Is workplace positivity building trust — or masking real problems?
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel Lolacher sits down with author Johanna Laurent to unpack the difference between authentic positivity and the kind that shuts people down.
They explore:
- Why leaders focus on what’s wrong instead of what’s working
- The self-work required before you can lead others well
- How to create space for honesty without sliding into ...
When did leadership stop being about people?
The rise of the term “People Leader” sounds progressive — but it may reveal a deeper problem. If leadership needs a qualifier, something’s already broken.
In this solo episode, Russel challenges the language we use and what it says about how we actually lead.
Because leadership without people… isn’t leadership.
And connect with me for more great content!
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What can leaders learn from Olympic athletes?
Former cycling champion and high-performance coach Lee Povey breaks down why winning is out of your control — and why focusing on process, feedback, and adaptability is what truly drives performance.
This episode challenges hustle culture, fixed leadership styles, and ego-driven management.
Because the Olympic mindset isn’t about medals.
It’s about becoming better — every day.
Putting time on a calendar isn’t investment. Sending a survey isn’t support.
In this solo episode, Russel Lolacher challenges leaders to stop assuming and start asking: What does meaningful investment actually look like for my team?
Because if they don’t feel it — it doesn’t count.
Curiosity. Consistency. Personalization.
That’s the work.
And connect with me for more great content!
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel Lolacher sits down with leadership expert and author Kishshana Palmer to unpack why being “busy” has become one of the most damaging habits in modern leadership.
They explore how busyness blocks clarity, weakens relationships with teams, fuels burnout, and quietly erodes organizational culture. Kishshana shares how leaders can shift from constant reactivity to intentional strategy, wh...
“Let’s start the conversation” has become a comfortable way for leaders to delay real change.
In this R@W Note mini-episode, Host Russel Lolacher explores why talking about improvement isn’t the same as starting it — and how conversation without follow-through quietly damages trust, morale, and credibility at work.
Leadership isn’t measured by what’s said in the meeting.
It’s measured by what happens after it ends.
And connect wi...
Motivation is often treated as something leaders can manufacture from the outside — incentives, goals, performance systems. But without purpose, motivation rarely lasts.
In this episode, Ryan Rigterink breaks down why purpose is personal, contextual, and constantly evolving — and why leaders get motivation wrong when they assume it’s one-size-fits-all. We explore how identity, experience, and intention shape engagement, how trust un...
Silence in leadership is rarely intentional — but it’s never neutral.
In this short R@W Note episode of Relationships at Work, Russel Lolacher explores how delayed communication, hesitation, and “waiting until we know more” can unintentionally create confusion, anxiety, and cultural drift on teams.
Leaders often hold back for good reasons: they want clarity, the right answer, or more information. But while leaders are thinking, teams...
ADHD in the workplace is often framed as a performance issue — but what if the real problem is job fit?
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel Lolacher sits down with ADHD career coach Shell Mendelson to unpack why capable, skilled ADHD employees struggle in roles that were never designed for how they think, focus, and work.
Together, they explore why performance improvement plans miss the point, how workplace expectations ...
Many leaders say the right things about trust, empathy, and accountability—then quietly fail to follow through. In this short Relationships at Work episode, Russel Lolacher unpacks the difference between looking like a leader and performing as one.
You’ll learn how performative leadership erodes trust, why optics often get rewarded over impact, and how to audit your own actions to ensure your leadership shows up when it actual...
What really happens when you move up in an organization?
In this episode, Russel Lolacher talks with Sabina Nawaz, leadership strategist, executive coach, and author of You Are the Boss, about the unseen pressures of leadership advancement.
They explore why pressure—not power—changes how leaders show up, how advancement can quietly erode self-awareness, and the impact this has on teams and culture.
A candid conversation for leaders pr...
We talk a lot about what leaders say — but rarely about where they say it.
In this short episode of Relationships at Work, Russel Lolacher explores proxemics — the hidden language of personal space — and how distance, positioning, and physical presence quietly shape trust, power, and connection at work.
From offices designed to elevate authority, to feedback conversations that unintentionally trigger defensiveness, this episode unpac...
Presence at work isn’t about performance — it’s about awareness.
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel Lolacher talks with Ryan Carey, CEO of BetterOn, about what presence actually means in the workplace and why leaders often misunderstand it. They explore how self-awareness shapes trust, connection, and the employee experience — and why presence is a skill leaders can develop, not a personality trait.
Mentorship is everywhere in leadership conversations — yet many leaders still feel stuck without the guidance they actually need.
In this solo mini-episode of Relationships at Work, Russel Lolacher explores why so many mentorship attempts fall flat, what truly makes a mentor valuable, and how to stop searching for advice that sounds good but doesn’t help you grow.
If you’ve ever wondered why mentorship feels harder than it should, th...
Most organizations talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion at the executive level — or delegate it to HR.
But that’s not where DEI actually succeeds or fails.
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel speaks with Jonathan Njus about why middle managers are the real linchpin of DEI efforts — and why so many initiatives stall once they reach the middle of the organization.
Jonathan breaks down:
- Why middle managers quietly ...
Every leader has power—whether they acknowledge it or not.
In this solo mini-episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher explores the often-overlooked reality of leadership influence and how even small words, actions, or moments of absence can leave a lasting imprint on people at work.
Drawing from real leadership experiences and patterns he’s seen across hundreds of conversations, Russel breaks down why leadership impact ...
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