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
We hear it all the time in leadership: “You can’t over-communicate.” But that’s not always true. In this solo episode of Relationships at Work, Russel Lolacher explores how too much communication can feel patronizing, overwhelming, or even damaging to trust. This episode looks at why great leadership communication isn’t about repetition for repetition’s sake—it’s about reading the room, understanding your audience, and adapting you...
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel Lolacher talks with Karl Staib, founder of Systematic Leader, about why leadership needs more than good intentions. They explore how better systems shape habits, improve communication, strengthen accountability, and create healthier workplace cultures.
Hey! If you're enjoying the insights from our guests, you'll love our R@W Notes Newsletter. It’s packed with guest takeaways, the reso...
What if the way we measure leadership is completely off?
In this solo episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher challenges the usual focus on KPIs, deadlines, and delivery—and asks what really matters. Trust, growth, values, and the impact we leave on people may be the real leadership scorecard.
And connect with me for more great content!
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel Lolacher speaks with Alejandra Ramirez, founder of Ready Cultures, about why internal communication often fails in organizations.
They discuss how misaligned messaging damages workplace culture, why clarity matters in leadership communication, and how Alejandra’s Head–Heart–Hands framework helps leaders communicate what’s happening, why it matters, and what teams should do next.
Most meetings focus on tasks, updates, and deadlines. Others focus on people, growth, and trust. Both are necessary—but they serve very different purposes.
In this solo episode of Relationships at Work, Russel Lolacher explores the difference between management meetings and leadership meetings, and why leaders need to be intentional about which one they’re running.
Management meetings help move the work forward.
Leadership meeti...
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.
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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.
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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...
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