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
(Originally Released: March 27, 2022)
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chat withs author and consultant Annette Franz, on company culture and how to put people-first in your organization to keep them engaged (and some of the red flags you might be going the wrong way).
Annette shares her experience and from her new book BUILT TO WIN...
- What organizations don't understand about culture
- How corporate a...
After almost 400 episodes of Relationships at Work, I’m pausing new conversations and taking stock of what the show has helped me understand about leadership.
In this solo episode, I share nine lessons that have become clearer through years of leading, listening, questioning, and learning from hundreds of experts.
We get into why clarity starts with shared meaning, why leadership and management are not the same thing, why relat...
Feedback should help people grow, not make them defensive.
In this episode, host Russel chats with HR expert and leadership coach Carolyn Troyan about what healthy feedback cultures look like, why trust and psychological safety matter, and how leaders can shift from giving advice to coaching better conversations.
They also explore peer feedback, cultural differences, people leadership and why feedback works best when it becomes part ...
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher speaks with executive coach and leadership expert Payal Nanjiani about what it really takes to build meaningful relationships at work.
They explore why networking becomes ineffective when it is transactional, how trust is strengthened through consistency and vulnerability, and why leaders need relationships across every level of an organization. Payal also shares how sel...
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher speaks with keynote speaker, author and workplace expert Joel Hilchey about why so many people become managers without being prepared to lead.
Joel explains how accidental managers are created, the habits that can quietly damage teams, and why good intentions are not enough. They discuss feedback, career development, values, accountability, team performance and the impor...
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher speaks with business communication expert, sports broadcaster, and author Jen Mueller about how leaders can communicate with more intention, clarity, and influence.
Jen shares what decades in professional sports taught her about asking better questions, building trust through small moments, and making conversations easier for others. Russel and Jen explore why communicat...
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher speaks with leadership strategist and executive coach Andrea Wanerstrand about the role leaders play in making cultural transformation real.
They explore how autonomy, accountability, trust, emotional regulation, and everyday leadership behaviours shape workplace culture—and why transformation succeeds or fails in the micro moments.
And connect with me for more grea...
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher speaks with HR executive advisor and People Leader Accelerator co-founder Andrew Bartlow about why clarity is essential to employee empowerment and organizational success.
Andrew explains how vague goals create competing priorities, why leaders need to translate direction into meaningful choices, and how HR can help organizations communicate what matters most. They also ...
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher speaks with leadership trainer, coach, and keynote speaker Barbara Boselli about how our worldview influences the way we lead, communicate, and respond to others.
They explore how assumptions become stories, why curiosity helps prevent unnecessary conflict, how leaders can separate facts from interpretations, and what it takes to create greater psychological safety withi...
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher speaks with Yvonne Jackson about why workplace values should be practical decision-making tools—not aspirational words on a wall.
They explore how leaders can connect values to behaviours, boundaries, accountability, and equity to create clearer team norms and better organizational decisions.
And connect with me for more great content!
- Sign Up for R@W Notes
- ...
Emotions are already shaping the workplace, whether leaders acknowledge them or not.
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host and leadership/communication expert Russel Lolacher talks with emotional intelligence leadership coach Jamelle Lindo about emotional empowerment, emotional avoidance, and why so many workplace challenges are emotion-based beneath the surface.
Jamelle shares how leaders can build emotional self-awareness,...
Leadership does not begin with strategy, authority, or knowing all the answers. It begins with understanding ourselves.
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host and leadership expert Russel Lolacher is joined by Margaret Andrews, Harvard instructor, speaker, founder of The Milo Center, and author of Manage Yourself to Lead Others: Why Great Leadership Begins with Self-Understanding. Together, they explore why great leadership ...
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher speaks with no-BS leadership coach and culture consultant Adrian Koehler about why great performers often struggle to become great leaders.
Adrian explores the shift from doing the work to creating the conditions for others to succeed, including the risks of control, assumption-based leadership, unclear agreements, and avoiding hard conversations. A candid look at what c...
What if leadership was never meant to be a solo act?
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host and leadership/communication expert Russel Lolacher speaks with executive team coach, keynote speaker, author, and founder of Ferrazzi Greenlight, Keith Ferrazzi, about why the future of leadership depends less on individual authority and more on the strength of the team around us.
Keith shares insights from his book Never Lead Alone: ...
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host and leadership expert Russel Lolacher speaks with business leader, speaker, CEO and author Rick Yvanovich on how purpose can help leaders and organizations navigate constant change.
Rick shares why purpose is more than a goal, how the post-COVID workplace has reshaped our relationship with work, and why organizations need to make purpose real through clarity, equity, and action. The con...
In this solo episode of Relationships at Work, host and leadership/communication expert Russel Lolacher explores why the words leaders use when things go wrong matter more than we think.
A problem, challenge, and opportunity can all be useful terms — but they are not always interchangeable. Russel looks at how well-intended positivity can sometimes dilute urgency, dismiss employee reality, or create a culture where people feel...
What makes employees truly buy into their work, their team, and their organization?
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher talks with business strategist, leadership coach, and author Dave Garrison about what drives employee buy-in and why so many teams slide into disengagement. Dave shares why leaders often unintentionally shut people down, how curiosity and vulnerability create stronger connection, and what...
In this solo episode of Relationships at Work, host and leadership expert Russel Lolacher explores the difference between risk aversion and risk awareness — and why playing it safe can quietly damage trust, engagement, innovation, and culture.
Russel shares how leaders can move beyond fear-based decision-making by asking better questions, challenging assumptions, and creating space for thoughtful experimentation. Because doing...
What if better leadership isn’t found in management books, but in nature itself?
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher talks with executive coach and author Kelly Wendorf about what leaders can learn from nature to build healthier teams and stronger workplace cultures. Drawing from her book Flying Lead Change, Kelly shares insights on trust, psychological safety, curiosity, conflict, and why thriving l...
Saying yes isn’t leadership.
In this episode, Russel Lolacher explores the hidden cost of constant agreement — and how it impacts your team’s capacity, priorities, and performance. Learn how to stay collaborative, set boundaries, and make better decisions about when to say yes… and when not to.
And connect with me for more great content!
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