Claim OwnershipRelationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast
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© 2026 Russel Lolacher
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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.
363 Episodes
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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! Sign Up for R@W Notes Subscribe on Youtube Follow on Linkedin Follow on Instagram Follow me on Threa...
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, why clarity is a leadership responsibility, and what it really ...
“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 with me for more great content! Sign Up for R@W Notes Sub...
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 underpins any meaningful motivation strategy, and why shared pu...
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 are interpreting — filling gaps with assumptions, stories, ...
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 quietly erode confidence, and why creativity and innovation ...
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 actually matters. And connect with me for more great content! Sign Up ...
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 preparing for promotion, navigating increased responsibility,...
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 unpacks how space communicates long before words do. You’ll learn...
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. Hey! If you're enjoying the insights from our guests, you'll love our R@W Notes ...
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, this episode is for you. And connect with me for more great co...
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 shape hiring, performance reviews, and team cultureHow DEI oft...
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 is never neutral—and why intent doesn’t cancel out impact. F...
Most people can spot dysfunction at work. Bad bosses. Endless emergencies. Burnout masquerading as productivity. But the harder question is this: what role do we play in it? In this episode of Relationships at Work, author and executive leader Eric Charran joins Russel Lolacher to unpack how dysfunctional workplaces actually take hold — and why self-assessment is often the missing step in breaking the cycle. They explore how leaders reward busyness instead of outcomes, why bad behaviors get n...
What happens when doing your job quietly turns into managing your boss’s ego? In this Relationships at Work mini-episode, Russel Lolacher unpacks the real damage caused by bootlicking cultures — where praise is safer than honesty, silence is rewarded over truth, and employees spend more energy protecting leaders than improving the work. Through a simple story and clear leadership reflections, this episode explores how fear-based leadership erodes psychological safety, engagement, trust, and c...
Most leaders mean well. That doesn’t mean the impact lands well. In this episode of Relationships at Work, leadership coach and author Dr. Joel Pérez draws on insights from his book Dear White Leader to unpack why good intentions often fall apart at work — and what leaders miss about power, identity, and impact. A grounded conversation about how leadership actually shows up, especially when culture, trust, and accountability are tested. Hey! If you're enjoying the insights from our gues...
Employee retention isn’t built with perks, programs, or forced fun. It’s built in the moments where leaders choose to listen, trust, and let teams be themselves. In this mini-episode of Relationships at Work, Russel Lolacher shares a simple Christmas decorating story that explains why his team stayed together for nearly 12 years — and why high retention is never an accident or a “unicorn.” This episode breaks down: Why autonomy matters more than engagement initiativesHow leaders accidentally ...
Influence gets thrown around like a leadership buzzword — but most people misunderstand what it actually is. It’s not authority. It’s not persuasion. And it’s definitely not performance. In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel sits down with author and former CIO Brad Englert to unpack the real mechanics of influence inside organizations — the kind that builds trust, shifts culture, and turns critics into advocates. Brad shares stories from his career at Accenture and the University ...
It’s easy to blame a leader. They’re visible. They’re the face of decisions. They’re the ones we point to when work feels confusing, frustrating, or overwhelming. But what if the problem isn’t just the leader—what if it’s the system that shaped them? In this mini-episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher breaks down the real reason so many leaders struggle: they were never given the clarity, tools, or support to lead well in the first place. Drawing from the R@W Note newsletter, ...
We talk a lot about mental health and physical wellbeing at work — but almost never about the part of ourselves that drives meaning, connection, energy, and authenticity. Enter soul health. In this episode of Relationships at Work, founder and CEO of Quantum Sense Pam Buchanan joins me to unpack why so many employees still feel unseen and unfulfilled, even in workplaces overflowing with perks. We explore why leaders default to ego-driven decisions, how energy (not time) shapes performan...
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