Relationships at Work - the leadership podcast helping you build workplace connection, improve culture, and avoid blind spots.
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.
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 29 minutes
- Episodes
- 320
- Years Active
- 2022 - 2025
Six Hard Truths About Leadership (After 250 Episodes of Relationships at Work)
After 250 episodes of exploring leadership, workplace culture, and the human side of work, certain truths just won’t stay quiet.
In this solo episode, host Russel Lolacher reflects on the six most co…
How Leaders Can Spark Purpose and Inspiration at Work w/ Dr. Alise Cortez
urpose isn’t a poster on the wall — it’s an everyday practice.
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Dr. Alise Cortez joins Russel Lolacher to explore how leaders can move beyond surface-level en…
Flip the Script: What’s Your Five-Year Plan for Me?
We’ve all heard the classic career question: “What’s your five-year plan?”
But in this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher flips it on its head—asking leaders to consider their fiv…
Leading Through Complexity: Rewriting the Narrative of Work w/ Graham Abbey
What if the way we talk about work is limiting how we lead it?
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher sits down with Graham Abbey—Chief Executive of Farleigh Performance and Pr…
The Cost of Caring Too Much: How to Lead Without Losing Yourself
Caring makes you a better leader. But what happens when it starts to hurt?
In this solo episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher explores the emotional toll of leadership when we care to…
Design the Work, Empower the People: Human-Centered Leadership w/ Derrick Mains
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher sits down with Derrick Mains — speaker, consultant, and CEO of The Process Fixer — to dive into the power of building human-centered sys…
Are Your Values Still Yours? A Leadership Gut Check
You’ve defined your values. But are you still living them — or just assuming you are?
In this episode of Relationships at Work, we unpack the overlooked side of values in leadership. Not the usual “de…
Character Counts: Rethinking How We Hire and Lead w/ Sean Vassilaros
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with Sean Vassilaros, CEO and co-founder of Kanny, about what’s missing from hiring—and it’s not experience or skills. It’s character.
Sean dives…
Is Curiosity Missing from Your Workplace Culture?
In this episode, we explore the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways curiosity gets shut down in organizations—and the cultural cost of those missed questions. From assumptions that mask deeper issues to …
Cracking the Viking Code of Leadership w/ Anders Indset
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher sits down with renowned business philosopher and bestselling author Anders Indset to unpack the leadership philosophy behind his book Th…
The Leadership Test: Can You Handle Being Challenged?
As leaders, we often talk about the power of curiosity—but what happens when that curiosity is turned on us?
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher explores what it really mea…
Authenticity Is a Practice, Not a Personality Trait w/ Pete Steinberg
Leadership isn't about checking boxes — it's about showing up with intention, clarity, and connection. In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with Pete Steinberg — executive coach, sp…
The P.E.R.F.O.R.M. Playbook: How to Build a Team That Stays
Retention is often seen as an elusive workplace metric, but what if it wasn’t?
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel Lolacher shares his firsthand experience of leading and retaining the s…
Leading with Respect: The Key to Trust, Engagement, and Culture w/ Dr. Gena Cox
Respect isn’t just a workplace buzzword—it’s the foundation of trust, engagement, and culture. Yet, too many leaders overlook its impact, mistaking civility for true respect.
In this episode, Dr. Gen…
Half-Assed Vision, Half-Assed Motivation
A vision and mission statement should be more than just corporate wallpaper—they should inspire, align, and drive meaningful action. Yet, most employees can’t even recall theirs.
In this episode of R…
Incentivizing Leadership: Are We Rewarding the Wrong Behaviors? w/ Nigel Thurlow
In this thought-provoking episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher sits down with Nigel Thurlow, co-creator of The Flow System and former Chief of Agile at Toyota, to break down the hid…
Is Leadership Speaking or Actually Communicating at Work?
Every job is a communication job. Every leader is a communicator—whether they realize it or not. But too often, organizations mistake speaking at people for real communication.
In this episode, we br…
Building Better Work Relationships Through Systems, Not Guesswork w/ Trevor Timbeck
Leaders often think relationships are built on instincts, but what if they’re actually built on systems?
In this episode, executive and leadership coach Trevor Timbeck challenges the idea that relati…
Taking A.I.M. at Bad Leadership: Admit, Identify, Manage
In this mini-episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher dives into a tough but necessary conversation—why organizations need to stop passing the buck on bad leadership. Russel explores th…
How to Practice Trauma-Informed Leadership w/ Danielle Smeltzer
In this episode of Relationships at Work, Danielle Smeltzer, founder and CEO of Awarely Embodied Leadership, dives deep into the transformative power of trauma-informed leadership. She challenges con…