Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

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Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

Russel Lolacher

353 episodes

1 day ago

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...

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Society & Culture,

Self-Improvement,

All content for Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast is the property of Russel Lolacher and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

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...

Show more...

Society & Culture,

Self-Improvement,

Episodes (20/353)

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

The Mentorship Gap No One Talks About

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...

2 days ago

9 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

Why DEI Gets Stuck in the Middle

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...

5 days ago

52 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

Leadership Isn’t Neutral: Understanding the Power You Hold

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...

1 week ago

9 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

Are We Part of the Problem at Work?

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...

1 week ago

59 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

When Managing Your Boss Becomes the Job

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...

2 weeks ago

9 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

When Leaders Mean Well — and Still Get It Wrong

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...

2 weeks ago

59 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

What a Christmas Table Taught Me About Employee Retention

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 ...

3 weeks ago

9 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

How Influence Really Works at Work

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 ...

3 weeks ago

50 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

Fixing the Leadership Blame Game

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, ...

1 month ago

11 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

Soul Health at Work: The Missing Layer of Leadership

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...

1 month ago

54 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

Leaders vs. Managers: The Cost of Mixing Them Up

Too many workplaces use “leader” and “manager” interchangeably — and it’s hurting their people and their culture. In this solo episode, Relationships at Work host Russel Lolacher explains the real difference between leadership and management and why misunderstanding the two leads to frustration, disengagement, and poor decision-making. Russel explores how: Leadership focuses on people, growth, and purposeManagement focuses on tasks, timelines, and resourcesCalling every manager a “leader” hid...

1 month ago

8 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

Why Development Is a Relationship

Most leaders treat development like a checkbox — a course, a conference, an annual review. But what if the real key to growth and retention isn’t an event… but a relationship? In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel sits down with leadership and career development expert Julie Winkle Giulioni to rethink how growth actually happens at work — through trust, curiosity, and small, meaningful moments shared every day. Julie breaks down why: Development only happens when people feel ...

1 month ago

54 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

Why Leaders Must Celebrate Impact, Not Effort

In this solo episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher digs into a leadership trap that quietly damages culture, disengages teams, and derails real progress: celebrating effort instead of impact. We hand out recognition for hard work, long hours, new initiatives, “busy-ness,” and well-packaged plans—but rarely pause to ask the only question that matters: Did any of this create meaningful change? Russel explores why organizations reward motion instead of momentum and how this lead...

1 month ago

9 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

Beyond Busyness: Turning Time Poverty Into Time Wealth

We’ve been taught that being busy means being successful — but what if it’s actually holding us back? In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher talks with performance optimization expert and author Peggy Sullivan about how to escape “time poverty” and achieve more by doing less. Peggy shares how leaders can recognize the traps of constant hustle, eliminate low-value activities, and replace them with purpose-driven priorities. From tackling meeting overload to setting bett...

1 month ago

45 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

Why You Need to Speak Up for Your Results

You’ve heard it before — “let your results speak for themselves.” But in reality, results don’t talk — you do. In this solo episode, Relationships at Work host Russel Lolacher breaks down why staying silent about your success can stall your career and how communicating your impact with clarity, alignment, and presence helps leadership truly see your value. Russel shares actionable ways to advocate for yourself and your team: Align with leadership priorities so your wins connect to what ...

1 month ago

10 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

How Leaders Inspire Accountability: Turning Ownership Into Trust

Accountability in leadership isn’t about blame — it’s about ownership. In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher talks with leadership expert Michael Timms on how great leaders inspire accountability by modeling it first. Together they explore how to move beyond micromanagement, empower teams through clarity, and build trust that fuels performance. You’ll learn how to: Redefine accountability as ownership, not punishment.Model accountability to inspire your team.Build a c...

2 months ago

53 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

How Do You Know You've Even Taken a Break?

We talk a lot about the importance of taking breaks — but how do you know when you’ve actually had one? In this solo episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher shares what happened when he took a real pause from creating, producing, and strategizing — not because he stopped caring, but because he cared too much to keep going unsustainably. Through small grounding habits, reflection, and honest self-checks, Russel explores what it means to step away with intention — and how to retu...

2 months ago

10 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

Getting Organizational Design Right

Most leaders think their organizational problems are structural — that if they just rearrange the boxes on the org chart, everything will flow better. But as organizational design consultant and executive coach Susannah Robinson explains, that’s rarely the real issue. In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher and Susannah break down what organizational design actually means — and how it connects directly to leadership behavior, culture, and employee experience. Toge...

2 months ago

48 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

How Leadership Can Stop Investing in Cultural Debt

Originally released: June, 2024 In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher discusses the causes and answers to cultural debt. Technical debt is a common term in software development to explain growing issues caused by not properly addressing problems. By only implementing "band-aid" solutions, the root problems only continue to grow and fester. Cultural debt is the same in that organizational issues unaddressed or avoided, will jus...

2 months ago

10 minutes

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

Why Respect Outshines Professionalism in Today's Workplace

Originally released: August, 2024 What if being 'professional' is actually holding your workplace back? In this episode, host Russel Lolacher challenges the traditional norms and reveals why respect, not rigid professionalism, is the key to a thriving, diverse workplace. The idea of professionalism is usually about aligning behaviours, dress codes, communication styles and work ethics around the norms of the dominant culture. This is a barrier to diversity and innovation, while promoting uni...

2 months ago

8 minutes