Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

Hosted by Russel Lolacher

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Episodes

405

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

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.

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60 recent

October 19, 202647 min

The Importance of Adding Compassion to the Workplace — with Nate Brown | R@W REVISITED

(Originally Released: July 4, 2022) In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with co-founder of the CX Accelerator and speaker Nate Brown on how to build community to benefit your employee experience in your industry. Nate shares his experience with... the different types of networks the origins of the CX Accelerator network the differences between introverts and extroverts in building connections The benefits of creating a community Steps to building a network 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 Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime

October 12, 202642 min

How An On Fire Culture Can Solve Employee Engagement — with Eric Chester | R@W REVISITED

(Originally Released: June 27, 2022) In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with multi-time best selling author, researcher and international Hall of Fame speaker Eric Chester on the ingredients to an on fire workplace culture that solves the employee retention problem and improves employee engagement. Eric shares his experience with... The seven pillars for a great workplace culture How the "Golden Rule" gets in the way of retention The challenges of creating a great culture The warning signs that you need to focus on culture Three questions every organization needs to ask its employees What employees want to be motivated (and motivation wasn't the word they used) A case study of what valuing employees looks like 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 Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime

October 5, 202639 min

The Importance of Adding Compassion to the Workplace — with Liz Kislik | R@W REVISITED

(Originally Released: June 15, 2022) In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with management consultant, executive coach and speaker Liz Kislik on the importance of compassion in the workplace. Liz shares her experience with... The difference between compassion and empathy How to be more compassionate Where compassion fits depending on your generation How workplace culture can benefit from compassion How we can foster compassion in others The boundaries of compassion 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 Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime

September 28, 202636 min

How Being a Good Human Equates to being a Better Leader — with Gregg Lederman | R@W REVISITED

(Originally Released: May 30, 2022) In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with author and keynote speaker Gregg Lederman on how being a good human through knowing your values and embracing your vulnerability can make you a better leader at work. Gregg shares his experience with... The balance between results and humanity The importance of living your defined values Where followers fit in good leadership Why you need to know who you are to be a good leader How trust is an outcome, not a value of leadership Finding value-driven leaders 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 Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime

September 21, 202644 min

How Leaders Can Prioritize Their Intent with Action — with Neal Dlin | R@W REVISITED

(Originally Released: May 8, 2022) In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with Neal Dlin , founder and Chief Human Experience Officer of customer and employee experience consultancy Chorus Tree, on intention and action alignment at work, including how it can impact culture, the role of leadership and employees, and how curiosity can help. Neal shares his experience and expertise on... The impacts of words not matching intent and action. How leadership can help employee intention and supporting it. How actions might mislead intention. How employee experience can be hurt by misalignment. Where being a "detective" around intention and actions can help your relationships at work. Where to start in your organization if the culture doesn't align actions and intentions. 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 Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime

September 14, 202629 min

How Stress at Work Impacts Our Health and How to Manage It — with Ian Foss | R@W REVISITED

(Originally Released: March 5, 2022) In episode ten of Relationships at Work, I chat with former emergency management director Ian Foss , on the dangerous impacts of stress on our health and the health of our organizations, and what we can do to identify and manage that stress at work. Ian shares his experience with... The dangerous impacts of stress Where stress can come from to impact your work Things to look for as warning signs of stress Ways to manage stress short-term and long-term 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 Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime

September 7, 202634 min

What Employee Journey Mapping Reveals — with Jeannie Walters | R@W REVISITED

(Originally Released: April 24, 2022) In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with CEO and founder of global consulting firm Experience Investigators Jeannie Walters on the importance of employee journey mapping and its role in employee retention and engagement. Jeannie shares her experience and expertise on... The scope of an employee journey map. How employee personas can help and what they should include. When you should review your employee journey map. Where mapping falls down. How maps can help with employee engagement. Why organizations don't do it as frequently as they should. 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 Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime

August 31, 202634 min

How to Build a People-First Culture — with Annette Franz | R@W REVISITED

(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 and personal values fit to build culture How you can check-in on how your culture is progressing (or not) Red flags and mistakes to a broken culture How outside-in, inside-in decision making can be impactful (for good and bad) 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 Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime

August 24, 2026Episode 38022 min

What Almost 400 Conversations on Leadership Taught Me

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 relationships are organizational infrastructure, how intention and impact need to stay connected, why curiosity matters more as leaders gain authority, how trust is built long before it is needed, what culture really teaches people, why leadership is an ecosystem, and why stewardship may be one of the most important responsibilities of all. I also talk about why I’m pausing Relationships at Work, why I’ll be revisiting some standout conversations from the archive, and what I do — and don’t — know about what comes next. Mostly, this episode is a reflection on what almost 400 conversations have sharpened for me about better leadership — and a thank you to everyone who helped shape the show along the way. 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 Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime

August 9, 2026Episode 37946 min

How to Build a Better Feedback Culture

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 of everyday work—not an annual event. 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 Threads Follow on TikTok Email me anytime