x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

Russel Lolacher

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,

business management

All Episodes

53:50

Tying Motivation to Purpose at Work

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2026/02/02

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...

en

7:38

Silence Isn’t Neutral: When Leaders Wait, Teams Drift

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2026/01/29

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, ...

en

59:21

When Job Fit Fails ADHD at Work

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2026/01/26

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 ...

en

7:11

Performative Leadership vs. Actually Doing the Work

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2026/01/22

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 ...

en

51:16

The Hidden Cost of Leadership Advancement

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2026/01/19

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,...

en

9:56

What Your Personal Space Is Saying at Work

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2026/01/15

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...

en

55:45

Why Presence at Work Is Really About Awareness

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2026/01/12

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 ...

en

9:44

The Mentorship Gap No One Talks About

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2026/01/08

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...

en

52:50

Why DEI Gets Stuck in the Middle

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2026/01/05

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...

en

9:18

Leadership Isn’t Neutral: Understanding the Power You...

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2026/01/01

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...

en

59:59

Are We Part of the Problem at Work?

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2025/12/29

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...

en

9:15

When Managing Your Boss Becomes the Job

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2025/12/25

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...

en

59:36

When Leaders Mean Well — and Still Get It Wrong

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2025/12/22

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...

en

9:25

What a Christmas Table Taught Me About Employee...

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2025/12/19

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 ...

en

50:09

How Influence Really Works at Work

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2025/12/15

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 ...

en

11:39

Fixing the Leadership Blame Game

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2025/12/11

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, ...

en

54:09

Soul Health at Work: The Missing Layer of Leadership

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2025/12/08

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...

en

8:03

Leaders vs. Managers: The Cost of Mixing Them Up

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2025/12/04

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...

en

54:12

Why Development Is a Relationship

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2025/12/01

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 ...

en

9:14

Why Leaders Must Celebrate Impact, Not Effort

Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership... ·

2025/11/20

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...

en

360 results

Similar Podcasts

TaxTalent.com The Golden Rule Podcast

Adam Golden

TaxTalent.com Podcast

Tony Santiago

Handelsblatt Crime - spannende Streitfälle der deutschen Wirtschaft

Ina Karabasz, Solveig Gode, Sönke Iwersen

Deffner und Zschäpitz – Der Wirtschafts-Talk von WELT

WELT

Black Box - La scatola nera della finanza

Guido Brera e Gian Luca Comandini -...