Relationships at Work - a trust-driven leadership podcast

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 performance, and what it looks like to create environments where people feel valued at a deeper level.Together, we dig into:what “soul health” actually means and why it’s not about religionhow to spot when your soul is depleted (and what to do about it)practical ways leaders can support teams beyond mind + bodyhow small sensory shifts can transform workplace culturewhy bringing your whole self doesn’t mean bringing everythingIf you’ve ever felt like something important is still missing in your work or leadership, this conversation might be the piece you’ve been searching for.Hey! If you're enjoying the insights from our guests, you'll love our R@W Notes Newsletter. It’s packed with guest takeaways, the resources that inspire them, and my own tips on how we as leaders can be better humans for the humans the are responsible for. Go to RelationshipsAtWorkShow.com and Subscribe Now and help the workplace be more human. Want more from our conversations on the show? Subscribe to the R@W Notes Newsletter! It’s where I share top takeaways from our guests, the resources that fuel their success, and my personal insights on how we as leaders more human. And we need more human.  Go to RelationshipsAtWorkShow.com and Sign up today to keep your leadership journey on the right path. 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

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” hides harmful behaviourOrganizations weaken culture when they don’t define the roles clearlyYou’ll also hear three concrete actions to help teams name, model, and develop leadership and management as distinct skill sets — so the workplace can run well and feel human.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

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 supported“No time” is a leadership myth (and how great leaders use micro-moments)Curiosity is the gateway to better conversationsLeaders must model their own learningThe multidimensional career framework goes far beyond promotionsDaily questions can build engagement, growth, and retentionDevelopment transforms workplace culture one relationship at a timeIf you want to grow your people, deepen trust, build stronger teams, and become a leader people want to work for — this conversation will change how you think about development forever.💡 Perfect for leaders, managers, culture builders, and anyone navigating their own career journey.Hey! If you're enjoying the insights from our guests, you'll love our R@W Notes Newsletter. It’s packed with guest takeaways, the resources that inspire them, and my own tips on how we as leaders can be better humans for the humans the are responsible for. Go to RelationshipsAtWorkShow.com and Subscribe Now and help the workplace be more human. Want more from our conversations on the show? Subscribe to the R@W Notes Newsletter! It’s where I share top takeaways from our guests, the resources that fuel their success, and my personal insights on how we as leaders more human. And we need more human.  Go to RelationshipsAtWorkShow.com and Sign up today to keep your leadership journey on the right path. 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

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 leads to checkbox leadership, abandoned initiatives, and teams who stop believing anything is going to be different. Drawing from real stories, including an executive who celebrated a website without ever asking if anyone used it, Russel breaks down how leaders can shift the narrative.You’ll hear:Why effort is the baseline—not the winHow valuing impact strengthens trust, engagement, and cultureThree practical actions to redefine success and hold leaders accountableIf you want to build a workplace where progress is real—not performative—this episode is for you.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

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 better boundaries and aligning time with values, this conversation offers practical steps to shift from burnout to balance — and from busyness to true productivity.Hey! If you're enjoying the insights from our guests, you'll love our R@W Notes Newsletter. It’s packed with guest takeaways, the resources that inspire them, and my own tips on how we as leaders can be better humans for the humans the are responsible for. Go to RelationshipsAtWorkShow.com and Subscribe Now and help the workplace be more human. Want more from our conversations on the show? Subscribe to the R@W Notes Newsletter! It’s where I share top takeaways from our guests, the resources that fuel their success, and my personal insights on how we as leaders more human. And we need more human.  Go to RelationshipsAtWorkShow.com and Sign up today to keep your leadership journey on the right path. 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

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 matters most.Tell a story with your data that answers “why should leadership care?”Show up where it counts — from one-on-one meetings to leadership briefings.If you’ve ever felt overlooked or under-valued despite great results, this episode is your reminder: hard work doesn’t guarantee recognition — but smart communication can.🎧 Listen to learn how to speak up for your results and get the recognition your work deserves.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

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 culture where people take pride in results.Michael Timms is the author of How Leaders Can Inspire Accountability: Three Habits That Make or Break Leaders and Elevate Organizational Performance.Hey! If you're enjoying the insights from our guests, you'll love our R@W Notes Newsletter. It’s packed with guest takeaways, the resources that inspire them, and my own tips on how we as leaders can be better humans for the humans the are responsible for. Go to RelationshipsAtWorkShow.com and Subscribe Now and help the workplace be more human. Want more from our conversations on the show? Subscribe to the R@W Notes Newsletter! It’s where I share top takeaways from our guests, the resources that fuel their success, and my personal insights on how we as leaders more human. And we need more human.  Go to RelationshipsAtWorkShow.com and Sign up today to keep your leadership journey on the right path. 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

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 return with clarity instead of clutter.Because a true break isn’t just time away from work — it’s reconnection with who you are outside of it.If you’ve been feeling the pull to slow down or the guilt that comes with it, this episode is your reminder that rest is leadership.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

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.Together, they explore:Why most “structure problems” are really leadership and communication problemsHow to align your strategy, values, and design so your people can actually succeedThe difference between managing intent vs. managing impact as a leaderHow ego and fear of change block healthy redesignsWhat real accountability and trust look like when teams restructureWhether you’re leading a department, a small business, or an entire organization, this conversation will help you see organizational design as a relationship practice — not a chart exercise.🎙️ Featuring: Susannah Robinson, Executive Coach, Organizational Design Consultant, President of Partnership for Talent, and author of Beyond the Boxes and Lines: Transforming Business Results Through Organizational Design.Hey! If you're enjoying the insights from our guests, you'll love our R@W Notes Newsletter. It’s packed with guest takeaways, the resources that inspire them, and my own tips on how we as leaders can be better humans for the humans the are responsible for. Go to RelationshipsAtWorkShow.com and Subscribe Now and help the workplace be more human. Want more from our conversations on the show? Subscribe to the R@W Notes Newsletter! It’s where I share top takeaways from our guests, the resources that fuel their success, and my personal insights on how we as leaders more human. And we need more human.  Go to RelationshipsAtWorkShow.com and Sign up today to keep your leadership journey on the right path. 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

Originally released: June, 2024In 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 just poison the company little by little over time until it's not something that can be fixed anymore. Russel provides examples of how we invest in cultural debt and the areas we can pay attention to to avoid it. Join us as we discuss. If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe and share with others.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