Relationships at Work - the leadership podcast helping you build workplace connection, improve culture, and avoid blind spots.

In this Relationships at Work episode, host Russel Lolacher explores one of leadership’s most overlooked skills—tone. It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. From quick emails to team meetings, the wrong tone can undermine intent, damage relationships, and weaken trust. Russel shares a real-world example of how three simple words—“Perfect, for now”—changed the dynamic of a working relationship, and offers practical actions leaders can take to ensure their communication lands as intended.Learn how to adapt your tone to your audience, balance clarity with empathy, and use feedback to build stronger workplace connections. Because leadership isn’t just about delivering information—it’s about ensuring your message supports trust, psychological safety, and culture.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

Part 4 of our 4-part conversation on the Superloop framework.What does a healthy, human-centered workplace really look like? Susan Leger Ferraro — executive coach, speaker, and bestselling author of Superloop joins Russel Lolacher to reveal how her framework can transform organizational culture. From equity audits to leadership accountability, Susan shares proven strategies to align beliefs, biology, and behavior at every level, creating workplaces where people and performance thrive.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

Part 3 of our 4-part conversation on the Superloop framework.Strong teams aren’t built by accident. In this episode, Russel Lolacher sits down with Susan Leger Ferraro — senior advisor, CEO of G3 Works, and author of the bestselling book Superloop. She explains how practices like clearing conversations, Feedforward, and Pathmaker roles help teams move beyond conflict and into connection. Learn practical steps from Susan’s leadership framework for building trust, improving communication, and supporting your team with authenticity and accountability.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

Part 2 of our 4-part conversation on the Superloop framework.Your relationship with yourself determines how you show up as a leader. Susan Leger Ferraro — speaker, executive coach, and bestselling author of Superloop — shares why triggers aren’t setbacks, but signals for growth. Discover how to use self-reflection, emotional hygiene, and conscious interruption of your Superloop to build resilience, confidence, and clarity in 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

Part 1 of our 4-part conversation on the Superloop framework.In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher and Susan Leger Ferraro, author of Superloop, unpack how beliefs, biology, and behavior create the framework for everything we do as leaders and employees. Discover how awareness of this loop helps us stop running on autopilot and start shaping better outcomes for ourselves and our workplaces.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.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

Governance isn't just paperwork and policy—it shapes how employees are hired, managed, and treated every single day. In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher sits down with HR leader Dominique Brewer to dig into what HR governance really is, how it connects to the employee experience, and why leadership accountability is essential for it to succeed.From the Workhuman*LIVE event in Colorado, Dominique shares how frameworks and shared accountability can reduce risk, increase fairness, and build trust within teams—and why HR must be embedded in the business, not just sit beside it. From defining governance to navigating perception, communication, and culture, this conversation reframes HR from a department of compliance to a driver of equity and clarity.We explore:Why HR governance is more than “avoiding risk”How to assess whether governance is helping or hurting your cultureWhat good leadership looks like in a structured systemHow employee experience is shaped by policy clarity, or the lack of itWhether you're in HR, leadership, or just trying to understand the systems around you—this episode will give you a new lens on how organizations truly function (or don’t).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.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

This is part 4 of a 4-part conversation on authentic leadership.You can’t fake authenticity — and culture knows when you try. In this episode, author and executive coach Jim Fielding joins to discuss how leaders shape organizational culture through tone, vulnerability, and consistent behavior. As a former executive with teams of thousands at companies like Disney and Claire’s, Jim shares the signals of inauthentic cultures, the role of curiosity in connection, and the daily actions that build psychological safety. His advice? Start listening. Start watching. Culture is built in the small moments — and leaders set the pace.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

This is part 3 of a 4-part conversation on authentic leadership.Team culture begins before day one. In this episode, executive coach, author, and former Disney exec Jim Fielding reveals how authenticity shows up in the hiring process, how to build trust through vulnerability, and why showing up as a fully human leader sets the tone for every team interaction. From performance conversations to “espresso machine culture,” Jim explains what real empowerment looks like — and how to create workplaces where people actually want to belong.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

This is part 2 of a 4-part conversation on authentic leadership.Self-awareness isn’t optional if you want to lead authentically. In this episode, author and executive coach Jim Fielding explores the personal barriers that prevent leaders from showing up as their true selves. From trauma and identity to DISC profiles and 360 reviews, Jim shares the internal tools and honest moments that shaped his leadership journey — and how understanding your own story helps you lead with empathy, clarity, and presence. Jim is an executive coach and the author of All Pride, No Ego: A Queer Executive’s Journey on Living and Leading Authentically.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

This is part 1 of a 4-part conversation on authentic leadership.Authenticity is often used as a leadership buzzword — but what does it actually mean? In this episode, Jim Fielding, executive coach and author of All Pride, No Ego, shares his clear and human-centered definition of authentic leadership. Drawing on his experience as a former executive at Disney, DreamWorks, and Fox, Jim explains how authenticity creates psychological safety, the importance of adapting in “the grey,” and why creating space for people to bring their whole selves is good for business — and culture.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