In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher provides a recap of attending Workhuman LIVE in Austin and his favourite takeaways. Russel shares the future of work leadership from Brene Brown, the lessons Baratunde Thurston learned when he discovered his mom wasn't perfect, the importance of intention and impact with considering A.I.,  how Issa Rae embraces fit for herself and her colleagues, and the frustration of having insight you can't use.  If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe and share with others. For more, go to ..read more

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with leadership development expert Summer Davies on what we need to know about our leadership styles and how they can impact employee engagement. Summer shares her thoughts, stories and experience with... Importance of leadership style adaptability. Critical roles of self-awareness and feedback. The different leadership styles and their impacts. Recognizing leadership effectiveness. The need for continuous adjustment. Reconsidering how leadership is selected for promotion. And connect with me for more great content! Sign Up for R@W Not ..read more

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with six-time best-selling co-author, podcast host and keynote speaker Scott Stratten on the impacts of bad leadership and how unlearning and unleadership (defying traditional norms) is the path to better relationships at work. Scott shares his thoughts, stories and experience with... Real experiences good and bad leadership. How bad and good experiences can have life long impacts to employees. Why treating people well isn’t a campaign. How “unlearning” can help leadership. How selfish leadership can hurt a company culture. What to do if ..read more

In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher illustrates the importance of saying NO and not always saying YES. To be a great leader, we need to advocate for and defend our teams. To do that effectively, we'll need to be prepared to say No to our Executive, other business areas, other colleagues. Which is saying YES to team advocacy. Russel shares examples of YES statements leaders may use, the NO responses we should say instead, and the impacts of saying either one.   If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe and share wit ..read more

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with leadership and business development coach Jen Hope on assessing leadership and what we need to understand to get it right. Jen shares her thoughts, stories and experience with... Importance of self-awareness through assessments. Value of feedback and a growth mindset. Bais in assessments. Integration into organizational culture. Organizational support for continuous improvement. How debriefs and development plans foster accountability. And connect with me for more great content! Sign Up for R@W Notes Subscribe on Youtube Follow on ..read more

In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher showcases common resistances to change at work and how leaders can avoid these pitfalls.  Change is a constant in the workplace, but so is resistance to it. The success and failure of change will be found in how leadership introduces, leads, implements and follows up on that change, and in how they respect what's come before. Russel shares five common pitfalls that leaders encounter when implementing change and ways in which we can think differently in how we approach them. If you enjo ..read more

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with speaker and expert leadership development coach Tammy Dowley-Blackman on what leadership needs to understand and embrace from Gen Z in the workplace. Tammy shares her thoughts, stories and experience with... The need to understand and embrace Gen Z. The importance of generosity in leadership. Rethinking professional development. Creating collaborative work environments. Prioritizing open conversations about career paths. Bridging generational gaps through mentoring. And connect with me for more great content! Sign Up for R@W Notes ..read more

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with author, consultant and former WD-40 CEO Garry Ridge on how learning moments for leadership are integral to the success of culture change. (Originally released: April 24,  2023) Garry shares his thoughts, stories and experience with... What a learning moment is for leaders. What change looks when implementing new policies in a large organization. The ingredients in properly changing a culture.  The four pillars for successfully shepherding an organization What leaders are getting wrong right now How Garry motivates his own l ..read more

In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher highlights the dangers of being an empathetic leader.  Empathy is a vital ingredient to good and great leadership. However, it can also be a double-edged sword in how it can impact our ability to lead and the culture we're creating.  Yes, there are tons of benefits in being an empathetic leader, but it can also lead to burn out and avoidance. Russel breaks down how empathy can be a burden at work, and the many ways being too empathetic and not knowing how to manage that empathy ca ..read more

In this episode of Relationships at Work, Russel chats with workplace conflict expert and professional trainer Carol Bowser on how to address conflict at work, on remote teams, in the office and across the organization. Carol shares her insights and experience in... Conflict spectrum in the workplace The role of perception and communication to resolve conflict on remote teams Understanding cultural differences in conflict management Listening fluency as a skill for conflict prevention The importance of building relationships and trust The complexity of conflict resolution Finding workable sol ..read more