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.

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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, or questioning how leadership has changed them.

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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 the four zones of proxemics, why they matter for leaders, and how even virtual settings carry unspoken spatial cues.

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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.

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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.

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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 culture
• How DEI often fails because of language, not values
• Why psychological safety must extend to leaders, not just employees
• What inclusion looks like in everyday decisions, not training sessions
• How reframing DEI as building the best team changes engagement entirely

This conversation moves beyond acronyms and politics and focuses on what actually drives inclusion at work: how leaders show up, how teams experience fairness, and how relationships either build trust — or quietly erode it.

If you’re a middle manager, lead middle managers, or want culture change that actually sticks, this episode is for you.

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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. From offhand comments to missed support, leaders shape trust, confidence, and culture in ways they may never see… but employees never forget.

You’ll walk away with:

• A clearer understanding of how leadership power actually shows up day to day
• Why positive and negative leadership moments can echo for years
• Practical ways to reflect on your leadership impact and course-correct in real time

If you lead people—or influence their experience at work—this episode is a reminder that leadership always leaves a mark. The question is whether you’re choosing it intentionally.

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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 normalized, and how managing up, setting boundaries, and understanding your own worth can protect your mental health without surrendering your agency.

This conversation isn’t about blame.
 It’s about clarity, self-awareness, and figuring out what’s truly within your control — even when the system isn’t working.

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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 culture — often without leaders even realizing it’s happening.

You’ll also hear three practical leadership shifts that help move teams from ego maintenance to mutual respect — and from performance to real relationships at work.

Because nobody was hired to be their boss’s emotional support human.

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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.

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