What actually makes a relationship tick - and why do some connections fade the moment circumstances change?

In this episode, Brad and Chris kick off their new series on the 7 Components of Relationship with the first "C" - Context.

Whether it's a shared workplace, a carpool, a hockey team, or a life experience like illness or loss, context is the invisible engine powering most of our connections.

And once you understand it, you'll never look at your relationships the same way again.

From the colleague you'd follow to a new city, to the instant bond formed between two strangers who've faced the same hardship, the guys unpack how context works at every level - current, historical, and life-based.

They also get practical: how can leaders intentionally create or shift context to strengthen their teams?

Key Takeaways

- Context is one of 7 measurable components of any relationship - and it works as a powerful accelerant when shared, or a barrier when lost.

- There are three layers of context: current (shared spaces/activities), historical (past shared experiences), and life context (shared life circumstances).

- When context changes, relationships often change with it - and that's not a failure; it's just how human connection works.

- Leaders can intentionally engineer context to increase team connection through simple tweaks like shared lunches, clubs, or cross-department collaboration sessions.

- Context alone doesn't tell the full story of a relationship, but it gives you a huge piece of the puzzle, and it's always a great place to start.

Grab your walking shoes and join the conversation!

Because we don't all scream for ice cream...

What if the way you're rewarding your team is actually driving them away?

In this candid conversation, Chris and Brad dig into one of leadership's most overlooked blind spots — the disconnect between how leaders think they're motivating their people and what their people actually need.

From promotions that backfire to bonuses that feel hollow, they unpack why the go-to rewards (money, titles, or even ice cream) often miss the mark entirely.

Whether you're managing a big team or a small one, you'll be challenged to rethink how you're appreciating your people.

The guys make the case that relational leadership isn't just "nice to have" — it's the difference between a team that stays, grows, and thrives, and one that quietly walks out the door.

Key Takeaways

• Money is a very limited currency. Compensation matters, but when it becomes the only reward, you've unintentionally built a culture where loyalty is for sale to the highest bidder.

• A premature promotion can be a punishment in disguise. Elevating someone before they're ready — without support or preparation — doesn't actually reward them, it isolates them.

• Different people are driven by different currencies. One person wants a raise. Another wants to lead a project. Another just wants more of a voice at the table. Assuming everyone values the same reward is one of the most common (and costly) leadership mistakes.

• Relational equity is your best retention strategy. A great culture is so valuable that people will turn down higher-paying opportunities to be part of it. Being known, valued, and invited into the conversation is a reward that money simply can't replicate.

Join the guys on the path for another great chat!

It sounds so great! So why isn't it working?

Have you ever come home from a holiday feeling like you need another one?

There's a reason for that, and it's not because you didn't get enough sleep.

While we can take a break from the tasks and even the challenges of work, what we cannot do is leave behind who we are as leaders.

We don't become different people on a weekend away. Everything we believe about ourselves and those we lead gets packed up and brought with us.

So what do we actually need from our time away? And how do we come back ready to be the best leaders we can be?

Well, we weren’t entirely sure, so we put on our shoes, hit the path, and ended up questioning one of leadership culture's most overused words: balance.

What we dig into:

• Why the standard R&R philosophy often doesn't deliver what it promises, and the questions we should be asking instead
• The uncomfortable difference between resting and running away (and only you know which one you're doing ;)
• Why the healthiest way to reset and refocus isn't more time alone, and the relational solution to this

Come with us for a walk and a conversation about a sustainable leadership lifestyle built on rhythms, honest self-reflection, and ensuring the right people are alongside you.

It’s just leadership - so easy even a child can do it!

In this episode, Chris and Brad unpack a rich and relatable analogy for what it truly means to lead people well - helping a child do a puzzle.

Through this picture, they explore the heart of relational leadership: coming alongside people, reading their needs in real time, and empowering them to succeed without doing the work for them.

Key Takeaways

• The Puzzle Metaphor - Leadership isn't about getting the puzzle done. It’s about helping the other person learn that they can do it. The goal is to build confidence and capability, not just complete the task.

• Coming Alongside, Not Standing Above - The posture matters. Like sitting beside a child doing a puzzle, relational leadership means being present, engaged, and on the same level.

• The Balance of Too Much vs. Too Little - Great leaders find the sweet spot between doing too much (robbing people of the win) and being too hands-off (leaving people to flounder). This is the real work.

• Letting People Own the Win - People may never realize how much you helped them, and that's a good thing. The goal is for them to say, "I did this!” and for our egos to truly celebrate them.

• The Learner becomes the Leader - Every leader was once the child doing the puzzle. And just like older siblings naturally pass on what they learned, leaders who were led well will lead others well in return.

• From Doing to Developing - The hardest transition in leadership is moving from being the best at the task to empowering others to do the task. We have to be really intentional about becoming great developers of people.

Now let’s put the pieces together. Join us for a walk and a great conversation!

What if the biggest risk in your next project isn't the budget, the timeline, or the building code — but the people?

In this episode, Chris and Brad take their signature walk and unpack a real conversation that unfolded over a lunch on holiday.

Chris shares how a chance encounter with two accomplished leaders turned into a powerful reminder of what even the most capable leaders can miss.

A seasoned manager had done everything right, yet when it came time to move forward, the very people she was trying to help pushed back hard. Why? Because no one had assessed the relational risk: the fears, past experiences, and questions of the people involved.

Chris and Brad explore why talented leaders are often the most at risk of leaving people behind, and what to do when you realize you've gotten out ahead of your people.

• The Relational Risk Assessment — Why your plan needs a people-risk column alongside budget, timeline, and compliance
• Fear Fills the Blanks — When people don't have the full picture, they write their own ending (and it's usually worse than reality)
• The Puzzle Analogy — How sharing the frame of the puzzle first brings people in, rather than leaving them frustrated on the outside
• The Power of the Pause — A simple but powerful move for leaders who've charged ahead: pause publicly, invite people in, and push play together
• Talent as a Liability — Why the more capable you are, the easier it is to leave people behind without realizing it

Leading relationally isn't a leadership tool — it's a lens. And once it's on, you can't turn it off (even on holiday).

Before you charge ahead on your next initiative, ask yourself: Have I done the relational risk assessment?

When you look through one, you’ll see things you can’t unsee…

Ever been in a tough situation with your team and immediately started reacting as a leader, only to realize later that you handled it all wrong? In this episode, Chris and Brad walk through a real leadership story that'll hit close to home.

A leader who genuinely values relationships started to panic when team drama surfaced, and they quickly defaulted into "manager mode." Policy manuals came out, conversations felt cold, and people with years of trust built up started feeling like they were just a problem to be managed. The result? Burned relationships, hurt feelings, and a team that might not make it out intact.

The guys dig into why this happens, even to leaders who know better, and what it looks like to make the relational lens your first instinct, not your last resort. The conversation covers the cost of reacting poorly and how to operate, not just with the end goal in mind, but with the end relationship in mind. 

IN THIS EPISODE

- Why good leaders will still default to unrelational strategies when things go sideways

- The power of the pause — practical ways to get your relational lens back when panic takes over

- Why navigating conflict well can actually build more trust than avoiding it altogether

Let’s hit the path!

In this first full episode of the LR podcast, Chris and Brad start to dig into the question many leaders will be wondering: What does it actually mean to lead relationally?

After years of leadership courses, books, and seminars, the guys found themselves frustrated and unconfident when the theories didn’t translate into real-life success. The models were solid. The advice was helpful. But when it came to leading actual humans—with different personalities, emotions, and perspectives—something was lacking.

What they discovered is simple but challenging: you can’t lead relationally if you’re trying to grow alone.

They unpack the turning point in their own journeys—realizing that knowledge isn’t enough. Leadership growth requires conversation, vulnerability, and someone outside the chaos of your workplace who can challenge you safely. Enter “Dave.” Not a guru. Not a boss. Just a trusted, wise voice who asks the uncomfortable questions, calls them up to be better, and helps them examine their own hearts before trying to “fix” everyone else.

In this conversation, they explore:

• Why leadership information without relational growth falls flat

• The danger of trying to improve in isolation

• How unresolved frustration leaks onto your team (or your family)

• What it means to have a “Dave” in your life—and how to find one

• Why every leader eventually needs to become a Dave for someone else

This episode is both practical and deeply personal—a reminder that relational leadership doesn’t start with techniques. It starts with doing the inner work in trusted community.

If you want to lead people well, don’t just listen to podcasts about leadership. Find your Dave. Start the conversation. And don’t try to do it alone.

Welcome to the Lead Relationally podcast, where Chris and Brad invite you into an ongoing conversation about a better way to approach leadership.

Although they are seasoned leaders, they prefer to consider themselves students, rather than experts. They've “seen a thing or two”, though, and they’ve become convinced that many traditional leadership models don’t go far enough. There has to be a better, fuller, more human way to lead.

This podcast explores what it means to lead yourself and others well—whether you’re managing a team or simply working within one. Brad and Chris dive into the real dynamics of leadership: team friction, communication challenges, self-doubt, isolation, and the tension between getting results and valuing people. They challenge the idea that leadership has to be lonely and instead explore what it looks like to lead relationally—serving alongside others, engaging as whole people, and creating clarity without sacrificing humanity.

This isn’t about being everyone’s friend. It’s about learning to relate well, communicate effectively, and build environments where people feel seen, valued, and understood—while still accomplishing meaningful goals.

From hiring and firing to handling conflict and confronting tough conversations, they’ll unpack how a relational approach can transform the way we lead.

If you’ve ever wrestled with questions like “Am I doing this right?” or “Is there a better way to lead?”—this conversation is for you.

Join them on the journey as they explore what it means to lead relationally—and discover how leadership can be both effective and deeply human.

See you on the path!