My guest this week is the insightful Russel Lolacher, a fellow Canadian with a background steeped in communications and leadership before an employee experience epiphany in 2018 ultimately led to the creation of his fantastic podcast, Relationships at Work.
Russel shares his wisdom on fostering better organisations through stronger relationships. He takes us on his personal journey into the realm of relationship building at work, highlighting the power of personalisation, connecting work to value, and empowerment. It's all about creating a workplace culture that thrives on positive connections.
We delve deep into how power dynamics and leadership styles influence workplace relationships and culture. Russel underscores the responsibility that comes with power, advocating for leaders to be more accessible and engaged. It's a call for intentional and meaningful interactions—something every leader should hear.
How do you understand or measure your leadership impact?
Why you should listen: No relationships; no culture
Communal leadership for the win
We explore leadership principles for better relationships
Invest in getting to know your team personally
Use your leadership to empower others
Connecting the work to the purpose is a leadership sweet spot
Take action
Ask yourself, do you know your teammates' middle name? It's an indication of how well you know your team. Go out and find something personal about them, get to know them as humans.
Tip of the week
This one comes from my book Loyalty: Stop Unwanted Staff Turnover, Boost Engagement, and Create Lifelong Advocates and it’s around making sure your employees’ needs are being met. Consider the five currencies of engagement: Money, Belonging, Appreciation, Status and Growth. How many of these is your leadership able to provide?
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About Russel Lolacher
Russel Lolacher is the host of the Relationships at Work podcast which explores the challenges and opportunities of building healthy relationships in the workplace and improving the employee experience with international experts in their fields. Russel is a self-described leader and communications nerd with decades of experience and a load of curiosity about how we can help leaders create and maintain amazing workplaces.
Find out more: https://www.russellolacher.com/
Key moments
Planet Human: OpenAI has showcased Sora, a text to video tool that looks like it has huge potential to democratise media production.
Planet Zoë: Reflecting on the Leadership Conclave and already thinking about the next event. Subscribe to the Monthly Round-Up to be the first to know about future events and get a free People Stuff ebook. Or if fiction is more your thing, please apply for an Advanced Reader Copy of Olympus Bound.
Introduction to Russel Lolacher (00:05:26) A diverse background and powerful personal leadership journey
Impact of Negative Leadership Experiences (00:09:42) Discussion of the long-lasting impact of negative leadership experiences on individuals and consultants.
Leadership Behaviour and Impact on Culture (00:10:53) Exploration of how leaders get away with bad behaviour and the focus on results over leadership development.
Shift in Leadership Perspective (00:12:06) The impact of the global pandemic on leadership perspectives and the need for self-awareness among leaders.
Surviving and Influencing Toxic Cultures (00:14:12) Strategies for leaders to survive and influence toxic cultures, focusing on what they can control and building relationships.
Building Relationships at Work (00:18:31) The importance of relationships in workplace culture and the similarity between building relationships at work and in personal life.
Professionalism and Its Impact (00:20:06) Challenging the notion of professionalism and its potential impact on diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
Ageism and Gender Bias (00:20:42) Discussion on ageism, gender bias, and the changing expectations of employees in the workplace.
Power and Responsibility (00:21:46) Exploration of the impact of power on leadership, responsibilities, and the disconnect between executives and employees.
Accountability and Leadership (00:22:57) Analysis of the lack of accountability in leadership roles and the shifting perspectives on power among new generations.
Remote Work and Office Return (00:25:33) Debate on the push for employees to return to the office and the impact on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Remote Work Challenges (00:27:56) Discussion on balancing remote work flexibility with the desire for connection and community in the workplace.
Intent in Digital Leadership (00:28:43) Importance of intention and meaningful efforts in building a digital culture and fostering connections in a hybrid or digital model.
Purposeful Gathering (00:31:14) Emphasis on purposeful gatherings, whether virtual or in-person, and the need for intentional interactions.
Redesigning Meetings (00:32:10) Approach to redesigning work practices with relationship-based principles and tips for intentional and meaningful meetings.
Understanding Impact as a Leader (00:34:41) Insight into understanding the impact of leadership on employees and the importance of self-awareness and situational awareness.
Future Technology and Leadership (00:37:50) Desire for advanced AI technology to support and enhance leadership capabilities.
Leadership Tips and Decisiveness (00:38:21) The universal tip of listening and the importance of decisiveness in leadership.
Checkbox Mentality in Leadership (00:38:58) Frustration with the checkbox mentality in leadership and the lack of follow-up and understanding of the impact of actions.
Effective Leadership and Onboarding (00:40:13) Discussion on the frustration with ineffective onboarding processes and the missed opportunity to support new employees.
Leadership Assessment (00:35:04) Insight into assessing leadership impact through the perspectives of the environment, work culture, and self-awareness.
Leadership Role Model (00:41:14) Recognition of a leader doing something right
Russel Lolacher's Leadership Experience (00:41:26) Russel's transformation from a poor leader to a compassionate one, learning from past mistakes.
Shift from Top-Down Leadership (00:46:04) Discussion on the need to move away from top-down leadership and the potential challenges in global politics.
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About your host, Canberra leadership expert Zoë Routh:
Zoë Routh is a leadership futurist, podcaster, and multiple award-winning author. She works with leaders and teams to navigate future horizons.
She has worked with individuals and teams internationally and in Australia since 1987. From wild Canadian rivers to the Australian Outback, and the Boardroom jungles, Zoë is an adventurist! She facilitates strategy and culture sessions with audacious teams.
Zoë's fourth leadership book, People Stuff - Beyond Personality Problems: An advanced handbook for leadership, won the Book of the Year at the Australian Business Book Awards in 2020. Her fifth book is a near future science fiction dystopian novel, The Olympus Project.
Zoë is the producer of the Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast, dedicated to asking “What if…?” and sharing Big Ideas on the Future of Leadership.
Zoë is an outdoor adventurist and enjoys telemark skiing, has run six marathons, is a one-time belly-dancer, has survived cancer, and loves hiking in the high country. She is married to a gorgeous Aussie and is a self-confessed dark chocolate addict.