Relationships at Work - The Leadership Guide to Building Workplace Connections and Avoiding Blind Spots.
Relationships at Work - your leadership guide to building workplace connections and avoiding blind spots.
A relatable and honest show on leadership, organizational culture and soft skills, focusing on improving employee engagement and company culture to inspire people to apply, stay and thrive.
Because no one wants leadership that fosters toxic environments at work, nor should they.
Host, speaker and communications leader Russel Lolacher shares his experience and insights, discussing the leadership and corporate culture topics that matter with global experts help us with the success of our organizations (regardless of industry). This show will give you the information, education, strategies and tips you need to avoid leadership blind spots, better connect with all levels of our organization, and develop the necessary soft skills that are essential to every organization.
From leadership development and training to employee satisfaction to diversity, inclusivity, equity and belonging to personalization and engagement... there are so many aspects and opportunities to build great relationships at work
This is THE place to start and nurture our leadership journey and create an amazing workplace.
Relationships at Work - The Leadership Guide to Building Workplace Connections and Avoiding Blind Spots.
Why One Leadership Style Will Fail You and Your Team
What’s your leadership style? It’s a common question, but the real answer shouldn’t be just one.
In this episode of Relationships at Work, host Russel Lolacher challenges the idea of rigid leadership styles and explains why adaptability is key to leading effectively.
Different situations call for different approaches—whether it’s authoritative leadership in a crisis, transactional leadership for goal-driven teams, or servant leadership for collaboration. Sticking to just one limits your impact.
Russel explores how leaders can assess their default style, develop new approaches, and build a more dynamic leadership toolkit. If you want to lead well in any environment, it’s time to expand your skill set.
And connect with me for more great content!
Welcome back to Relationships At Work – Your guide to building workplace connections and avoiding leadership blind spots.. I’m your host Russel Lolacher
I’m a communications and leadership nerd with a couple of decades of experience and a heap of curiosity on how we can make the workplace better. If you’re a leader trying to understand and improve your impact on work culture and the employee experience, you’re in the right place.
This mini-episode is a quick and valuable bit of information to help your mindset for the week ahead.
Inspired by our R@W Note Newsletter, I’m passing on to you…
One Leadership Style is Not Enough For Great Leaders
"What's your leadership style?"
I’ve seen it asked by leaders. I’ve seen it mentioned online. I've been asked this. I've probably asked it earlier in my own leadership journey of others. All in an effort to better understand how someone leads.
Servant leadership, People leader, Collaborative leader, Democratic, Authoritative. Hands off. Involved… all styles…or at least the ones we'll admit to.
And this may be true. The problem is that that limits us as leaders. To really be a great leader, we have to be adaptable, not rigid. One style does not fit all people or all situations. To be an effective leader, we need far more than just one style.
Our leadership style should be much more like a Swiss Army Knife - the right tool for the job and/or audience at hand. We need to think of it like great communication. We don't communicate in the same way to everyone because everyone is different in how they understand information or even prefer to be informed. You wouldn’t communicate to your team the same way as you'd communicate to a colleague in a different organization or how you'd communicate with boss.
Leadership is the same.
What works for some doesn't work for others, or in every situation. So as leaders, it's important to expand our skill set for the job at hand. Let's look at two styles that aren't usually desired – authoritative and transactional. And one that is – servant.
They all have their place in our leadership skillset.
So with an authoritative leadership style—where you take strict control, make the decisions, and expect obedience—it can sometimes be necessary. This works best in high-pressure situations like emergencies, crisis management, or fast-moving environments where there’s no time for debate.
Other times, a transactional leadership approach—where you focus on clear goals, structured tasks, and a system of rewards and consequences—makes the most sense. This style is great for managing sales teams with quotas, overseeing deadline-driven projects, or making sure people stick to strict processes, like in heavily regulated industries.
Then there’s servant leadership, which is all about putting your team’s needs first and helping them succeed. This approach works well when you're leading a customer service team that needs to improve satisfaction, managing volunteers who rely on motivation and support, or guiding creative teams that do their best work in a collaborative environment.
None of these styles fit all situations.
In an emergency, I can’t see a servant leadership style being really effective if they’re stopping to figure out how their team needs to be supported or trying to find creative solutions. But I also don’t see an authoritative leadership style demanding obedience from a group of young volunteers.
And that's the problem with asking a leader what their singular style of leadership is because it shouldn't ever be ONE style. That’s not the goal.
Being asked that question though is, however, a great opportunity. It helps us understand what our default style is while also leading us to expand our leadership style skill set.
First, self-assess and reflect on that leadership style we default to and how we currently respond in different situations. If you’re not sure how to find out, take a survey, get feedback, do a personality assessment. Think about what has worked and what hasn’t. It helps us recognize where what our “go to” style is so we can do the work to add tools to our toolkit. It might even highlight other styles you didn’t know you had and possibly subconsciously switched to in certain situations.
Once you do that self-awareness test, have some discussions with other leaders. Have discussions with your team members. Not only to better understand yourself but also to see what they do. Remember, you shouldn't see yourself as alone in this. Learn how they adapted their styles to various challenges. Watch others, in their diverse leadership styles, in action—whether through mentors, books, or case studies. It expands our understanding.
Then get to experimenting and developing. Work on that emotional intelligence (EQ), which is crucial to recognizing when we need to shift. Training programs with role-playing and scenario-based exercises can be helpful. So can courses, books, podcasts like this one. Then try these new leadership styles out in the real-world, paying attention to their impact - good and bad. I’d even communicate with those you’re leading that you’re trying. Shows vulnerability and willingness to learn.
We have to be willing to step out of our comfort zone, and having only one singular leadership style is staying comfortable. The more adaptable we are, the better we can serve our organization and our teams. At every level.
Don't be a spoon when the situation calls for a corkscrew. Or the tweezers. Swiss Army Knife metaphor for the win.
If there’s anything to take away… it’s “keep adding to your toolkit.”
