Dr. Laura welcomes author, speaker, breathwork coach, and community advocate Josh Connolly to Where Work Meets Life™ for a conversation about the parallels between toxic family systems and toxic workplaces. Josh draws on his own experience growing up with an alcoholic father and later overcoming addiction himself to share how healing started for him. It was truth, a safe community, and reconnecting with self that combined for his renewal. Together, he and Dr. Laura explore how toxic parents and toxic bosses can leave similar emotional wounds that include self-doubt, anxiety, people pleasing, and loss of identity. They discuss boundaries and the importance of reclaiming personal power after unhealthy work or family relationships.

Josh explains how dysfunctional family roles often mirror workplace dynamics. Toxic leaders create fear, division, and favoritism that silence curiosity and authenticity, much as a toxic family does. Dr. Laura connects these insights to her work helping clients recover from toxic bosses and rebuild confidence after workplace trauma. The episode highlights the importance of emotional recovery, somatic practices like breathwork, and supportive human connection in leaving behind toxicity. Dr. Laura offers listeners validation and practical hope for healing from toxic relationships both at home and at work.

“The best parent, similar to a best leader, is not one who doesn't make any mistakes, but is one that is very approachable. To be able to be open to their own mistakes and open to having conversations, looking for accountability, finding responsibility, and being able to work collaboratively to find a solution.” - Josh Connolly

About Josh Connolly:

Josh Connolly, an Amazon bestselling author, has taken the mental health world by storm with his groundbreaking book, "It’s Them, Not You: How to Break Free from Toxic Parents and Reclaim Your Story." This transformative guide provides readers with essential tools and guided breathwork sessions to overcome toxic family dynamics and heal from past trauma​. Renowned as one of the UK's top mental health advocates, 

Josh connects with nearly half a million followers, delivering powerful insights and strategies. His workshops, ranging from local schools to some of the biggest brands in the world, empower individuals to connect deeply with their emotions and intuition. As an ambassador for Nacoa, Josh passionately supports those affected by parental alcohol issues, driving significant advancements in mental health awareness and support.

Resources:

Website: JoshConnolly.co.uk

Instagram: Josh_ffw

YouTube: JoshConnolly_FFW

Book: “It’s Them, Not You: How to Break Free from Toxic Parents and Reclaim Your Story” by Josh Connolly

Podcast: Dysfunctional

Inner You Breathwork Facilitator Training: become a certified breathwork facilitator, enrollment now open 

“I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss” by Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett

Dr. Laura on LinkedIn

Where Work Meets Life™ on YouTube

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Laura welcomes psychologist, speaker, and bestselling author Dr. Jody Carrington for a powerful conversation on what it means to stay human in an increasingly AI-driven world. Dr. Laura and Jody explore the increasing disconnection people feel in spite of constant digital access. Jody reframes what we label as a mental health crisis as, instead, a deep loneliness epidemic. She shares insights on how technology, social media, and the relentless push for productivity have chipped away at meaningful relationships and emotional regulation. She highlights the essential role of connection in helping individuals and organizations thrive. Dr. Laura and Dr. Carrington also address the urgent need to prioritize emotional regulation skills as a core strategy for leadership, rather than being a secondary consideration.

Dr. Carrington offers practical and thought-provoking ways for us to reconnect, from creating tech-free spaces to practicing intentional pauses that restore presence and calm. Together, Dr. Laura and Jody shine a hopeful yet honest light on modern life, emphasizing that tools like AI can create efficiency, but they can’t replace authentic interaction. Dr. Laura’s thoughtful questions guide a rich dialogue on how individuals, leaders, and communities can reclaim connection, support one another, and build environments where people feel seen and valued.

“Technology isn’t the problem. How we use it is the issue, and we’re up against it as humans because we are wired for connection.” - Dr. Jody Carrington

About Jody Carrington:

Dr. Jody Carrington is a powerhouse speaker and fearless champion for authentic human connection. She is highly sought after for her expertise, energy, and genuine approach to helping people solve the most complex human-centred problems. This rapidly disconnected world is leaving so many of us overwhelmed, lonely, and burned out. Dr. Jody boldly believes that all humans have the capacity for good; however, so many of us these days, because of isolation and burnout, have lost access to that good.

Dr. Jody’s work often involves understanding just how we got to this disconnected place, what we need to put the pieces back together, and maybe most importantly, how we collectively do "the work" to find our way back home again when (not if) we lose our way. Her authentic, honest, and often hilarious approach never fails to inspire and motivate audiences.

Dr. Carrington is the founder and principal psychologist at Carrington & Company, she's written three best-selling books, speaks on hundreds of stages globally each year, and hosts the widely celebrated podcast UNLONELY. In this modern world where we look all the time, but we don't see, where we listen but we don't hear, Dr. Jody is clear on one thing: we were never meant to do any of this alone. 

Resources:

Website: DrJodyCarrington.com

“Feeling Seen” by Jody Carrington, PhD

Podcast: Unlonely with Dr. Jody Carrington

LinkedIn: Dr-Jody-Carrington

YouTube: DrJodyCarrington

Jay Baer

The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant podcast

“I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss” by Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett

Dr. Laura on LinkedIn

Where Work Meets Life™ on YouTube

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Laura offers a reassuring perspective in this solo episode, exploring how to stay grounded when the world and work feel uncertain and overwhelming. Drawing on her experience as a psychologist, she explains how fear can push us into fight, flight, or freeze responses, which ultimately drain energy and disrupt relationships. Dr. Laura brings the focus back to the present moment, encouraging us to reconnect with what’s in our control today instead of getting swept up in global uncertainty and negative news cycles. 

Dr. Laura shares practical ways to restore calm and clarity through simple yet powerful practices, including the three W’s of walk, window, and water, which she learned from her friends at CALM. She urges us to reconnect with activities that recharge our personal energy. The importance of setting boundaries with media and social platforms, while cultivating gratitude and self-awareness in daily life, is part of achieving this recharge. With warmth and insight, Dr. Laura reminds us that even in difficult times, small intentional actions help build resilience, restore perspective, and create a sense of peace.

“Staying grounded means what can you control today and this week?” - Dr. Laura

About Dr. Laura:

Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett is a work and career psychologist and thought leader on the evolution of work. She has always been fascinated by how work intersects with life and loves to use her expertise to improve organizations and help people thrive. Her passion for taking creative ideas and launching them into successful business strategies led her to start three counselling psychology practices (Calgary Career Counselling, Canada Career Counselling, and Synthesis Psychology), as well as six different business brands offering organizational assessment and consulting services.

Dr. Laura is honoured to have been selected as a Woman of Distinction in Canada in 2014 and received a Canadian Woman of Inspiration Award as a Global Influencer in 2018. Her new book, I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss, is available for purchase on Amazon now.

Resources:

“I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss” by Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett

Dr. Laura on LinkedIn

Where Work Meets Life™ on YouTube

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Laura welcomes executive coach, author, and former Microsoft leader Sabina Nawaz for a discussion on what it really takes to become a manager people want to follow. Drawing from her own experience of shifting from a caring leader to one she no longer recognized under pressure, Sabina shares a deeply human perspective on how pressure, more than power, quietly shapes behavior at work. Dr. Laura and Sabina explore how even the most well-intentioned managers can fall into common traps that limit their teams, including the tendency to take on too much or unknowingly diminish others’ contributions. They invite reflection on how leadership shows up in everyday moments and how small, intentional shifts can transform both personal effectiveness and team culture.

Dr. Laura and Sabina unpack practical strategies to navigate busyness, create space for clearer thinking, and build feedback loops that support growth. Sabina introduces the concept of micro habits as a sustainable path to change, along with the importance of intentionally creating blank space to access deeper insight. The conversation also challenges conventional thinking about “leader” as a title, reframing leadership instead as a shared practice that can be activated by anyone. With warmth and professional curiosity, Dr. Laura guides a discussion that highlights how cultivating awareness and letting go of the need to have all the answers can unlock greater potential in managers and their teams.

“It is not power that corrupts us. It is pressure, and under pressure we have a choice point.” - Sabina Nawaz

About Sabina Nawaz:

Sabina Nawaz is an elite executive coach who advises C-level executives and teams at Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, and academic institutions around the world. Sabina routinely gives speeches each year and teaches faculty at Northeastern and Drexel Universities.

During her fourteen-year tenure at Microsoft, she went from managing software development teams to leading the company’s executive development and succession planning efforts for over 11,000 managers and nearly a thousand executives, advising Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer directly.

She has written for and been featured in Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, NBC, Nasdaq, and MarketWatch.

Resources:

Website: SabinaNawaz.com

Book: “YOU’RE THE BOSS: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need)” by Sabina Nawaz

LinkedIn: SabinaNawaz

“The Anomaly: A Novel” by Hervé Le Tellier, translated by Adriana Hunter

“Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence” by Anna Lembke MD

“I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss” by Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett

Dr. Laura on LinkedIn

Where Work Meets Life™ on YouTube

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Laura welcomes Hall of Fame speaker, author, and workplace culture expert Michael Kerr for a conversation on how leaders shape environments where people and organizations thrive. Drawing on decades of global experience, Michael believes that, rather than depleting us, work should energize us, and that leaders play a defining role in creating cultures grounded in purpose and connection. He shares that leadership is less about managing tasks and more about influencing people in meaningful ways. According to Michael, the leadership goal should be to become a culture leader who recognizes the profound effects of work on our health, relationships, and sense of identity.

Together, Dr. Laura and Michael explore how small, everyday moments can have a lasting impact on trust and team cohesion. Culture is built through consistent, human interactions rather than grand gestures. They highlight the importance of simple acknowledgments and thoughtful communication in fostering hope during uncertain times. They also examine the rise of incivility in workplaces and the cost of tolerating harmful behavior, together reinforcing the importance of awareness and accountability in leadership. The message is a powerful reminder that when leaders prioritize people and lead with intention, they not only transform workplaces but also contribute to a better world. 

“Leadership is about connecting with humans and influencing them in a positive way toward a better future.” - Michael Kerr

“Leaders have a disproportionate impact on the happiness of their employees and the success of their culture.” — Michael Kerr

About Michael Kerr:

Michael Kerr, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), Canadian Speaking Hall of Fame inductee, is an international business speaker, very funny motivational speaker, workshop trainer, and the author of six books including, Inspiring Workplaces: Creating the Kind of Workplace Where Everyone Wants to Work, and, most recently, The Humor Advantage: Why Some Businesses Are Laughing All the Way to the Bank. Michael travels the world researching, writing, and speaking about inspiring workplace cultures. He is known as one of North America’s leading speakers on workplace culture and on how businesses leverage their humor resources to deliver outrageous results -including lower absenteeism rates, lower employee turnover rates, less stress, more creativity, more effective communication, and increased sales. His hilarious, inspiring, and thought-provoking programs are often rated as having the greatest impact and relevance of any presentation at a conference, which is why Michael is listed as one of Canada’s most requested funny motivational business speakers.

Resources:

Website: MikeKerr.com

Inspiring Workplaces Blog

Every Other Wednesday podcast

Michael Kerr books

“Cher: Part One: The Memoir” by Cher

“I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss” by Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett

Dr. Laura on LinkedIn

Where Work Meets Life™ on YouTube

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this solo episode of Where Work Meets Life, Dr. Laura explores leadership through a bell curve, illustrating the range of leaders found in today’s organizations. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience as an organizational psychologist, Dr. Laura explains how leaders often rise not through careful selection, but through promotions based on technical skill or ambition. She outlines the spectrum from toxic bosses to truly great leaders and reflects on how leadership quality shapes culture, employee engagement, and organizational health. She asks us to consider where our own leaders fall on the continuum and what it would take to move leadership from merely adequate to genuinely inspiring.

Dr. Laura emphasizes that great leadership is not accidental. It requires intentional hiring and thoughtful promotion processes and involves ongoing development rather than one-time training efforts. She highlights the power of mentorship and self-insight as essential qualities that help leaders grow. In a time marked by burnout, mental health challenges, and global uncertainty, Dr. Laura stresses that organizations need more great leaders who understand that people and culture drive long-term success. She offers a thoughtful reflection on leadership responsibility and a call for both organizations and individuals to invest in developing leaders who bring out the best in others.

“Leading human beings is an honor and a privilege, and too often people are promoted into leadership roles without the ingredients that help someone truly thrive as a people leader.” - Dr. Laura

About Dr. Laura:

Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett is a work and career psychologist and thought leader on the evolution of work. She has always been fascinated by how work intersects with life and loves to use her expertise to improve organizations and help people thrive. Her passion for taking creative ideas and launching them into successful business strategies led her to start three counselling psychology practices (Calgary Career Counselling, Canada Career Counselling, and Synthesis Psychology), as well as six different business brands offering organizational assessment and consulting services.

Dr. Laura is honoured to have been selected as a Woman of Distinction in Canada in 2014 and received a Canadian Woman of Inspiration Award as a Global Influencer in 2018. Her new book, I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss, is available for purchase on Amazon now.

Resources:

“I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss” by Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett

Dr. Laura on LinkedIn

Where Work Meets Life™ on YouTube

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Where Work Meets Life™, Dr. Laura welcomes back Dr. Michelle Johnston for a thoughtful conversation about the seismic shifts leaders must make to create meaningful connections and stronger results. Inspired by her new book, The Seismic Shift in You, coauthored with Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, Dr. Johnston shares how the future of leadership depends less on achievement and more on humanity. Together, they explore the powerful shift from focusing on the what to prioritizing the who, reminding us that meaningful relationships are what sustain engagement and fulfillment. Dr. Laura and Michelle offer a hopeful path forward in a time marked by burnout and disconnection.

Dr. Johnston speaks candidly about her own experience with depletion and the realization that the most important relationship a leader has is with themselves. She introduces the idea of creating a connection cadence, a structured rhythm of intentional relationships and rituals that protect energy and strengthen teams. Dr. Laura’s warmth and professional curiosity bring depth to a discussion that bridges leadership psychology, burnout prevention, hybrid work realities, and workplace culture. This episode invites leaders to rethink how they show up and cultivate workplaces that truly work for people rather than against them.

“I really thought we were writing a book about how we can all be better at connecting with others. And what I learned is the most important who is you. And you're not going to be good at connecting with others unless you prioritize yourself and what you value first.” - Michelle Johnston

About Michelle Johnston:

Dr. Michelle K. Johnston is a passionate champion of connection-driven leadership. Recently featured on NBC News with Kate Snow, she is a best-selling author, top ten executive coach, podcast host, keynote speaker, and distinguished professor whose groundbreaking work is reshaping how leaders connect, communicate, and collaborate.

Widely regarded as being at the forefront of the connection movement, Michelle has spent her career showing leaders how authentic relationships drive both engagement and results. She is the bestselling author of The Seismic Shift in You: Seven Necessary Shifts to Create Connection and Drive Results, her newest book coauthored with Dr. Marshall Goldsmith. This powerful guide offers a transformative roadmap for leaders to reconnect with their priorities so they can drive more meaningful results.

Her first bestselling book, The Seismic Shift in Leadership: How to Thrive in a New Era of Connection—featured by Forbes four times—spotlights real-world leaders who embraced this shift and are seeing stronger teams and better outcomes because of it.

Michelle serves as a distinguished professor of leadership at Loyola University New Orleans, holds a PhD in Communication from Louisiana State University, and brings decades of insight to her coaching and keynotes. She also hosts The Seismic Shift podcast, ranked in the Top 10% of all podcasts globally, where she engages executives, authors, and thought leaders on the seismic shifts shaking up the way we work and the way we live.

Resources:

Website: MichelleKJohnston.com

Michelle Johnston on LinkedIn

YouTube: @TheSeismicShiftWithMichelle

“The Seismic Shift In You” by Michelle K Johnston, PhD and Marshall Goldsmith, PhD

Dr. Vivek Murthy

Previous Where Work Meets Life™ episode with Michelle Johnston: Seismic Shifts in Leadership

“I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss” by Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett

Dr. Laura on LinkedIn

Where Work Meets Life™ on YouTube

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Dr. Laura welcomes author, strategist, and keynote speaker Kim Bolourtchi to talk about unlocking potential by questioning the rules that shape our choices. Kim shares her journey from a high-powered legal career to embracing her full identity, including a lifelong passion for competitive Latin dance that she once hid out of fear of judgment. Kim and Dr. Laura explore how many professionals learn to succeed by following prescribed paths, only to discover a persistent sense that something is missing. Beliefs formed early in life about professionalism and permission can lead us to limit our creativity and personal growth.

Kim introduces the idea of strategic unruliness as a thoughtful, values-driven way of challenging rules that no longer serve us. She explains how listening to inner signals of restlessness or dissatisfaction can open doors to more fulfilling careers and personal ventures. Dr. Laura and Kim explore courage, identity, and the importance of allowing passion and purpose to coexist with ambition. Strategic unruliness encourages professionals who look accomplished on paper yet feel called toward something more to pursue the more. We all need to learn that growth does not end with achievement and that honoring the whole self can be a powerful source of wellness and innovation. 

“If you feel a call to do more, it is meant for you. You do not have to stop just because other people tell you that you should be satisfied.” - Kim Bolourtchi

About Kim Bolourtchi:

Kim Bolourtchi is a transformational keynote speaker and bestselling author whose work helps leaders break the rules they’ve inherited, reclaim the truth they’ve been trained to suppress, and lead with the full force of who they are. Her signature philosophy, Strategic Unruliness™, is the foundation of her #1 international bestseller, Strategic Unruliness: Break the Rules. Build What’s Next.

A former attorney, strategic executive advisor, and top-rated professor of communication, Kim’s career spans the boardroom, the classroom, and the dance floor — a combination that uniquely positions her to teach leaders how to access clarity, presence, and embodied confidence in high-pressure environments. She is known for her electrifying keynote style: part insight, part activation, part reclamation. Audiences don’t just hear her message; they feel it.

Over the past two decades, Kim has guided hundreds of leaders and organizations through moments of profound transition and growth. Her work is grounded in the belief that extraordinary leadership begins not with strategy, but with identity — with the courage to lead from truth instead of conditioning. She has served as Director of Leadership and Professional Development for a Top 20 law school, built nationally recognized organizations, developed graduate-level curriculum in organizational leadership and communication, and coached executives across industries through major inflection points.

Kim is also the author of Truly Inspired: Secrets for Finding Extraordinary Success at Work and host of the Get Unruly podcast. A competitive Latin dancer and movement enthusiast, she integrates embodied practices into her keynotes to help audiences access confidence and presence at a level they’ve never experienced before.

When she’s not on stage, Kim can be found dancing, writing, hosting transformational retreats in Mexico, or spending time with her two children, Nick and Samantha, and her beloved doodles.

Resources:

Website: KimBolourtchi.com

LinkedIn: Kimberly-Bolourtchi

“Strategic Unruliness™: Break the Rules. Build What’s Next” by Kim Bolourtchi

Strategic Unruliness Live

Podcast: Get Unruly

“Outrageous Openness” by Tosha Silver

“Greenlights” by Matthew McConaughey

“I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss” by Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett

Dr. Laura on LinkedIn

Where Work Meets Life™ on YouTube

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Dr. Laura breaks down why toxic bosses are so widespread and costly, and addresses the first step to stopping them: naming what’s happening. Drawing from her research and her new book, I Wish I’d Quit Sooner, she explains eight “toxic boss personas”. These include the dishonest manipulator, the gaslighter, and the control freak. Having a shared language matters when describing harmful behaviors and their impact: accurate communication helps employees, HR, and leadership alike. 

Dr. Laura details what it takes to stop toxic bosses at an organizational level: the three C’s of care, curiosity, and courage. Care includes a workplace culture grounded in compassion; curiosity means going beyond surface-level engagement to ask targeted questions and protect confidentiality; and courage means taking swift action and enforcing zero tolerance for abuse. Abuse includes covert, manipulative behavior that negatively impacts the well-being and health of employees. Dr. Laura distinguishes “difficult” bosses, who can often be coached, from truly toxic ones, who tend to escalate over time and shouldn’t remain in people-leadership roles.

“So, letting go of a toxic boss or repositioning them out of a people leadership role ain't easy. But if you're in a leadership capacity, you have a great responsibility for human lives! And those tough decisions, I'm sorry, they come with your compensation, but you can do it. You are strong. And if you want to have a healthy culture, just like a healthy garden, you've got to get rid of the weeds.” - Dr. Laura

About Dr. Laura:

Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett is a work and career psychologist and thought leader on the evolution of work. She has always been fascinated by how work intersects with life and loves to use her expertise to improve organizations and help people thrive. Her passion for taking creative ideas and launching them into successful business strategies led her to start three counselling psychology practices (Calgary Career Counselling, Canada Career Counselling, and Synthesis Psychology), as well as six different business brands offering organizational assessment and consulting services.

Dr. Laura is honoured to have been selected as a Woman of Distinction in Canada in 2014 and received a Canadian Woman of Inspiration Award as a Global Influencer in 2018. Her new book, I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss, is available for purchase on Amazon now.

Resources:

“I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss” by Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett

Dr. Laura on LinkedIn

Where Work Meets Life™ on YouTube

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Where Work Meets Life, Dr. Laura talks with Paul McCarthy (author of The Fired Leader; leadership speaker and global thought leader/consultant reinventing the future of leadership) and Dr. Markus Zehentner (European legal professional and author of Breaking Free from Toxic Leadership) about why toxic bosses often remain protected inside organizations while principled, high-integrity leaders get pushed out. Together, they examine how toxic leadership becomes “baked into” workplace culture through politics, retaliation against honesty, and performative “wellbeing” initiatives that look good on paper but don’t change day-to-day leadership behavior. Both Paul McCarthy and Markus Zehentner share their personal experiences with toxic bosses and how those inspired their books. 

Dr. Laura discusses what toxic bosses do and what it costs: manipulation, micromanagement, emotional blackmail, scapegoating high performers as “low performers,” and creating fear-based environments. Dr. Zehentner shares how a toxic boss exploited a family health crisis and eroded his confidence, which contributed to severe stress and burnout. His story shows how quickly toxic leadership can break even competent, experienced professionals. Paul McCarthy describes being fired for the very leadership qualities he was hired for, because calling out dysfunction threatens ego-based leaders. Toxic leaders are hard to “coach away,” and the conversation highlights that organizations must stop tolerating them and build real accountability if they want to keep good leaders and prevent toxic bosses from doing long-term damage.

“So [toxic workplace] is real. This isn't a trend. This is what we have baked into the very DNA of our organizations and our approaches to leadership, a normalization of things that shouldn't be happening.” - Paul McCarthy

“... all these official or burnout prevention measures, they are usually designed as an employee obligation rather than a task for the management to create a work environment that does not lead to burnout in the first place.” - Dr. Markus Zehentner

About Dr. Paul McCarthy:

Paul is an author and global thought leader creating the conditions to reimagine, reinvent, and regenerate the future of leadership. Amongst a crowded space, Paul brings a unique, freshly disruptive, and bold, yet evidence-based, experiential, and experimental approach that is shifting the narrative within and beyond organizations about the future of leadership and work. Before this, Paul’s career in management and leadership consulting spans over 25 years in over 100 organizations within over 10 industry sectors. His focus in this field has been to develop leaders and their capacity, capability, and competency, and he has supported thousands of leaders globally. He also supports clients in business transformation, organizational design, and talent management, and still consults in a senior-level advisory and delivery role.

Paul's work has been featured on dozens of podcasts, he speaks globally with organizations on his work, and supports organizations to identify, recruit, onboard, and develop leaders with the future leadership qualities needed to navigate ongoing disruption. 

More information on Paul can be found here: www.paulmacleadership.com or via email, [email protected]

About Dr. Markus Zehentner:

Dr. Markus Zehentner is the author of Breaking Free from Toxic Leadership — a powerful and practical guide that helps professionals recognize manipulation, build resilience, and reclaim their careers.

He works as Senior Legal Counsel in risk management at a public sector financial institution and holds a doctorate in law. With a background in Human Resources and a role on his organization's work council, Markus regularly supports colleagues facing toxic workplace dynamics.

Beyond his legal and organizational expertise, he brings a deeply personal lens to this conversation — shaped by lived experience, a passion for mental health, and his current training in psychotherapy.

Resources:

Paul McCarthy’s website: PaulMacLeadership.com

“The Fired Leader” by Paul McCarthy

Embracing Tomorrow’s Leader, Today - a one-hour program on disruptive leadership qualities and F.I.R.E.D. Leadership by Paul McCarthy

Paul McCarthy’s guest episodes on the Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization podcast

Dr. Markus Zehentner's website: ToxicLeadership.info

LinkedIn: markus-zehentner-toxic-leadership

“Breaking Free from Toxic Leadership” by Dr. Markus Zehentner (co-authored with psychotherapist & organizational psychologist Claudia Schwinghammer)

“Thrive” by Arianna Huffington

“Good to Great” by Jim Collins

“I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss” by Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett

Dr. Laura on LinkedIn

Where Work Meets Life™ on YouTube

Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live

For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations: 

Canada Career Counselling

Synthesis Psychology

Order Dr. Laura’s new book today: I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating a Toxic Boss

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.