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Over the past several years, one theme has surfaced repeatedly in my work as an organizational psychologist, coach, and speaker: people don’t leave jobs—they leave toxic bosses . And yet, so many professionals stay far longer than they should, convincing themselves that things will improve, that they’re being “too sensitive,” or that this is simply the cost of success.  That’s why I wrote I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss, w

In my years as an organizational psychologist and career coach, I’ve listened to countless stories about bosses who bend reality, shift blame, and create chaos through deception. The Dishonest Manipulator is one of the most insidious toxic boss types you’ll encounter in the workplace. Their tactics might not always be obvious at first, but the impact on your well-being and career can be profound.  What Is a Dishonest Manipulator—and How Do You Recognize One?   This toxic boss

Toxic leaders don’t all look the same. Some command the room with charisma, and others quietly drain your confidence over time. Through my research and work with professionals navigating unhealthy workplaces, I’ve come to recognize eight distinct toxic boss types, and the Narcissistic Boss is one of the most common of them all.  The American Psychological Association describes narcissism as a “pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, an

In today’s challenging labor market, “networking” has become a common recommendation to cut through the masses of people applying online. We’re told to build our networks, grow our contacts, and “get ourselves out there.” But after years of coaching leaders and professionals across industries, I’ve come to see a profound difference between networking  and building allies , and I want to share these differences in this month’s blog.  Both are useful—both can open doors—but the

Continuing my series on the eight types of toxic bosses, and leading up to the release of my upcoming book, I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss (releasing January 13, 2026, and available now for preorder HERE )—I want to shed light on another destructive leadership style I’ve seen repeatedly in my research and work with thousands of professionals across North America: the Control Freak . If you’ve ever had a boss who hovered o

This blog is part of my ongoing series on toxic bosses, and the eight distinct personas I’veidentified through my latest research on the behaviors and impacts of toxic leaders. Each type is expanded upon in my upcoming book, I Wish I’d Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss , releasing January 13, 2026. In it, I explore the patterns, behaviors, and impacts of these toxic bosses, and most importantly, how to navigate and recover from them. L

What does it mean to be healthy ? It’s about balanced health : being mentally , emotionally , physically , socially , and spiritually well. If any of these components are lacking, our overall feeling of well-being is gradually depleted . If you’re like me, you focus on various components more or less often at certain points, and sometimes you’re just too busy to even consider these aspects. This is exactly why I was grateful to do a health-reset retreat in early July at the

I’ve come to understand that toxic leadership doesn’t have just one face. In my ongoing research and work with thousands of professionals across Canada, I’ve identified and categorized eight distinct toxic boss types , each with their own patterns of dysfunction . While every toxic leader operates differently, and no boss will perfectly fit under one type, the damage they incur in the workplace and among employees is strikingly similar: burnout , self-doubt and erosionofse

In today’s rapidly evolving world of work, there are four – or even five – generations in many workplaces. People in each generation have grown up in a different global landscape , with varying degrees of technology , which contributes to some of the average differences we see across generations. In this blog, I will share some of the key myths that can lead us to unfair generalizations about each generation, and the realties and strengths that each generation brings to wor

This month’s blog is about versus bosses, because understanding the difference could be the key to protecting your career and well-being. It is important to be able to identify and differentiate between them, because a boss, when compared to a toxic boss, is actually manageable. You can learn to navigate them, and you can even end up staying and continuing to thrive in your career. But, if they're toxic, it’s not going to be sustainable. Toxic bosses are brutally bad for y

The world continues to face many challenges, from geopolitical unrest to tragic wars to economic volatility. Heightened levels of polarization are causing anger, anxiety, and extreme frustration as respectful debates are often impossible. Furthermore, the rapid pace of AI and the need to keep up with technology adds extra pressure to already busy work lives. Organizations are doing more with fewer people, causing unsustainable workloads, high levels of stress, and ultimately,

As I encourage people to escape from toxic bosses, I redirect them toward looking for great leaders in healthy workplaces. But what is a great leader? That is a big question that has been researched and spoken about extensively for decades. Thousands of books exist on what makes great leadership.  When I’m asked what makes a great leader, I think of a leader who exemplifies the descriptions I’ve listed in the table below: Authentic and empathetic  Respectful  Supports people’

As I continue to research, write, and speak about toxic bosses, I’m noticing how many people have been reaching out and thanking me for addressing this issue. Just so we’re on the same page with what a toxic boss is, they can be at any level of the management, and are defined as narcissistic, authoritarian, self-promoting, abusive, and unpredictable (Schmidt, 2008) 1 . According to our latest research, they are further characterized by ongoing covert or overt behaviours that

Perfection is the enemy of progress. — Winston Churchill This quote is spot on when it comes to the perils of perfectionism; it’s not a strength but rather an obstacle to our work and careers. According to the American Psychological Association (APA) , perfectionism is defined as the tendency to demand of oneself or others an extremely high or even flawless level of performance, in excess of what is required by the situation.   Earlier in my career I struggled with perfection

Toxic bosses supervise and lead in a self-promoting, narcissistic, authoritarian, unpredictable, and abusive manner (Schmidt, 2008). Our latest research further characterizes toxic bosses by their ongoing covert or overt behaviours that harm employees’ engagement, productivity, and well-being.  Unfortunately, toxic bosses are all too common. A 2023 survey revealed that 87 per cent of professionals have had at least one toxic boss during their careers, with 30 per cent encou

I’ve found myself gently nudging people to remove the word “just” when they’re explaining what they do or their achievements. For example, someone recently said to me: “I  just have an undergraduate degree.” My reaction? Four plus years of grueling hard work minimized in this way is a travesty! Remove the word just and own the degree you accomplished. Yes, some people go on to do graduate degrees, but that in no way undermines the achievement and dedication of completing an u

The great debate about hybrid work and whether to continue allowing employees to work some days remotely has persisted. Is your company caught in this tug of war between employees wanting to hold onto this flexibility, and senior leadership demanding people be in office as much as possible? As an early pioneer on remote leadership, I’ve been researching, consulting, writing and speaking on this topic for two decades. Alongside many changes impacting workplaces, I’m certain th

Welcome to the second part of a blog around how we as adults can cultivate the spark in today’s young people.  Part 1 focused on the importance of intentional career planning, where I speak from the lens of having founded and led  Canada Career Counselling  for the past 15 years. In part 2 of this blog, I will share my thoughts on how the performing arts is an important outlet that develops key competencies and experiences for our young people. As Vice-Chair of the Board for

Making a positive impact on the world by inspiring and helping others to evolve and thrive is my  why  behind what I do as a psychologist, podcast host, mentor, volunteer, advocate, and author. Today’s young people are struggling with record mental health challenges, self-confidence, sense of purpose, polarization, fear, and global uncertainty. Truly, this world is a challenging one, yet one full of opportunities, beauty, and love – if you look for it.   When I first heard ab

I can tell when I’m striking a chord with people on an issue that is impacting them; such is the case with the topic of toxic bosses. This marks the second of many articles I will be sharing on this topic, as I continue to gather research data on the behaviors and impacts of toxic bosses.    I’ve embarked on this topic in my research, writing, and speaking because in my 25 years in the field of industrial/organizational and career psychology, I have witnessed and experienced