About Dr. Laura:
Bringing nearly 25 years of expertise as an Industrial/Organizational and Career Psychologist and pioneer on the future of work, Dr. Laura helps organizations evolve their cultures, and leaders and employees to thrive in their work and lives.
She shares her expertise through keynote speaking, the Where Work Meets LifeTM podcast, strategic career coaching, and writing articles and books.
Episode Notes:
Dr. Laura explores more on the subject of toxic bosses, a topic she is passionate about researching for the benefit of people suffering under one. In this episode, she explains some of the defining and brutal behaviors of a toxic boss. Since a toxic boss can be anyone from a first-time manager to a CEO, it’s the psychological and physical health damage they cause to people working under them that makes them toxic. Understanding their behavior will help people to identify a toxic boss and, ideally, leave their sphere of control.
There are fourteen categories of behaviors that Dr. Laura and her research assistant, Renee Pye, have learned through their study. Toxic bosses have many different ways of presenting themselves. Dr. Laura addresses three types of behavior in detail today: 1. Control and micromanagement, 2. Power dynamics and favoritism, and 3. Self-serving and exploitative behavior. She describes each set of behaviors in detail, addressing how the toxic boss comes across and the damage they inflict. The more information Dr. Laura uncovers and shares about toxic bosses, the sooner people struggling under them can see warning signs and get help to navigate the situation.
“The only way to know if a leader is a great leader, a mediocre leader, or a toxic leader, is to find out from the people that report to him or her. So with that said, I think that whether the leader is controlling and micromanaging, whether they’re creating power dynamics and divides in their team, or whether they’re self-serving and exploiting others, all of these things are brutal behaviors and are causing a lot of harm to people.” Dr. Laura
Resources:
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Season 4 Episodes:
Episode 64 | The Generous Workhome: Boosting Your Wellbeing and Productivity
About Philip Vanhoutte: Leveraging a rewarding international career in the ITC industry, Philip Vanhoutte’s passion for personal productivity tools and communication & collaboration solutions morphed into a singular purpose: accelerating the realization of human...
Episode 63 | Philanthropy Through Fashion: Purpose, Planet and People
About Randi Seiff: Randi Seiff is a Creative and Strategist in one, with 30+ years of expertise in fashion & lifestyle, specializing in design, branding, & product development, building purpose-driven brands from concept to completion. Randi brings a unique...
Episode 62 | The Gift of Intuition in Our Work and Lives
About Dr. Laura: Bringing nearly 25 years of expertise as an Industrial/Organizational and Career Psychologist and pioneer on the future of work, Dr. Laura helps organizations evolve their cultures, and leaders and employees to thrive in their work and lives. She...
Episode 61 | Vitamin N: The Power of Nature in Work/Life Wellness
About Laura Cohen: Originally from Montreal, Laura is now based in Halifax with a 10 minute walk to the ocean. For the last 6 years, Laura has worked as a counsellor in universities, Employee Assistance Programs, and in private practice, including her own nature...
Episode 60 | Exploring the Human Side of Unconscious Bias at Work
About Tina Varughese: An Indo-Canadian daughter of first generation parents, Varughese says her cultural background allows her to find “the best of both worlds” and shed light, knowledge, and, most importantly, universal humor into the changing workplace. Her highly...
Episode 59 | Closing the Confidence Gap to Thrive in Your Career
About Kelli Thompson: Kelli Thompson is a women’s leadership coach and speaker who helps women advance to the rooms where decisions are made. She has coached and trained hundreds of women to trust themselves, lead with more confidence, and create a career they love....
More Thriving Human Episodes:
Episode 95 | Listening to the Call to Live Your Most Authentic Life
About Tresa Gibson: Recognized for her unique impressionist style that balances colour and depth, Tresa’s work has been described as a simultaneous sense of order and chaos. She has been a thriving self-taught artist for over 14 years specializing in oil on canvas. ...
Episode 93 | Building Awareness of Child Sex Trafficking: How We Can All Make a Difference
About Alan Smyth: Alan Smyth is married and a father of two children and one grandchild. He is the Executive Director for Saving Innocence, an anti-human trafficking agency based in Los Angeles California. Alan has responsibility for Direct Services and Business...
Episode 92 | Over Work: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life
About Brigid Schulte: Brigid Schulte is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author. She was a staff writer at the Washington Post and Washington Post magazine for nearly 17 years, and part of a team that won the Pulitzer Prize. In addition to the Post, her...
Episode 89 | The Great Disconnect: Inability to Listen and Its Impacts on Workplaces
About Oscar Trimboli: Oscar Trimboli is an author, host of the Apple award-winning podcast Deep Listening and a sought-after keynote speaker. Along with the Deep Listening Ambassador Community, he is on a quest to create 100 million deep listeners in the workplace....
Episode 88 | The Resilience Plan: Optimizing your Work Performance and Mental Health
About Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier: Throughout her career in business management and psychology, Dr. Pelletier has spearheaded the dialogue on the crucial issues of leadership resilience and work performance. Drawing on her extensive background in corporate, insurance,...
Episode 87 | What People Don’t Think about When It Comes to Their Career
About Lynn Imai: Lynn Imai, Ph.D., is a Registered Psychotherapist and Career Counsellor in Toronto. Many of Lynn’s clients, when they first come to her, are at a critical point in their lives. They are questioning their careers and asking themselves why they do what...