Some bosses don't just manage - they control, manipulate, and undermine, leaving employees walking on eggshells every day. The stress, self-doubt, and exhaustion can build quietly, often making people question themselves more than the toxic dynamics around them.

Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett has spent years helping people break free from these harmful work environments. Drawing on her research and experience, she explains how to spot toxic leadership patterns, understand the impact on your well-being, and take practical steps to protect yourself, set boundaries, and plan a way forward with confidence.

On this episode of The Workplace Communication Podcast, we're talking with Dr Laura Hambley Lovett, Organizational Psychologist and Author of I Wish I'd Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss, about practical strategies for navigating and escaping a toxic boss. Dr. Lovett shares how to distinguish a truly toxic leader from a merely difficult one, maintain control over your work life, and create actionable steps for recovery or exit.

Leadership tips you won't want to miss:

🎙️ Identifying toxic versus difficult boss behaviors quickly

🎙️ Setting firm boundaries while staying effective at work

🎙️ Planning a step-by-step exit strategy to regain control

🎙️ Seeking support through mentors, colleagues, or therapy

Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett is an organizational psychologist and expert on workplace culture, career development, toxic leadership, and burnout. She is the author of several books, including I Wish I'd Quit Sooner: Practical Strategies for Navigating and Escaping a Toxic Boss (She Writes Press; January 13, 2026).

If you're seeking clarity, confidence, and practical ways to escape a toxic boss, this episode is for you.

If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe and leave a review.

🎧 Listen to the episode here: https://lindsaylapaquette.com/podcast/

For a full written transcript of the episode, please see the show notes at the link above.

Dr Laura's contact information:

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Lindsay's contact information:

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Free e-course: Free Yourself from Workplace Confrontation and Conflict

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From coaching a four-star general to navigating a toxic corporate culture where retaliation, exclusion, and silencing were part of daily life, Kelly Meerbott has seen leadership at its most extreme. Just like most leaders and employees, she has experienced what it feels like when ideas are dismissed, confidence erodes, and fear quietly takes over the workplace.

Kelly's journey shows how the absence of psychological safety can crush potential and morale, and how fostering it can transform teams, spark innovation, and bring out the very best in people. Her story proves that when leaders prioritize trust, empathy, and open communication, extraordinary results are possible.

On this episode of The Workplace Communication Podcast, we're talking with Kelly Meerbott, Award-Winning Executive Coach and Founder at You - Loud & Clear, about unlocking leadership excellence through psychological safety. Kelly shares practical strategies for leaders to foster trust, empathy, and open communication, and explores the personal and organizational barriers that often prevent teams from thriving.

Leadership tips you won't want to miss:

🎙️ Fostering team dialogue by asking what employees need to feel psychologically safe

🎙️ Creating shared agreements to hold your team accountable to safety standards

🎙️ Modeling self-awareness and personal healing to strengthen leadership presence

🎙️ Maintaining personal control in conflict with calm, deliberate communication

🎙️ Documenting interactions meticulously to navigate unsafe environments effectively

Kelly Meerbott, PCC, CBTI, is an award-winning executive coach who helps high-level leaders harness emotional intelligence to unlock their fullest potential. Through transformational coaching, Kelly fosters psychological safety and empowers leaders to create inclusive, high-performing cultures.

If you're looking to cultivate trust, resilience, and high-performing teams, then this episode is for you!

If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe and leave a review.

🎧 Listen to the episode here: https://lindsaylapaquette.com/podcast/

For a full written transcript of the episode, please see the show notes at the link above.

Kelly's contact information:

Website

Books

LinkedIn

Facebook

X/Twitter

Instagram

Lindsay's contact information:

To book a discovery call

E-mail

Website

Free e-course: Free Yourself from Workplace Confrontation and Conflict

LinkedIn

Previous podcast episodes

In today's collaborative workplaces, outdated "command and control" policy language feels completely out of step. Instead of encouraging cooperation, it often creates resentment and disengagement.

That's why Lewis Eisen, author of Rules: Powerful Policy Writing to Maximize Engagement, has been challenging the traditional way organizations write policies. Drawing on his background as a lawyer, IT professional, and senior government policy advisor, Lewis shows leaders how respectful, plain-language policies can inspire genuine cooperation, strengthen employee engagement, and reflect organizational values.

On this episode of The Workplace Communication Podcast, we're talking with Lewis Eisen, author of Rules: Powerful Policy Writing to Maximize Engagement, about how to move away from rigid, adversarial wording and instead create policies that employees want to follow. You'll learn how language choices shape culture, how to separate policies from procedures, and why policies are a key part of your organization's brand.

Leadership tips you won't want to miss:

🎙️ Recognizing how "command and control" language sends messages of distrust

🎙️ Shifting from "you must" to "we" language that fosters cooperation

🎙️ Defining policies as organizational boundaries instead of adversarial rules

🎙️ Treating policy writing as part of your brand and employee experience

🎙️ Identifying the most common word to eliminate for more engaging policies

Lewis Eisen combines his experience practising law with 20 years in consulting and 17 in policy writing in the federal government. His Amazon international bestseller Rules: Powerful Policy Wording to Maximize Engagement. came out in 4th edition this spring and his approach to drafting policies using respectful language has been adopted at organizations around the world.

If you're looking to create policies people actually want to follow, then this episode is for you!

If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe and leave a review.

🎧 Listen to the episode here: https://lindsaylapaquette.com/podcast/

For a full written transcript of the episode, please see the show notes at the link above.

Lewis Eisen's contact information:

Website

Book

LinkedIn

Lindsay's contact information:

To book a discovery call

E-mail

Website

Free e-course: Free Yourself from Workplace Confrontation and Conflict

LinkedIn

Previous podcast episodes