Claire Feagley’s new book maps the hidden costs of workplace toxicity

Business psychologist and executive coach Claire L. Feagley has released a new book on how dysfunctional workplace culture damages performance, trust and well-being. The book also offers practical tools for leaders to break unhealthy patterns and build stronger organizations.

Why it matters: - Workplace toxicity can hurt more than morale. Feagley frames it as a cost center that affects concentration, creativity, collaboration and decision-making. - The book is aimed at leaders and professionals who want to reduce dysfunction and improve psychological safety, trust and performance.

What happened: - Claire L. Feagley, Ph.D., published The Toxicity Tax: Why Dysfunction Costs More Than You Think and How to Break Free. - Advantage Books published the title and Simon & Schuster distributed it. - The book is now available at major and independent book retailers nationwide.

The details: - Feagley is a business psychologist and certified executive coach. - The book argues that workplace toxicity is not a single bad interaction or simple disagreement. - It defines toxicity as repeated harmful behaviors that become normalized over time. - Examples include dismissive communication, chronic distrust, boundary violations and fear of speaking up. - Feagley writes that toxic behavior is “expensive leadership,” not tough leadership. - The book draws on business psychology, executive coaching and peer-reviewed research. - It also examines how patterns learned in families and relationships can shape behavior at work. - Feagley looks at how people normalize unhealthy dynamics, how prolonged stress affects trust and well-being, and why self-awareness matters. - The book includes a section on mergers and acquisitions, where cultural differences can complicate integration. - Feagley builds on her doctoral research with the Cultural Integration and Due Diligence Framework. - The framework is designed to help leaders assess culture before a transaction closes and during integration. - The book includes research, real-world stories and practical exercises. - Readers are given tools for recognizing unhealthy patterns, setting boundaries, rebuilding trust and increasing psychological safety.

Between the lines: - Feagley is trying to reframe culture as a business issue, not just an HR concern. - The book’s focus on mergers and acquisitions suggests culture clashes can create hidden deal risk. - The emphasis on self-awareness points to a broader message: organizational dysfunction often starts with patterns individuals carry into the workplace.

What's next: - Feagley says healthier cultures begin when people identify harmful patterns, understand their effects and choose a different path. - The book is positioned as a guide for leaders who want to address dysfunction before it becomes embedded in the organization. - Feagley’s framework may see continued use as a tool for culture assessment in transactions and broader change efforts.