You sit in an HR meeting after your organization's leader publicly criticized you for questioning their decision. They apologize and explain that they were feeling pressure from others and you became the unfortunate target of their frustration. This isn't the first time it's happened; in fact, it's the third.

Online, they speak openly about leadership, accountability, and the lessons they've learned from failure. Yet behind closed doors, a different story unfolds.

Toxic leadership rarely begins with bad intentions. More often, it emerges when leaders operate from defensiveness, self-preservation, and unexamined insecurities. When fears, blind spots, and unresolved struggles go unchecked, they can quietly shape the way a person leads and the impact can ripple throughout an entire system.

In this article, we explore why leaders can become toxic, how blind spots shape leadership, and why self-awareness may be the most important leadership skill of all.

Hallmark is popular during the holidays for its stories of love, tradition, and family. It also provides us with plenty of valuable mental health lessons. Hallmark’s holiday films teach us to be ourselves, be courageous, and find help during tough times.

While the events that led to the ultimate creation of the national holiday known as Juneteenth may be over 160 years in the past, there is no time like the present to embrace Black joy. But what is Black joy and why is Juneteenth a time for us to embrace it? And what does it mean to “embrace” Black joy? Read on to learn the answers to these questions and more as we embrace Black joy.

With an initial listen to Taylor Swift’s new album The Life of a Showgirl, and with reference to the Reputation, Midnights, and The Tortured Poets Department eras, I’ve been reflecting on how Taylor Swift continues to explore and expand her understanding of sex, sexuality, and sexual intimacy through her art.

Nicole’s father has been on active duty in the Army for most of her life. He has had several deployments, and their family moved multiple times, bringing them to different duty stations during her childhood and teenage years. When people discuss the military, they often focus on active-duty and veteran service members, but they usually leave out military children and families. This oversight can have a significant impact on military children’s mental health as they face unique challenges and adjustments: “Children of active-duty military members often get overlooked.”