Today we’d like to introduce you to Margaret Gary.
Hi Margaret, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a business leader, author, and entrepreneur. I’ve led teams and projects for more than 25 years. I earned a bachelor’s in psychology, a master’s in business administration specializing in healthcare management, and a doctorate specializing in organizational behavior at Saint Leo University. My professional experience includes college professor, human resources and staff development manager, and CS & international B2B and B2C sales manager, where her responsibilities included marketing, operations, accounting, and finance management. I served as the diversity chair of HR Florida State Council’s Ocala chapter, with board responsibilities of workforce readiness chair. I’m very passionate about children. Therefore much of my volunteer efforts are focused on child advocacy. I served as a board member at Children’s Home Society, a volunteer for Academic Year in America, and a volunteer for Junior Achievement U.S.A.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
“Where you are born should not dictate your ability to survive.” – Prince Harry & Megan.
I was raised in a small town in Central Florida. I experienced many struggles that come with this, most notably limited resources. While these limitations unavoidably contributed to my near future, I was determined not to allow them to be “the predictor” of my destiny. Prayer and books allowed me to escape, at least mentally, the limitations and poverty of my life and experience the life I wanted. The elders in my family and my community were equally instrumental in my journey toward building the spiritual muscle needed to overcome my environment. A spiritual muscle I would later need to shield me from the next struggle I would face in the workforce of toxic leadership. I outline this journey further in my book, Surviving Toxic Leadership With Gratefulness.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Life may have prepared us to face several challenges, but toxic leadership often feels beyond the scope of our emotional bandwidth. When we are in the middle of situations like this, we often feel unable to imagine what our life will look like when we finally emerge on the other side. We are often unable to imagine that we will ever emerge at all. Surviving Toxic Leadership With Gratefulness is the result of my struggle to make sense of the experiences HR professionals generously shared with me and my nearly decade-long experience with a toxic leader. I encourage victims to remove themselves from situations that are not conducive to their mental, spiritual, or physical health, heal from trauma, never forget who they are or what they are capable of, never stop learning and growing, and always choose gratefulness! Yes, gratefulness is a choice. And, It is not only about rejoicing in our successes. It is also about doing so openly and publicly so that others can learn from your struggles and successes.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Throughout my book, it is crucial and urgent that we not only learn about toxic leadership but act to end it. The problem of a toxic workplace is never encapsulated in the leader alone. Toxic leaders and those who enable them must be held accountable, and victims must be given the tools to become survivors.
Contact Info:
- Website: amazon.com/author/dr_margaretgary
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Toxic-Leadership-Gratefulness-Margaret/product-reviews/B08RR68N55/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_show_all_btm?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews
