The Toxicity Tax

“With The Toxicity Tax, Claire Feagley offers keen insights into the origins of behaviors that undermine or prevent the establishment of the kind of high-performance culture that can differentiate companies from their peers and competitors, while creating a road map for the kind of analytical thinking necessary for introspection and remediation of cultural issues.”
— Mike Hatcher
Advisory Council Member, Global Special Operations Forces Foundation

“I first met Claire Feagley when she was just stepping into the world of mergers and acquisitions—wide-eyed about the complexity of deal dynamics but already asking the questions most M&A practitioners never think to ask: What is this doing to the people inside these organizations? That curiosity has grown into a brilliant, unflinching book. The Toxicity Tax does something rare—it connects the invisible cost of dysfunction to both the human beings who carry it and the organizations that pay for it, often without ever seeing the invoice. For anyone working in high-stakes environments like M&A, where culture clash can kill deal value, this book is essential reading. What sets Claire apart is that she doesn’t just diagnose the problem—she traces it to its roots and hands you tools to rewrite the story. Her blend of psychological rigor, executive coaching experience, and personal honesty makes The Toxicity Tax as therapeutic as it is practical.”
— Jennifer J. Fondrevay
Founder & Chief Humanity Officer, Day1 Ready M&A Consultancy

“The Toxicity Tax compassionately names what many leaders feel but rarely say out loud—the hidden personal, relational, and economic costs of normalized dysfunction. Drawing on deep psychological insight and real-world experience, Claire Feagley, PhD, offers a clear, humane guide for recognizing toxic patterns and choosing a healthier way forward. This book belongs on the desk of anyone serious about sustainable leadership and culture.”
— Bill Pullen
Former Academic Director, Institute for Transformational Leadership, Georgetown University

“In The Toxicity Tax, Claire Feagley, PhD, combines intellectual rigor with a deeply human leadership presence to articulate a proven framework for recognizing how dysfunction quietly drains individuals, teams, and organizations—and how to interrupt those cycles. What makes this book exceptional is its balance: thoughtful, academically grounded, and deeply engaging. Claire integrates personal narrative, organizational psychology, and executive application in a way that moves readers from recognition to action. You don’t just see the cost of toxicity—you understand why it’s been so hard to name and untangle. More than insight, this book gives readers the language, tools, and permission to choose something healthier.”
— Joyce Weru, PhD
Organizational Psychologist and Executive Coach

“In my experience advising and leading organizations across government, defense, and innovation-driven enterprises, I’ve seen firsthand the hidden costs organizations pay when they ignore culture. The Toxicity Tax names those costs with clarity and courage. What sets Claire’s work apart is not just her insight, but her willingness to examine her own experiences with unflinching honesty. That self-reflection gives this book an authority and credibility most leadership texts never achieve. Her ability to connect human behavior, organizational dynamics, and long-term performance provides leaders with a practical road map for harnessing talent, expertise, and opportunity rather than quietly eroding them. Whether you are a start-up or a large organization managing growth, this book is intended for you.”
— David W. Whitmire, PhD
CEO, Titan Wireless Technologies

Claire L. Feagley, PhD, is a business psychologist, certified executive coach, and founder of Meraki and Fraser Solutions. With over fifteen years of experience guiding leadership teams through cultural change and burnout recovery across federal and commercial sectors, she holds a PhD in Business Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and is trained in executive leadership coaching through Georgetown University. Her doctoral research produced the Cultural Integration and Due Diligence Framework (CIDDF), a tool for assessing organizational culture during mergers and acquisitions. Claire resides in the greater Tampa, Florida area.

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