Call off the Dogs: Swift or C-Suite, mental well-being is our responsibility.

There I was, minding my own business, sifting through the digital clutter of my inbox on my smartphone, when once again, Taylor Swift's name popped up. It wasn't a personal email (as if you thought that), just another appeal to purchase her next chart-topper, "The Tortured Poets Department". While I passed on the deluxe version with the song “Albatross” on it previously, this time, she really got me. It wasn't some catchy chorus or infectious beat that reeled me in; rather, it was a mere mention, a hint really, of a song only available on this latest version - titled "Black Dog."

For most people, a song titled "Black Dog" might not raise an eyebrow. But for a die-hard Led Zeppelin fan like myself, it was akin to stumbling upon a Mickey Mantle card in the attic. Zep was a staple of my high school and college years. And, any connection between these two musical giants was enough to prompt me to ponder why “Black Dog” might appeal to her.

Black dogs, and the mental anguish they represent, have a long and illustrious literary history. In the Sherlock Holmes novel "The Hound of the Baskervilles", the "Black Dog" (the legendary yeth hound) takes on a literal form as a spectral hound haunting Devonshire, symbolizing the family curse of the Baskervilles.

In one of Shakespeare's most well-known plays, Macbeth speaks of his unease and foreboding, likening his anxiety to black dogs (hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs, shoughs, water-rugs, and demi-wolves) that haunt his every step.

Charles Dickens employs the metaphor of the "Black Dog" to represent David Copperfield's bouts of depression, despair, loneliness, abuse, and misery. “The empty dog-kennel was filled up with a great dog—deep-mouthed and black-haired like Him—and he was very angry at the sight of me, and sprang out to get at me”. The "Black Dog" was a manifestation of Cooperfield's own inner demons.

Zeppelin hide their "Black Dog" beneath raucous riffs and lyrics of unrequited love to reveal a tale of heartache, melancholy, and rejection. In true Zeppelin fashion, the band would obscure the true meaning, ashamed of what vulnerability would due to their image, by saying the song was inspired by an unexpected visit from a stray dark canine during a recording session.

As I consider the potential links between English literature and Zeppelin's use of “Black Dog”, I can’t help but wonder how Swift will mine the depths of human emotion and her familial ties to Emily Dickinson , the mother of introspective poetic verse, to share her perspective on the common struggle for happiness, despite inner turmoil, to her listeners and fans by way of the metaphorical "Black Dog".

Everyone struggles with a “Black Dog” from time to time; the struggle can take on numerous forms - financial, relational, legal, professional, personal, physical, and mental. As a HR professional, I can’t stress enough the importance of mental health awareness, providing EAP services for employees and their families, and making mental health visits affordable. Just as artists like Zeppelin and Swift wrestle with the demons of heartache and despair in their music, so too do millions of employees grapple with similar struggles in their daily lives. It is incumbent upon us as business leaders to acknowledge and appreciate the prevalence of mental health challenges and offer a helping hand to those in need by offering effective benefits that help and do everything we can to eliminate the stigma of seeking those services.

So, yes, I pre-ordered that deluxe edition of Taylor's impending release. My first Swiftee purchase. I’m anxious to hear what she adds to "Black Dog." My hope is that her melodies and lyrics help others call off their inner black dogs so they can find four minutes of solace, solidarity, and a sense of shared humanity amidst the challenges of modern living.

. . . and the rest of us, as business leaders, can follow her lead by caring for the mental health of our employees by expanding and improving on the wellness benefits we offer.