In a recent survey, 76% of employees cited the C-suite as having the greatest impact on culture. Colin D. Ellis explores five of the traits that toxic leaders display.
While effective leaders can inspire, motivate, and build cultures of success, toxic leaders can create a harmful environment that undermines safety, crushes morale, stifles growth, and ultimately leads to failure. Prolonged exposure to a toxic culture has even been proven to increase serious disease by as much as 55%. As a global culture consultant, I’ve observed numerous leadership styles throughout my career, and I’ve identified five key characteristics that define a toxic leader.
1. No empathy for others
At the core of toxic leadership lies a fundamental lack of empathy. These leaders show little to no concern for the well-being or feelings of their employees. This manifests in several ways:
- Bullying and harassment: Toxic leaders often resort to intimidation tactics, belittling their subordinates, and creating a hostile work environment. They may use fear as a motivator, believing that a stressed workforce is a productive one.
- Disregard for others: They show little interest in understanding or addressing the challenges faced by their employees. Personal issues, work-life balance, or professional development concerns are often dismissed or ignored.
- Lack of emotional intelligence: These leaders fail to recognise or manage their own emotions, let alone those of others. This results in poor interpersonal relationships and a tense workplace atmosphere.
2. Poor communication
Effective communication is the lifeblood of any vibrant culture. Toxic leaders, however, often exhibit poor communication skills that can lead to fear, misunderstandings, confusion, and decreased productivity:
- Unclear expectations: They fail to articulate clear goals or provide adequate direction, leaving employees unsure of their roles or objectives.
- One-way communication: Information flows primarily from the top down, with little opportunity for feedback or discussion.
- Inconsistent messaging: Their words often contradict their actions, creating a sense of mistrust and uncertainty among employees.
3. Motivated by self-interest
Toxic leaders are primarily driven by personal gain, often at the expense of their team or the organisation as a whole:
- “What’s in it for me?”: Every decision is viewed through the lens of personal benefit, rather than what’s best for the team or the company.
- Credit Hoarders, Blame Deflectors: They’re quick to take credit for successes, even when they’re not responsible, but equally swift to shift blame onto others when things go wrong. They avoid accountability at every turn.
- Insatiable Ambition: Their desire for more – be it power, recognition, or resources – often comes at the cost of others’ well-being or the organisation’s long-term health.
4. A different set of rules applies
Toxic leaders often operate as if they’re above the rules that govern others in the organisation:
- Values disconnect: While they may preach about company values, their behaviours and actions rarely align with these standards.
- Double standards: They hold their team to high standards of behaviour and performance but exempt themselves from the same scrutiny.
- Untouchable status: Through political manoeuvring or intimidation, they create an aura of invincibility, making others hesitant to challenge or report their behaviour.
5. They employ power dynamics
The wielding of power is a hallmark of toxic leadership. These leaders use their position to control and manipulate rather than to guide and inspire:
- Hierarchical leverage: They frequently remind others of their superior position, using it as a weapon to silence dissent or force compliance.
- Positional authority: Rather than earning respect through actions and decisions, they rely solely on their title to command obedience.
- Board manipulation: They’re adept at spinning narratives to confuse or mislead higher-ups, often presenting a rosy picture that doesn’t reflect reality.
Toxic leadership ultimately leads to a workplace culture that is rigid, fearful, and ultimately unsustainable. Fear runs through the heart of the organisation. Employees become afraid to voice concerns, offer suggestions, or challenge decisions, even when they see potential problems. There’s little to no effort put into defining, nurturing, or evolving a positive workplace culture. The toxic leader’s personality becomes the de facto culture.
In conclusion, toxic leadership is a pervasive issue that can have far-reaching consequences for organisations. By recognising these five characteristics – lack of empathy, poor communication, self-interest, rule-bending, and power abuse – we can better identify and address toxic leadership before it takes root and destroys the culture for everyone within it.
Colin D Ellis is a five-time best-selling author and culture consultant. His latest book Detox Your Culture was released at the end of August. Find out what kind of culture you have right now by visiting www.fiveculturesquiz.com