In this week’s episode of How to Take the Lead, Carrie-Ann and I are tackling the topic of toxic leadership.
It’s not an autopsy of the issues - we’re all far too good at explaining the problem - it’s more an exploration of what can be done about it.
I’ll admit it’s a topic close to my heart - back in my corporate days I was on the receiving end of toxic leadership on more than one occasion.
The first time I encountered it, it was slow-building and almost crept up on me - and the wider organisation - over the course of months and years. I only realised the extent of the issue when everything sort of imploded, the organisation experienced some real troubled times and I became really unwell; it became messy and ugly and distressing and took a long time before we started to see shoots of new beginnings.
The last time wasn’t as dramatic, was certainly more personal than organisational (although the ripple effect was at play), and I was better equipped to recognise the signs and deal with it. But it still was the catalyst for me to quit my job and leave a 20 year career behind to start again.
I would have loved not to have recorded this episode with Carrie-Ann. The optimist in me hoped that my little corner of the corporate world wouldn’t still be experiencing the types of toxic behaviours I encountered. After all, organisations know about building the right culture, creating psychological safety, supporting people to speak up.
Or do they?
Because, from friends and former colleagues, I know my old sector has in many ways got worse. I know from speaking with listeners in the How to Take the Lead community that bullying and toxic leadership is a big problem still. I know from the way our government and media behaves and this quest for populist leadership has created toxic divides.
It feels like tackling toxic leadership is a catch 22 problem. People need to call out poor behaviours when they see it, but so often can’t because they don’t feel safe and fear the ramifications. And a psychologically safe culture cannot develop whilst toxic leaders are in place.
And that takes a toll.
I feel the anger in the pit of my stomach as I write this email. The injustice of the situation. The unfairness that good people are leaving organisations because of toxic leaders. The disgust that some toxic leaders are ‘rewarded’ by being removed from organisations and placed into ‘better’ jobs, where they can continue to spread their approach to leadership.
As we discussed on the episode, there is no easy fix solution to this - and wow do I wish there were. It comes down to what we all as individuals want and feel able to fight, and recognising when we might need to step away.
One of my biggest lessons when face-to-face with toxic leadership was to recognise what was in my control and focus on that. What’s in my control IS my power. And recognising where my power lay allowed me to make decisions on what I responded and reacted to, and what I let slide away. It’s what empowered me to speak my mind, to confide in others, but also gave me the signal that it was time to leave.
We hope this episode starts a conversation about tackling toxicity in organisations. We want to help organisations and individuals to create those safe spaces to explore the issues. But more than that, if you are struggling with a toxic workplace, we want to help you claim back your power - however that might look for you.
All the best … Lee
If you are a paid subscriber keep on reading for:
the graphic I use to help me decide what’s in my control
further reading recommendations
the chance to ask questions and share your views on the topic.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to How to Take the Lead to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.