Toxic leadership isn’t just unpleasant—it’s a major risk to people, performance, and profit.
These leaders operate from control, fear, ego, or insecurity, often creating chaos under the surface while maintaining a polished veneer above it, and while they may appear to “get things done,” the damage they do to culture, engagement, and performance is both measurable and lasting.
The data is damning.
A landmark study of over 1.4 million Glassdoor reviews published by the MIT Sloan Management Review in 2023 found that:
Toxic workplace culture is the #1 predictor of employee attrition, and is 10.4 times more powerful than compensation in driving people to leave.
Implication for business: When toxic leaders drive a poor culture, it directly accelerates staff turnover—impacting continuity, morale, and cost. It’s the leader, not the perks, that makes or breaks whether good people stay or go.
Source: MIT Sloan Management Review – “Toxic Culture Is Driving the Great Resignation”
Toxic leaders often suppress feedback, reward compliance over curiosity, and foster environments where psychological safety is absent. Innovation stalls, blame spreads, turnover rises, and trust disappears.
So, what can you do when you’re working with—or for—one?
Here are five things you can do to protect yourself, shift the dynamic, and reclaim your influence:
1. Set clear boundaries.
Toxic leaders often blur lines between urgency and chaos. Be consistent in your delivery, protect your time, and ensure you deliver in line with your position requirements.
It is also a great idea to clarify/paraphrase what is expected of you when receiving instructions from a toxic leader.
2. Stay professional—don’t personalise.
Toxic behaviours often stem from insecurity, not malice. Stay steady, focused on facts, and don’t let their unpredictability pull you into reaction.
3. Document, document, document.
Keep records of key decisions, directives, and interactions. This isn’t about escalation—it’s about clarity. If lines are crossed or accountability is questioned, you’ll have the facts.
4. Build alliances.
Toxic leaders often thrive in isolation. Connect with peers, cross-functional leaders, or mentors to create a circle of perspective and support to confirm what you are doing meets the expectations.
As Rita Pierson says, “If you hear it long enough it becomes a part of you”. Don’t let their behaviours pull down your self esteem and self worth.
5. Influence up—strategically.
You may not change their mindset, but you can influence their environment. Share feedback through the right channels. Frame your insights around business risk and impact, not personality.
Dealing with a toxic leader is difficult—but it’s not helpless. It requires courage, control, and community. And remember: You can be a stabilising force in a destabilised environment. People notice calm, clarity, and quiet integrity.
At RdL, we work with leaders and teams in high-stakes settings to help them navigate this very challenge. Because when the wrong behaviours go unchallenged, good people leave. But when they’re addressed with clarity and purpose—cultures can change, and leadership can be reclaimed.
