Signs Your Boss is Toxic and What You Can Do
How to spot abusive leaders, why they’re rarely fired, and strategies to cope or force change
Years ago I worked for a boss who was not just a bad boss, not just inept, but who verbally abused and threatened me and other employees on a regular basis. The whole place ran on fear and loathing. This boss was toxic.
You know the type.
Self-serving, egotistical, out for the win at any cost, willing to trample anyone perceived as getting in their way, jacking off to the sound of their own authoritative voice (and yes, male leaders are more prone to toxicity than women). Whether middle managers or CEOs, these abusive overlords alienate teams, destroy morale, fuel stress and anxiety and otherwise damage employee health and well-being, in the workplace and beyond.
“Leaders might think that shouting at or berating their employees will make them pay more attention to their work, work harder to avoid further hostility, or spark a desire to prove the leader wrong,” said Shannon Taylor, a professor of business management at the University of Central Florida. “The reality, however, is that toxic leaders are effective in spite of — and not because of — their hostility.”
