A workplace is an environment that should enable you to bring your best version of yourself and to contribute meaningfully to the business. Ideally, it should be a place where your purpose is fully realized and fulfilled. While there are many great leaders out there, often you come across leaders that make coming to work a pain.
Toxic leaders tend to be self-centered, and everything is about them. When faced with employees whom they perceive as a threat, they become destructive and competitive and would do anything to assert their power. They can potentially destroy your confidence and self-worth or your career if you let them. Given their organization ranking, they have mastered artificial emotional intelligence and are manipulative. As a result, it is not always easy to spot them. Below are the signs that you are working under a toxic leader and ideas on how to handle them:
- Subtle signs of competition: You have been asked by some division in the organisation to give a talk and make your leader aware; the response is, “Oh, they asked me first, and I couldn’t make it”. The underlying message behind this communication is that you only got the opportunity because I declined it.
- Respond in kindness and state that you are honoured and have been considered.
- Incompetence and lack of confidence: In most instances, toxic leaders are incompetent in their jobs and might have climbed the corporate ladder not by merit; they treat competent team members badly. This is to make them feel good and to break your confidence; it has nothing to do with you.
- Continue performing with excellence and honour your work commitments.
- Bullying and discriminating behaviour: They show preferential behaviour to those who idolize them and are unhappy with those they perceive as threatening.
- Never sell your soul; they will never be satisfied anyway, and you can never change them. Keep your head high.
- Frequent lying and inconsistency: Your leader often backtracks on what you agreed to and always wants to make you look bad in front of other leaders.
- Start meetings by recapping what was agreed upon and ensure to provide incremental feedback. Manage up!
- Supportive–disloyal behaviour: They will support you only when it benefits them and will easily turn against you to save themselves.
- Identify other reliable support structures.
- Arrogance and abuse of positional power: Toxic leaders believe that they know everything; they direct and tell more than lead; they do not want to be questioned.
- Decide if continuing to work under such a leader serves your life purpose.
- Overly demanding and disregarding your personal space: While there are times when we all work extended hours to meet certain unforeseen needs, if your leaders always expect you to work long hours, it needs to be addressed.
- Set boundaries at work in terms of time investment and outputs.
Toxic leadership impacts employees’ psychological and mental well-being. It is a poison that, unless addressed, will become cancerous. Every person owns their behaviour. Own your behavior by choosing how you respond to a toxic bullying leader. If need be, find a coach or mentor to help you address toxic leadership at your workplace.