Is Your Leader and Workplace Toxic?

Over my many years of coaching individuals at every level—from entry-level staff to senior leaders—one common and troubling theme consistently emerges: a sudden, steep decline in self-esteem and confidence among high-performing professionals. Talented individuals, once thriving, find themselves plagued by self-doubt, second-guessing their every move, and showing clear signs of burnout and stress. Through my experience and expertise as a coach, I’ve uncovered that at the heart of these struggles is often one key issue: a toxic workplace enabled by toxic leadership.

Using a cause-tree approach to dig deeper, I’ve found time and again that when leaders lack self-awareness, emotional intelligence, or security, they create environments that harm both employees and organizational performance. These leaders foster or tolerate negativity, creating a climate where individuals feel undervalued, overworked, and unsupported. The result? Skyrocketing turnover, declining morale, and diminished productivity.

Toxic workplaces don’t just happen—they are built and maintained by leadership. If you’ve felt the crushing weight of self-doubt, stress, or burnout, it may not be you. It may be your environment. Let's dive deeper into what makes a workplace toxic, and more importantly, how to transform it.

Characteristics of Toxic Leaders and the Environments They Create

I know firsthand from a past experience that toxic leaders are not just bad bosses; they create an atmosphere of fear, stress, and dysfunction that permeates an organization, impacting employee well-being and performance. These leaders display behaviors and mindsets that create damaging, unsupportive environments. Below are some key characteristics of toxic leaders and the harmful workplace cultures they create:

1. Poor Communication: Toxic leaders thrive on confusion and opacity. Rather than leading through clear objectives and sound policies, they rely on gossip, rumors, and inconsistent messaging. Decision-making is kept secretive, and employees are left with vague expectations, uncertain about how their performance is measured or rewarded. These leaders often encourage a "divide and rule" approach, pitting employees against each other, which fosters mistrust and diminishes teamwork.
2. Micromanagement: These leaders control every aspect of their team's work, stifling creativity, autonomy, and trust. Employees feel suffocated by constant oversight, unable to make decisions on their own or take ownership of their roles. This type of control signals a lack of confidence in employees’ abilities, leading to disengagement and frustration.
3. Favoritism: Toxic leaders often show blatant favoritism, giving preferential treatment to select individuals or their clique of ‘yes-men’ and ‘yes-women’. This undermines the morale of the team as a whole, creating resentment and divisions among employees. Favoritism breeds an atmosphere where merit is disregarded, and employees become demotivated, knowing that hard work or talent will not be fairly rewarded.
4. Harassment and Bullying: A hallmark of toxic leadership is the tolerance, or even promotion, of inappropriate behavior. Whether it’s micro-aggressions, insults, harassment, or outright bullying, these leaders fail to address (or are complicit in) behavior that makes the workplace hostile. Employees may feel constantly undermined or belittled, and this unchecked toxic culture leads to severe mental and emotional strain.
5. Unreasonable Work Demands: Toxic leaders are notorious for placing impossible workloads on their teams without providing the necessary support or resources. Employees are expected to meet excessive demands, often at the expense of their personal lives and mental health. These leaders value output over well-being, leading to burnout, decreased productivity, and high turnover. These kind of leaders do not respect the right to disconnect after work hours
6. Lack of Recognition or Support: In toxic workplaces, employees' contributions are rarely, if ever, recognized. Despite hard work, there is little to no appreciation or acknowledgment. Toxic leaders also fail to provide meaningful support for personal or professional growth. This leaves employees feeling undervalued and stagnant, reducing morale and motivation over time.
7. Fear-Based Management: Toxic leaders rule through fear. Employees live in constant anxiety about losing their jobs or being punished for minor mistakes. These leaders establish their authority by targeting well-respected or high-performing individuals, diminishing them in front of other employees, and eventually firing them to send a message of dominance to the rest of the organization. This creates a culture of fear where employees are too afraid to innovate, speak up, or take risks, stifling creativity and progress.

The Toxic Environment They Create and How to Heal It

Leaders exhibiting toxic behaviors create workplaces that are not just dysfunctional but also psychologically harmful. In such environments, employees often suffer from anxiety, depression, burnout, and other stress-related health issues. Teams become disengaged, leading to a sharp decline in productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction. High turnover rates and absenteeism become the norm as top talent flees the toxic atmosphere, while toxic employees often stay and thrive, exacerbating the problem.

These environments foster distrust, division, and fear. Instead of collaboration and teamwork, employees are driven to focus on survival, often competing with one another in a climate where loyalty to toxic leadership is rewarded over competence. Such leaders thrive on maintaining power and control, even at the cost of their organization’s health, tearing down the foundation of trust and integrity needed for long-term success.

Toxic leadership isn’t just a personal flaw—it acts like a poison, slowly eroding morale, trust, and organizational performance. Recognizing these behaviors and their effects is the crucial first step toward creating a healthier, more supportive workplace. To move beyond toxicity, organizations must be willing to address the root causes at the leadership, cultural, and structural levels.

My Approach to Healing Toxic Workplaces

Through my extensive experience working with toxic leaders, teams, and workplaces, I have developed a deep understanding of the complexities involved in healing such environments. My approach is rooted in a comprehensive assessment of both organizational culture and leadership dynamics. This allows me to identify the underlying causes of toxicity, whether they stem from systemic issues, poor leadership practices, or cultural misalignment.

Here are the key steps I use to address and heal toxic workplaces:

1. Culture and Leadership Assessment: I begin by conducting a thorough evaluation of the organization’s culture and leadership practices. This analysis to uncover the underlying dynamics driving the toxicity. The goal is to understand not just individual behaviors but also the systemic and structural issues that enable toxic leadership to thrive.
2. Leadership Coaching and Development: Toxic leaders often lack self-awareness and emotional intelligence, key qualities necessary for healthy leadership. Through personalized coaching, I work directly with leaders to enhance their self-awareness, emotional regulation, and communication skills. The focus is on shifting their mindset from control and fear to empowerment and trust, enabling them to foster a positive, inclusive, and transparent workplace.
3. Team Interventions: Healing toxic teams requires targeted interventions that rebuild trust, open communication, and restore collaboration. I facilitate team workshops that address interpersonal conflicts, encourage open dialogue, and create space for authentic connections. This helps shift the team dynamic from one of survival and competition to one of mutual support and collective growth.
4. Addressing Systemic and Structural Issues: Toxicity often arises from flawed systems, unclear expectations, and rigid hierarchies. I work with organizations to redesign their systems and structures to promote fairness, transparency, and accountability. This might involve revising performance evaluation processes, creating clearer communication channels, and ensuring leadership practices align with the organization’s values and goals.
5. Building a Culture of Respect and Well-Being: Long-term healing requires cultural transformation. I help organizations cultivate a culture of respect, inclusivity, and well-being by promoting values that prioritize employee mental health, work-life balance, and continuous learning. This cultural shift encourages employees to thrive, innovate, and feel valued, which ultimately boosts organizational performance and morale.
6. Ongoing Support and Monitoring: Healing a toxic workplace is not a one-time effort—it requires ongoing commitment. I provide continuous support through follow-up coaching, regular team check-ins, and leadership development programs to ensure that the changes stick and the organization continues to move forward positively.

Healing toxic workplaces is complex and requires a multifaceted approach. By addressing toxicity at the leadership, team, and systemic levels, I help organizations transform their environments into places where individuals can thrive, collaborate, and innovate. My experience in guiding leaders and teams through this journey has shown me that real, lasting change is possible when organizations commit to fostering a culture of respect, trust, and growth.

Sincerely

Dr. Mary Waceke Thongoh-Muia