LEADERSHIP
3 Red Flags That Scream Out Toxic Leadership
A discussion about the symptoms of a leadership pandemic in the business world
In business, the word ‘Toxic” makes people uncomfortable. Well, certainly those who have something to lose, like rank or power.
“Toxic environments are not the result of spontaneous bad fortune. They are the result of toxic leaders.”
— Panos Mourdoukoutas
Standing up to toxic leaders is also uncomfortable. This article will discuss three early warning signs that indicate the presence of a toxic leader.
1. A High Turnover of Staff
During my career, I once joined a company very much looking forward to working with an industry expert, only to learn that he resigned, after just 6 weeks in the job.
At the time I lied to myself. I was convinced that this was just part of the business world dynamic. People move on, right?
How wrong I was. It was a major red flag.
It later transpired that this highly experienced individual tendered his resignation without another job offer on the table, which speaks volumes. Six weeks is not enough time to onboard a new employee, it’s only 45 calendar days or 30 working days.
In fact, during my first two months at this company, seven people either resigned or were pushed out the door. Almost one person a week.
“People Leave Managers, Not Companies.”
— Victor Lipman
High-turnover is a problem. It’s not only costly but a huge indicator that something is not right at a leadership level. On a cultural level.
2. Poor Communication
During my time at this same company, I once sat in a restaurant to order a meal. Soon after my food arrived I suddenly noticed something that felt wrong — My manager had arrived and sat at an adjacent table. We were in a foreign country at the time.
Leadership is never about you, it’s about others. For any leader who sits down to eat alone, while one of their direct reports is at the next table, sends a clear message. At that moment I decided to leave and put in motion an exit strategy.
“To add value to others, one must first value others.”
— John Maxwell
The very same leader once criticized me for poor communication. Yet in an entire year on the job I never once got a phone-call or had a coffee with her.
Also, our email correspondence was about a 10 to 1 ratio, that is for every ten emails sent I received one reply, mostly unfriendly.
Great leaders communicate verbally and non-verbally. They’re very much aware of their words, behaviors, and actions, deploying both strategically for the benefit of others.
3. Blame Game Merchants
This is the go-to strategy for toxic leaders. Again, drawing from experience, a leader that I worked with made efforts to place blame at my doorstep on a project that was delayed.
Honesty is a virtue, a trait that defrocks toxic blame to reveal it’s grotesque presence amongst us.
My response, while honest, did not reflect well on my leader. Here’s why:
- €50k was spent with a SaaS vendor in 3 months
- Despite this spend the SaaS product was unusable during this time
- 3 project managers were removed in 3 months
- A coding defect was not shared
Blame is easy. For a toxic leader, it’s your trump card. A gamble that can backfire when facing an employee with the courage to stand-up.
“As I came in here, I heard those words, “cradle of leadership”. Well, when the bow breaks, the cradle will fall. And it has fallen here, it has fallen! Makers of men, creators of leaders — be careful what kind of leaders you’re producing here. I don’t know if Charlie’s silence here today is right or wrong; I’m not a judge or jury. But I can tell you this: he won’t sell anybody out to buy his future! And that, my friends, is called integrity. That’s called courage. Now that’s the stuff leaders should be made of.”
— Col. Frank Slade, Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman
Those who blame others are not leaders. Period. Blame is no more than a pitiful excuse — Blame is alien to great leaders.
Final Thoughts
Early warning signs are always there if we look. The examples above are just the tip of the iceberg, there are dozens of red flags.
Great leaders seek out solutions, toxic leaders seek out victims.
To recap, allow me to share three simple takeaways:
- High Turnover: Always steer clear of a company that's known for its revolving door culture.
- Poor Communication: Talk is cheap. Never forget that actions are much louder than words. “Your actions speak so loudly, I cannot hear what you are saying.” — R. Emerson
- Blame merchants: “Run Forest, run!” — Forest Gump
Toxic leadership not only has a devastating impact on organizations, it's detrimental to the wellbeing of employees. It’s a cancerous-poison that we need to stamp out collectively, as a society.
“Hoo-ah!” —Col. Frank Slade
