Toxic Leaders: The Toxic Trinity That Takes Leaders Down

Is your ego affecting your leadership skills? Toxic leadership can not only ruin the work culture and affect the morale of the employees, but it can also lead to the destruction of the toxic leaders and even the company.

Bill Clinton said, “It’s the economy, stupid.” In organizations, “It’s the leadership, stupid.”

The problem with organizations is toxic leadership.

Look around. If you don’t like what you see, look in the mirror. Maybe you can’t improve the entire organization, but you certainly can improve your team.

The sooner leaders own the dark side of organizational life, the sooner the lights come on. Finger-pointing and excuse-making cause organizations to remain dark.

Toxic leadership – the toxic trinity:

1. Blind leaders can’t see their own incompetence.

There is no hope for those who feel capable when they’re incompetent until they change their opinion.

Those who are incompetent have little insight into their incompetence. (Dunning-Kruger Effect)

You’re incompetent when you believe your job is more difficult than everyone else’s.

The more competent you feel, the less you know. Those who know the most know they have the most to learn.

Tips for blind leaders:

Believe and act on the feedback you receive.
Learn something and share what you’re learning with others.
Ask questions. Spend a morning just asking questions.

2. Insecure leaders feel threatened by the success of others.

You feel threatened if:

Bravado, anger, or certainty are tools for shutting people down.
You take credit for other people’s work.
You minimize the success of others.
Defensiveness is your default response to bad news or problems.
You hold your head down when you walk the halls.

Tips for insecure leaders:

Spend a morning praising and thanking.
List your top 5 weaknesses.
Develop a new skill with someone on your team.

3. Squeaky wheel leaders obsess over problems.

Obsessing over problems makes you the problem.

Success is about seizing opportunities, not solving problems. (Inspired by Peter Drucker)

Tip: Monitor the ratio of positive to negative topics in your conversations. The 80/20 rule applies.

What’s on your list of traits or behaviors of toxic leaders?

Written By Dan Rockwell
Originally Appeared On Leadership Freak

This post was previously published on Leadership Freak and is republished here with a Creative Commons license.

The Toxic Trinity: 3 Toxic Leadership Traits That Can Damage Your Organization

Interesting, Work Relationship

toxic, toxic leadership

6 Meaningful Lessons From Emily In Paris!

1. Learning A New Language Can Change Your Life

Do you recall the time Emily arrived in Paris

READ FULL ARTICLE ⇲

Up Next

Ways To Receive Spiritual Guidance Straight From The Universe

“I have no idea what to do.”

“I am so confused.”

Does life ever feel like a maze with no clear exit? I wish I could hand you a map, but unfortunately, it doesn’t exist. However, there’s a powerful tool you can use when you find yourself at a crossroads – tuning in to receive spiritual guidance from the Universe. But how to receive spiritual guidance?

The signs from the universe aren’t always flashy or obvious—they can be as subtle as a whisper, a gut feeling, or a seemingly random encounter that sticks with you. But how do you seek spiritual guidance from the universe?

In this guide, we’ll explore how you can open yourself up to receiving this spiritual guidance from the Universe. But first let’s understand what

READ FULL ARTICLE ⇲

Up Next

11. That’s how many life-changing eras Taylor Swift has given us. And chances are there is a Taylor Swift album for every stage of your life. But have you ever wondered which era defines you the best, the one that screams ‘you.’ Well, since you clicked on this Taylor Swift album quiz, it sounds like you’re ready to find out