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The Frightening Impact of Toxic Leadership

1/7/2014

Last night we heard NPR's report on toxic leaders. In a study that looked at eight suicide victims in the army, all had toxic commanders who made the soldiers' lives miserable with no let up. "When you're ridden mercilessly, there's just no letup, a lot of folks begin to fold," the study's author concluded. He went on to describe toxic leaders as "abusive and self-aggrandizing, arrogant and petty, and ‘unconcerned about, or oblivious to, staff or troop morale.’" The researcher also described toxic leaders as "good at snowing their superiors — so they kept getting promoted." The report suggests that the impact of destructive leadership goes beyond the military. A key question posed: Are we tolerating this kind of leadership?

We applaud the army's initiation of an evaluation system where officers get anonymous feedback from those who report to them. We believe in the power of such information. Please let us know: Have you experienced the impact of 360° feedback? What happened when such a system was introduced in your organization? Share your responses to this weekly discussion question on our Community of Practice Forum.

11 Comments

Tricia Hughes

1/7/2014 02:49:13 am

Discussion regarding bullying in any form, is worthy of our time.
As an educator in professional post graduate programs, trying to maximize time, clarity, team functioning, any goal . . . requires effective interpersonal communication is essential.

The more examples we have to help students/people recognize the significance of their communication the easier it will be to help them recognize that the so called 'soft' sciences are at the core of success.

susan glaser

1/8/2014 01:40:28 am

I can't agree with you more, Tricia. I have often wondered about considering communication impact "soft" and thank you for this insight.

Merry link

1/7/2014 03:15:09 am

I was stunned with the information yesterday too, but my late husband was a Viet Nam veteran who had severe PTSD and problems the rest of his shortened life - because of a situation he had to deal with on board the ship he served on in the Navy.
When I worked at Boeing, I experienced that kind of "Theory X" management, and I know how difficult and damaging it can be.
I saw a beautiful, intelligent lady with a Master's degree treated like dirt over and over by the men she had to work with and for - to the point that she eventually had a total health breakdown. She had gone to upper management about it, and eventually to H.R., but that only caused an escalation of the behaviors by the egotistical and abusive men. Her repeated requests for transfer were denied, and she was laughed at and sneered at by her abusers. The manager of the area give the same negative review - word for word - to all three women who worked for him. It was not true, but he knew that and was furious with anyone who tried to prove him wrong. I know because I did. On the way back from sexual harrassment seminars, the "good ole boys" were patting butts of the women and making lewd remarks - laughing at the idea anyone would stop them from doing whatever they wanted. It was a nightmare to work there, but I had five kids to feed and needed the job. Eventually, I took a voluntary lay-off and got out of there. That was 1992, and I never looked back. I worked at a lot of jobs thru the years, but that one was definitely traumatic. I had to take strong anti-depressant medications to keep going. That is not how people should live. The competition for jobs was high there, and the men did not want any women in the area. Getting rid of them was the goal. I had one actually tell me to my face "Nothing personal, but we are going to get rid of you - one way or another. We are trashing your reviews and doing whatever it takes. We don't want a woman in this job." I was a Buyer. When I was confronted with a man who said "Women cannot be Purchasing Agents", I asked him who he took his paycheck home to, and who spent it.
Every job I have worked has had someone at the top, or in management, who enjoyed making things hard for people who worked for them - in one way or another.
I had two sons in Saudi, and one is still military. Such abuse happens, and it is sad that it does. We send kids to learn to kill or be killed, and to survive somehow. They are not prepared when they get there for the things they will go thru. They see and do things that horrifies them, and scars them forever. It is not a video game, and real people are torn, bleeding, and dying. War changes people, and they come home unable to deal with it. The support was not there for the Viet Nam veterans, and is still is not nearly as much as they should have for the current vets either. They risked their lives for us and our freedom - for poverty wages. They deserve a lot better. Getting off my soap box now. lol I know that kind of abuse still goes on in some businesses, and people who need jobs badly do whatever it takes to keep their paycheck. A happy employee is a much more productive one, so their behavior is harming the company as well as the employee.
I never thought I would see a time in this country when there were more people living off the government than are working, but it is here. Jobs are hard to find for many, and I think that fosters the kind of abusive person you discussed.
How would you suggest people who are facing that abusive work situation handle it? You are very good at solutions in the work place.

1/8/2014 01:45:26 am

Wow Merry. You have certainly faced demons and still are thriving. Your question about solutions for people facing work place abuse is complex. Organizations need to find ways for voices to be heard and internal structures for speaking truth to power. Perhaps others on this forum will have thoughts about your question.

ann

1/7/2014 03:42:51 am

What an important topic. Thank you for addressing it!
My experience with the toxicity you describe is that it is embedded in a culture that is fairly authoritarian as far as leadership goes. We have done the sort of anonymous feedback that this article describes. The overtness is less intense; however, the coercive style is still up front and center. For example, the only staff development opportunity that has been offered in years was on 'how to be a good follower.' We had some marvelous diversity experiences years ago that have been replaced by rigid conformity. I wonder if this is typical for others, or specific to my work culture?

1/8/2014 01:47:39 am

I wonder too, Ann. Are you saying that your organization routinely does 360 feedback -- where leaders get rated by their peers and also the people who report to them? And even with that continue to maintain an authoritarian leadership culture?

1/8/2014 10:16:05 am

Not routinely; however, they did it once. :)
Routinely, they ask for input on important decisions. However, that input is sought after at least a year (or years) of conveying what management wants. So, the feedback is fairly predictable.

1/8/2014 06:02:16 am

Susan, I think the type of business will make a difference too in how it is approached. In a large company you can retain a bit of privacy and security in reporting things or trying to communicate a problem.
In a small business, it would be very hard to do that. Particularly in a small family-owned business. There is no one to go to if you have a problem or something is not being handled in a fair manner.
I do agree though that abuse of power is a problem whereever it happens. I think we all need to be aware of it and do what we can to stop it whenever possible.

1/8/2014 06:02:28 am

Dick Swenson

1/12/2014 07:33:46 am

Of course we all tolerate this and for various reasons.

First, when it is reported it is often denied or is described using euphemisms, such as demanding, aggressive, my way or the highway, etc.

Second, individually we can do nothing about it. If you sign up to the military, then you have implicitly agreed to the macho, tough guy life style, and all one can do when confronted with its reality is to resign and be labelled as a wimp, or coward, or ..

Most of the time the toxic behavior by the so-called leaders has a purpose that is not admitted. For example, Boot camp is designed to remove most behavior in young people that might be called 'civilized.' The military wants people who will take orders without question and kill and destroy or be willing to be killed or destroyed in the process. They don't want 'question askers.'

They want people who will do anything (My Lai, Abu Ghraib) to defend the small coterie (the squad, the team) upon whom they depend for their life. They will never ask why they are in a position to have to behave this way. They will respond with bromides about 'defending their country' ignoring the fact that their country might not be in peril from the enemy that they are fighting. The US was never at risk from the Vietnamese.

Toxic behavior by leaders leads to civilizations such as North Korea, Cambodia, and others where leadership occurs via ascribing mythical powers to individuals rather than wondering why one is behaving the way one is being asked to behave.

If we really taught 'critical thinking' in schools, this type of behavior might be reduced, but it can never be eliminated.

1/13/2014 06:23:09 am

Thank you for this sobering reply, Dick. You have certainly captured the deep foundation on which this sort of culture is born and allowed to exist. Deeply appreciate your sharing it with our community of practice.

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The Frightening Impact of Toxic Leadership

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