Leader who abuses the leader–follower relationship
Atoxic leader is a person who abuses theleader–followerrelationship by leaving the group or organization in a worse condition than it was in originally. Toxic leaders therefore create an environment that may be detrimental to employees, thus lowering overall morale in the organization.[1]
In his 1994 journal article "Petty Tyranny in Organizations" Blake Ashforth discussed potentially destructive sides ofleadership and identified what he referred to as "petty tyrants", i.e. leaders who exercise atyrannicalstyle of management, resulting in aclimate of fear in the workplace.[2]
The basic traits of a toxic leader are generally considered to be either/or insular, intemperate, glib, operationally rigid, callous, inept,discriminatory,corrupt oraggressive by scholars such asBarbara Kellerman.[4]
Characteristics that may be present in a toxic leader include those classically associated with psychopathy. There has been a substantial increase in media and academic interest in psychopathy within the workplace. This growing attention has often outpaced the available scientific research, leading to widespread assertions about the harmful effects of workplace psychopathy that are not yet fully supported by empirical evidence. A study byScott Lilienfeld and others examined the associations psychopathy had with occupational and academic differences, workplace aggression and counterproductive behaviors, ethical decision-making in corporate environments, white-collar crime, and leadership. While preliminary findings suggest that psychopathy may be linked to various negative workplace outcomes, there are also isolated indications of potential benefits.[5]
The United States Army defines toxic leaders as commanders who put their own needs first,micro-manage subordinates, behave in a mean-spirited manner or display poor decision-making.[6] A study for the Center for Army Leadership found that toxic leaders in the army work to promote themselves at the expense of their subordinates, and usually do so without considering long-term ramifications to their subordinates, their unit, and the Army profession.[7]
Ashforth proposed the following six characteristics to define petty tyranny:[8][9]
Noncontingent use ofpunishment: that is, punishment (e.g. displeasure or criticism) allotted without discernible or consistent principles; not dependent on, or necessarily associated with, undesirable behaviors.
Thesetting up to fail procedure is in particular a well establishedworkplace bullying tactic that a toxic leader can use against his rivals and subordinates.[10][11] Heavy running costs and a highstaff turnover/overtime rate are often also associated with employee related results of a toxic leader.[12]
Kellerman, Barbara (2004)Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press.ISBN9781591391661
Lipman-Blumen, Jean (2006)The Allure of Toxic Leaders: Why We Follow Destructive Bosses and Corrupt Politicians—and How We Can Survive Them Oxford University Press.ISBN9780195312003
Price, Terry L. (2005)Understanding Ethical Failures in Leadership (Cambridge Studies in Philosophy and Public Policy). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.ISBN9780521545976
Further reading
Jha, Srirang and Jha, Shweta (June 2015) "Leader as Anti-Hero: Decoding Nuances of Dysfunctional Leadership"Journal of Management & Public Policy
Warneka, Timothy H. (2005)Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today. Asogomi Publishing International.
Whicker, Marcia Lynn (1996)Toxic Leaders: When Organizations Go Bad. Westport, Connecticut: Quorum Books.
Williams, Christopher (2006)Leadership Accountability in a Globalizing World. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
