As many of you know my focus of research for the last three to four years has centered on toxic, unethical, abusive, and narcissistic leadership.

Many ask me why I focus on such a negative topic. 

Why Not Focus on Happy Leadership Thoughts?

Last month we discussed the Narcissist Leader or Employee. Many responded that they could and can relate to this issue. They were able to identify people in their lives or work place that fit the description right on. This month we will focus on the abusive leader or employee. I believe that when you read this article you will be able to relate to these behaviors. 

When I thought of abuse, my mind went to domestic abuse that is physical and emotional. My mind never went to abuse in the workplace. After all, we are all adults and should all respect ourselves, right?  However, abuse in the workplace is rampant and does impact people both emotionally and physically. You will be surprised how many people have experienced this type of leadership or employee behavior. As a result of these types of behaviors there is an increased focus on civility programs in the workplace.

It has been awhile since I have had some time to sit down to write an article and during this time I have had the chance to reflect on the different types of toxic leaders or employees within an organization. Many of our readers have asked, “What types of toxic leaders or employees are there?”

It would be so easy to say that one size fits all, but, there are many different types of toxic leaders and employees. Toxic behaviors are distinct and multi-faceted. So, I thought I would write a series of articles that focus on the different types of toxicity that we face in our work places. The first one that will be focused on deals with the narcissist. I have chosen this as my first topic since it is a difficult one to tackle.

When one thinks of team work and leadership it brings to mind great leaders; Vince Lombardi, Abe Lincoln, Martin Luther King and the list can go on. We envision inspirational leaders with leadership qualities that motivate people and inspire team work. They are seen as moving sports teams, organizations and countries forward for the greater good. On the other hand, we can envision negative leaders as well and our minds shudder and think of Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, and Fidel Castro just to name a few. The list can be just as long for negative leaders as it can be for positive leaders.

As leaders we have all dealt with difficult employees that have been low performers. But, what do we do with the difficult employee that is destructive, a bully, or worse yet, sabotaging the performance of other employees or even the organization?

Bullies and tyrants are not just limited to school play grounds, they are found in the corporate board room, and even within our peers and direct reports. Understanding the impact of followers that are destructive or bullies will be explored in this article.