I consider myself fortunate never to have worked for overtly toxic leader. Perhaps it is because I have spent much of my professional career with pediatricians, who tend to be a relatively patient and easy-going bunch. While I know toxic leaders are out there, looking back over three decades I cannot think of a single one of my senior leaders whom I would consider toxic.
I have unfortunately, had subordinate leaders who were described as toxic by their teams and have had to address the problem as a leader. The angry, abusive leaders were easy to recognize. But there is another subtle form of leader toxicity that is ultimately just as deadly and may be even more prevalent. From what I recall learning in school, the two remind me of heavy metal poisoning.
“Mercurialism” comes from mercury toxicity and like any heavy metal poisoning it has acute and chronic forms. I liken this form of poisoning to what we typically consider when we think of a toxic leader: unpredictable angry outbursts, inflammatory, derisive, demeaning comments, foul language and aggressive behaviors. Mercury poisoning can cause clinical symptoms of sensory impairment, difficulties hearing and speech, disturbed sensation, lack of coordination, atrophy, loss of visual acuity and loss of strength in an affected individual. Mercurial leaders have the same effect on their organization. The organization is weakened, has poor internal coordination and communication, and becomes insensitive to customers, internal and external. Ultimately the organization can lose its vision.
“Plumbism” is the name for lead poisoning (from the Latin “plumbum” for lead, source of the element’s atomic symbol “Pb”). Plumbism may also be acute or chronic, but in the latter case symptoms include depression, loss of appetite, pain, nausea, malaise, fatigue, and disturbed sleep. The “leaden” leader also has a toxic effect on an organization, but the effect may be more subtle. Teams function, but at a depressed level compared to their capability. Members experience loss of passion and weariness. There’s organizational malaise. This toxic leader, though well-meaning, wears them down.
The lead-toxic leader may practice “leadership by conjunction.” Descriptive phrases of the leader might include: “He is a nice guy but…” “She would be a great leader if…” “We are learning to work together and…” “Despite him, we get the job done whether or not…” “We will be successful so long as she doesn’t…” This leader is the kind of person that subordinates want to like and follow, if only…
Despite the absence of an overtly mercurial style, there are still vexing things that render the lead-leader toxic and less effective:
– Asking you about yourself is always a prelude to telling you about themselves.
– They talk to you while they’re doing something else.
– They don’t listen to suggestions or feedback. You can tell that they stopped hearing you as soon as you reached the point where you know they don’t agree.
– They don’t ask for input. They spend team-meetings convincing and coercing members to see things from their perspective.
– They micromanage the ways, the means and the ends. Not satisfied to tell subordinates how to get the job done, they also tightly control the means (“You don’t need to do that…”) as well as the ends or the ultimate product (“Look, I re-did this for you. Isn’t this better?”).
Lead poisoning results from the introduction of lead into the environment. In relatively recent history tin-can solder, paint and gasoline additives have been environmental sources. Additives in American culture proved to be unanticipated sources of this type of heavy metal poisoning. By analogy, could we be seeing a rise in lead-toxic leadership as we have added means of communication into our culture that increase the speed and number of contacts but decrease opportunity for direct human interaction? Could social media be rendering us less social? Perhaps there’s a little lead in all of us.
The good news is that this form of leader toxicity can be more easily addressed than the mercurial form. Mercurial toxic leaders may have personality traits or disorders and require cautious but decisive handling. The lead-toxic leader needs frank feedback from a superior. A “360 degree” survey of the individual’s leadership skills is often helpful and provides objective data for a feeback conversation. The individual thus enlightened, may be open to coaching on specific leadership style (i.e. move from “pace-setting” to “visionary” or “affiliative” styles in Goleman’s emotional intelligence model). Many organizations already have skilled individuals on board (organizational development practitioners or trained mediators) who could serve as executive coaches. With feedback, lead-toxic leaders can learn to consider how actions affect subordinates and can be coached to be more sensitive to their potential impact, both positive and negative.
As we learn to listen more carefully and with greater sensitivity to subordinates we gain new and expanded insight into the depth of the operations and the culture of the organization. We become better leaders.
As a result and over time, we’ll be able to get the lead out – and lead.
Chuck Callahan Henry V 4.3 – Lead from the Front https://henryv43.wordpress.com/
Henry V 4.3 
I could write an essay in response — a book, even. Sadly, over the years, I’ve directly supported a number of toxic leaders — truth be told, more often than not. It’s so prevalent in my experience that it’s almost comical. Almost — if it weren’t so painful and difficult. If it hasn’t often left me wondering if it must be ME, something I am doing or putting out there to attract or create this toxic environment, constantly spending time and energy evaluating my own behaviors and trying desperately to correct some unhealthy situation. I’ve often been left slack jawed and confused wondering “did that just really happen to me?”. The worst boss, however, was one that just decided, for a reason largely admitted by her to be personality differences, that I just wasn’t who she wanted on her team. No matter what I did, it was never good enough. I could never reach a level of perfection good enough for her. I did everything I could to fix it, to make her like me, to produce work so exemplary as to never, ever need to be corrected. If my work was perfect, there was no acknowledgment (which was okay, albeit not ideal). But if I had even the slightest typo in an in-house informal email between colleague, I was berated and made to do remedial work to prove to her that I was “capable of working at a level of professional excellence that is expected of our organization”. After nearly 3 years, it was so bad that I had to go to personal counseling to understand what was going on. This person had alienated me from my peers. This person had indicated that I was not to speak until I was spoken to. This person made me believe that I was no longer capable of even simple tasks. This person had different rules for me than for others. This person berated me publicly in front of my peers to the point that others noticed I was simply “in her crosshairs”. This person had me looking over my shoulder for the tiniest of mistakes, cross checking and triple checking myself, terrified I would commit some terrible professional sin. This person would change the rules or expectations without communicating them to me and then berate me for not meeting expectations. Morever, this person was a person of favor and persuasion in our organization, and it was very clear that I was in no place to stand up to her. Not even HR could help! (And believe me, I went.) In the end, if the organization had to choose between her and me, it was going to be her. I was expendable. I needed that job, but I also knew that I couldn’t handle it anymore. I was broken & walked away, without a back up, with out a plan. It was a terribly painful experience.
It was strange to realize, during the healing process, that this person had created a structure in place that very closely resembled that of an abusive spouse. All the same dynamics were there; it was truly abusive. I believe the only reason I was even able to recognize it was my previous personal experience of having been in an abusive marriage. Even so? It took me nearly 3 years to recognize what was happening. No matter what I did, it was never good enough. I could never change her mind. It wasn’t even really about me . . . When I went to find the next job, after some months of hardship and no small trial, I made sure that it was in a place that seemed HEALTHY & reasonable. I work hard. I give much. I expect much of myself. I am professional & able.
But I consider myself fortunate to have, as a professional (and personal) requirement, a reasonable work environment. Many are not as fortunate and are subject to a truly unhealthy relationship just for the sake of making ends meet.
My professional passion, as a result of 15 years of crazy experiences, is to create healthy working relationship, cultivating productive and mutually supportive work cultures. I have started with responsibility for my own self & creating boundaries. But one day, there will be a formal graduate education regarding the subject and a career that moves people towards cooperation, mutual respect & true leadership. For your part, for your experience and shared wisdom, for your example of leadership . . . thank you.
Thanks for your candor, Jennifer. I feel even more fortunate not to have had a relationship like the one you describe (and hopefully not to have caused one…) Perhaps leader toxicity is more rampant than I realized. I strongly suspect from what you say that you are correct – this was not anything you did or didn’t do. You describe a broken leader. Your passion now to create healthy working relationships is spot on, and hopefully our systems will continue to get better at recognizing leaders like the one you describe… I appreciate your courage in speaking out.