Coaching The Toxic Leader

What Is Toxic Leadership?

Toxic leadership is a dysfunctional style of leadership that employs autocratic and overbearing management tactics, resulting in a negative work environment. This hostile culture often leads to short- and long-term negative consequences for a business, including high turnover rates, employee burnout, low productivity, reduced innovation, team dissatisfaction, and workplace bullying.

Rooted in a lack of confidence and an excessive need for control, leaders who exhibit toxic behaviour use micromanagement techniques to diminish employee self-worth and independence. Instead of fostering a collaborative and positive work culture, toxic leaders create an unhealthy company culture to assert dominance.

4 Signs of Toxic Leadership

Toxic leaders often display narcissistic and aggressive behaviours when interacting with their team members.?

Some of a toxic leader's behaviours include:

1. Arrogant mentality:?

One of the early signs of toxic leadership is an arrogant mindset. Toxic leaders employ narcissistic behaviour patterns, believing that they are always right and their team members are wrong. Driven by narcissism, they value their self-interests over the well-being of their team, using their toxic behaviour to fuel their self-confidence and self-promotion.

2. Emphasis on hierarchy:?

Since toxic leadership stems from a power imbalance, it relies on a strict top-down structure. Toxic leaders manipulate their seniority to put down subordinate team members. The hierarchy toxic leaders impose is also how they maintain their authority. Therefore, toxic leaders are often reluctant to provide team members with independent projects or decision-making opportunities, as it defies their structural control.

3. Selective communication:?

Managers who struggle to communicate effectively with their employees often default to selective communication. Rather than connecting with their team members and adopting different communication styles, a toxic boss uses one form of communication and expects everyone around them to adapt to it.

4. Unrealistic or inconsistent expectations:?

Toxic managers assign unrealistic deadlines to set their employees up for failure. This is a power tactic toxic leaders use to assert dominance over subordinate team members. Inconsistent deadlines are another way toxic leaders gaslight their employees.

Role of a Coach

Low self-image is often the source of a toxic leader's behaviour; coaches boost self-esteem while reversing self-serving characteristics and teaching effective leadership traits. A leadership coach offers a neutral perspective and provides solutions for destructive behaviours they observe as an external third party.

Coaching different types of Toxic Leadership:

1. The Narcissistic Leader

Behavioural Traits:

• Inflated sense of self-importance
• Lack of empathy for team members
• Constant need for admiration and validation
• Disregard for others' ideas and contributions

How to Coach:

Build Self-Awareness: Help the leader recognize their narcissistic behaviours and the impact on their team. Use assessments and feedback to highlight these traits.

Develop Empathy: Encourage the leader to practise active listening and understand their team members' perspectives. Role-playing exercises can be beneficial.

Shift Focus: Guide the leader to focus on team achievements rather than personal accolades. Set goals that emphasise team success.

Continuous Feedback: Provide regular, constructive feedback to reinforce positive behaviours and address negative ones.

2. The Bipolar Leader

Behavioural Traits:

• Extreme mood swings
• Unpredictable decision-making
• Intense periods of high energy followed by depression
• Erratic behaviour that confuses team members

How to Coach:

Promote Stability: Encourage the leader to maintain a consistent schedule and routine to manage mood swings.

Mindfulness Training: Teach techniques to manage stress and emotional responses, such as meditation or deep-breathing exercises.

Clear Communication: Advocate for clear, consistent communication with team members to reduce confusion and build trust.

Professional Help: If necessary, suggest seeking support from mental health professionals to ensure the leader understands the importance of mental well-being.

3. The Passive-Aggressive Leader

Behavioural Traits:

• Indirect resistance to tasks
• Procrastination and intentional inefficiency
• Sarcastic or cryptic communication
• Avoidance of confrontation

How to Coach:

Direct Communication: Encourage open and honest communication, helping the leader express their concerns directly.

Set Clear Expectations: Establish clear goals and expectations for the leader, reducing opportunities for passive resistance.

Foster Accountability: Implement systems of accountability to track progress and address issues promptly.

Positive Reinforcement: Reinforce positive behaviour changes with praise and recognition.

4. The Emotionally Disconnected Leader

Behavioural Traits:

• Lack of emotional engagement with team members
• Difficulty understanding or expressing emotions
• Unresponsive to team members' emotional needs
• Focused solely on tasks and outcomes

How to Coach:

Emotional Intelligence Training: Provide training on emotional intelligence, emphasising the importance of understanding and managing emotions.

Empathy Exercises: Use exercises that build empathy, such as team-building activities and reflective listening.

Feedback Loops: Establish feedback loops where team members can express their emotional needs and concerns.

Modelling Behaviour: Model emotionally intelligent behaviour for the leader, demonstrating how to connect with team members on an emotional level.

In my experience as a business coach, I have worked with various toxic leaders, each presenting unique challenges. Coaching these individuals requires patience, empathy, and a tailored approach to address their toxic behaviours. One of the most rewarding aspects is witnessing a leader's transformation as they gain self-awareness and develop healthier leadership habits. I've learned the importance of creating a safe space for these leaders to explore their insecurities and fears, which often underlie their toxic behaviours. By fostering trust and providing consistent, constructive feedback, I have seen significant improvements in their interactions with their teams. This journey of change not only benefits the leaders themselves but also creates a more positive and productive work environment for everyone involved.

Addressing toxic leadership through coaching is a challenging but essential process for fostering a healthier work environment. Identifying the specific traits of different toxic leaders and applying tailored coaching strategies can transform destructive behaviours into positive leadership qualities. Through patience, empathy, and a structured approach, coaches can guide toxic leaders toward self-awareness and improved leadership, ultimately benefiting the organisation.