Nov 18 / Fluence Executive Team

Understanding Destructive Leadership: Challenges and the Role of Leadership Coaching

Understanding Destructive Leadership: Challenges and the Role of Leadership Coaching

Leadership can make or break an organization. Effective leaders inspire, motivate, and guide their teams to reach their potential, but destructive leaders can have the opposite effect, undermining their teams, damaging organizational culture, and stifling growth. Destructive leadership, which is defined by toxic, harmful, or dysfunctional behaviors, has long been a topic of interest among organizational psychologists, HR professionals, and researchers. In recent years, the consequences of destructive leadership have become even more pronounced due to shifts in the workplace landscape, including the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of remote and hybrid work models.

While remote work initially offered a reprieve from toxic office dynamics, the transition back to in-person or hybrid settings, paired with the increasing pressure to perform and adjust to post-pandemic demands, has created new challenges. Employees now face a double burden: the return to a physical office environment and the continuation of destructive leadership behaviors. This blog explores the concept of destructive leadership, the toll it takes on employees, and how leadership coaching can help remedy these issues and foster healthier work environments.

What is Destructive Leadership?

Destructive leadership is often characterized by behaviors that damage individuals, teams, or organizations. These behaviors can manifest in various ways, ranging from overt abuse to more subtle forms of manipulation, neglect, and incompetence. Key traits of destructive leaders include:

  • Abusive Supervision: Leaders who belittle, criticize, or intimidate their employees, creating a toxic and fearful work environment.
  • Micromanagement: Leaders who excessively control employees' work, undermining their autonomy and trust.
  • Narcissism: Leaders who prioritize their own needs and egos at the expense of others, creating an imbalance of power and respect.
  • Incompetence: Leaders who are unable or unwilling to fulfill their responsibilities, often failing to provide adequate support or direction.
  • Lack of Empathy: Leaders who disregard the emotional needs of their employees, making them feel undervalued or ignored.

These behaviors can severely disrupt productivity, morale, and team cohesion, creating environments where employees feel disrespected, unsupported, and disengaged.

The Impact of Destructive Leadership on Employees

Destructive leadership doesn’t just affect organizational outcomes—it has a profound impact on the well-being of individual employees. Recent studies have shown that toxic leadership is strongly linked to negative psychological and emotional outcomes, as well as lower job satisfaction, higher turnover rates, and decreased productivity.

The toll of destructive leadership is felt particularly in the post-pandemic world, where employees are already navigating new challenges as they adapt to a "new normal." For those working under dysfunctional leaders, these challenges can be even more difficult to overcome.

Increased Pressure in the Return-to-Office Era

As many organizations mandate the return to in-person work or adopt hybrid models, employees are adjusting to new expectations and logistical challenges. For those working under destructive leaders, these challenges are compounded. Some of the most common effects of destructive leadership in the current environment include:

  1. Micromanagement and Surveillance: The shift from remote to in-person work has led to an increase in oversight, with many leaders doubling down on micromanagement as they attempt to "regain control." In an effort to monitor performance, toxic leaders may impose stricter rules, increase meetings, and demand constant updates. This not only reduces employees’ autonomy but also increases stress and anxiety, as they feel trapped under a microscope.
  2. Deteriorating Trust: Remote work, while challenging in its own right, allowed for greater independence and autonomy. Employees often had more flexibility in how and when they completed their work. However, as organizations shift back to in-person or hybrid work, trust issues resurface. Destructive leaders, who thrive in environments where they can control and micromanage, may struggle to trust employees to do their work without constant oversight. This breakdown of trust only exacerbates the challenges employees face, particularly for those working in already toxic environments.
  3. Communication Barriers in Hybrid Teams: The hybrid work model presents new challenges for leaders, especially those who lack emotional intelligence or interpersonal skills. Hybrid workforces require clear communication, flexibility, and empathy. However, destructive leaders often fail to provide these essential qualities. Instead, they may ignore the needs of remote employees or play favorites with in-office staff, creating divisions and frustrations among team members. The lack of open dialogue and support can leave employees feeling isolated and disconnected.
  4. Increased Workload and Unrealistic Expectations: As the world continues to recover from the pandemic, many organizations are under pressure to ramp up productivity and meet new performance goals. Destructive leaders, in their effort to meet these demands, often impose unrealistic expectations on their employees. This may manifest as overwhelming workloads, impossible deadlines, or continuous criticism. Employees working under such leaders are left feeling burnt out, demoralized, and unsupported.

Mental and Emotional Toll

The emotional toll of working under a destructive leader can be severe. Chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout are common outcomes for employees who are constantly undermined or belittled by toxic leadership. Research has shown that toxic leaders who engage in abusive behaviors or micromanage can lead to increased emotional exhaustion, lower self-esteem, and overall job dissatisfaction. Employees may start to disengage, lose motivation, or even leave their roles altogether to escape the toxic environment.

Decreased Productivity and Innovation

Destructive leadership not only harms employees' mental health but also directly impacts organizational performance. Employees under toxic leaders are less likely to feel empowered or motivated to contribute their best work. As a result, productivity decreases, and innovation suffers. In environments where employees feel stifled or undervalued, they are less likely to take risks, offer new ideas, or challenge the status quo. This stagnation can have long-term consequences for the organization, as the lack of new ideas and collaboration leads to reduced competitiveness and growth

Increased Turnover and Absenteeism

High employee turnover and absenteeism are direct consequences of working under destructive leadership. Employees who feel unsupported or disrespected are more likely to leave their jobs in search of better opportunities. For organizations, this means higher recruitment and training costs, as well as the loss of experienced and talented employees. Furthermore, employees who stay may take more sick days or be absent more frequently due to stress, burnout, or a lack of motivation. This absenteeism further disrupts operations and affects team performance.

The Role of Leadership Coaching in Addressing Destructive Leadership

While the challenges posed by destructive leadership are significant, leadership coaching offers a promising solution. Leadership coaching is a powerful tool that can help leaders develop the skills they need to transform their behaviors, increase self-awareness, and create a more positive and productive work environment.

How Leadership Coaching Can Help

  1. Fostering Self-Awareness: One of the first steps in addressing destructive leadership is helping leaders become aware of their behavior. Leadership coaching encourages reflection, allowing leaders to examine how their actions, communication style, and decision-making processes impact their teams. Through feedback and self-reflection, leaders can identify toxic patterns and begin to make conscious changes.
  2. Improving Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence (EQ) is a critical skill for effective leadership. Leaders with high EQ are able to manage their own emotions, empathize with others, and navigate interpersonal conflicts. Coaching helps leaders develop their emotional intelligence by teaching them to recognize and regulate their emotions, listen actively, and respond to their teams in constructive ways. With improved EQ, destructive leaders are better equipped to foster positive relationships, handle stress, and create a supportive work environment.
  3. Building Trust and Communication Skills: Trust is the foundation of any successful team, and coaching can help leaders build stronger relationships with their employees. Through leadership coaching, leaders can learn how to communicate more effectively, provide clear and consistent feedback, and build rapport with their teams. This fosters a culture of trust, which in turn improves team collaboration, performance, and morale.
  4. Encouraging Empathy and Support: Leadership coaching can also help leaders develop greater empathy for their employees. Destructive leaders often fail to understand or address the emotional needs of their teams. Through coaching, leaders can learn to recognize signs of stress, burnout, and disengagement, and take proactive steps to support their employees. This support might include offering flexibility, providing resources for mental health, or simply offering encouragement and recognition.
  5. Creating a Leadership Development Plan: Leadership coaching is not a one-time fix; it’s an ongoing process of growth and development. Coaches work with leaders to set long-term goals for their personal and professional growth. This might include developing new leadership skills, adopting healthier communication practices, or learning how to handle conflict more effectively. Through regular coaching sessions, leaders can continue to refine their approach and become more effective and supportive leaders.

Destructive leadership is a pervasive issue that can have significant consequences for both individuals and organizations. As companies navigate the complexities of post-pandemic work environments—whether transitioning back to the office or adapting to hybrid models—the effects of toxic leadership are more pronounced than ever. Employees working under destructive leaders often face increased stress, burnout, decreased productivity, and higher turnover rates. These challenges are compounded by micromanagement, lack of trust, and poor communication, which can hinder team collaboration and overall organizational success.

However, as we've explored in this blog post, leadership coaching offers a valuable solution. Through tailored coaching, leaders can develop self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and effective communication skills, ultimately transforming their leadership styles and fostering a healthier, more productive work environment. Leadership coaching is not just a tool for addressing individual performance but a strategy for reshaping organizational culture, rebuilding trust, and improving employee engagement.

At Fluence, we offer tailored leadership training and coaching programs specifically designed to address and mitigate the effects of destructive leadership behaviors. Our coaching services are customized to meet the unique needs of each leader, helping them develop essential skills like empathy, trust-building, and effective team management. By partnering with Fluence, organizations can ensure their leaders are equipped to create environments where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive.

If your organization is facing challenges caused by toxic leadership and you want to foster a more positive, results-driven culture, Fluence is here to help. Our leadership coaching can guide your leadership team toward meaningful growth, healthier work dynamics, and greater overall success.

Sources:
Doherty, L. (2023). “Leading in a Hybrid World.” Harvard Business Review.

Riggio, R. E. (2023). "The Warning Signs of a Toxic Leader." Psychology Today.