Toxic Leaders

Organizations That
Transform
Toxic Leaders: Mission Versus Management

a presentation brought to you by:

Sherry Perkins

Sherry Perkins
• M.A. Organizational Development
• 30 Years Experience
• Technology/Management/HR
• Business Owner
• Chair Waco WIB Alliance
Vice President
Enterprise Solutions • SCORE Counselor
Consulting
• UOP Management Instructor

®
imagine great people

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Client Highlights
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Clients We’ve Served


Today’s Topic

– Definition of Toxic Leadership
– Signs and Symptoms
– Environmental/Organizational Contributors
And Enablers that Foster Toxicity
– Impact of Toxic Leadership on
Organizational Effectiveness
– Strategies for Transforming Toxic
Leaders/Cultures

1

Toxic Corporate Culture
Signs and Symptoms? (Chat)

2

A Workplace May Be Toxic If . . .
• Mediocre performance is rewarded over merit-based output
(Colligan & Higgins, 2006, Doyle & Kleiner, 1993)

• Employees avoid disagreements with managers for fear of reprisal
(Jones, 1996)
• Personal agendas take precedence over the long-term well-being
of the company (Atkinson & Butcher, 2003)

• Leaders are constantly on edge and lose their tempers often
(“Middle,” 2003)

• Employees are treated more like financial liabilities than assets
(Macklem, 2005)

Gilbert, Carr-Ruffino, Ivancevich, & Konopaske (2012). Toxic versus cooperative behaviors at work: The role of
organizational culture and leadership in creating community-community –centered organizations. International
Journal of Leadership Studies, 7 (1), 29-47.
3

Toxicity
The degree to which a substance (a toxin or poison)
can harm humans or animals. Usually upon repeated or
continuous exposure, sometimes lasting for the entire
life of the exposed organism.

4 http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=34093

Life Indicators

5

Life Indicators

Grow or Take in
Develop Nutrients

Heal and
Reproduce/
Protect
Replicate
From Further
Themselves
Injury

6

Organizational Toxicity

Hinders Blocks or
Reproductive Sabotages
Potential Nutrition Process

Stifles
Growth and Inhibits Healing
Development

7

Toxic Leader Behaviors
• Excessive Employee Monitoring
• Micro-Management
• Employee Bashing
• Overly Demanding and Unreasonable
• Unappreciative
• Abuse of Power (Bullying/Exploitation)
• Self-Serving
• Questionable Ethics
Gilbert, Carr-Ruffino, Ivancevich, & Konopaske (2012). Toxic versus cooperative behaviors at work: The role of organizational
culture and leadership in creating community-community –centered organizations. International Journal of Leadership Studies, 7 (1), 29-47.

8

Life Indicators

9

Organizational Toxicity

• Practice Morale Disengagement

• Institutionalize Poor Business Practices

• Create a “Smokescreen” or Diversion

• Foster Groupthink/The Abilene Paradox

10

Today, Few Employees Are ‘Engaged’ in Work
Random samples of the U.S. working population over 18 years of age

100%
90% 17% 20% Engaged
29%
80%
70%
60%
64% 62%
55% Neutral
50%
40%
What will your workforce profile look like?
30%
20%
10%
16% 19% 18% Bitter
0%
Gallup Towers Perrin EEE
Source: The Gallup Organization, Towers Perrin and The New Employee/Employer Equation, The Concours Group and Age Wave, 2004
11

Levels of Engagement
Highly Engaged Engaged
Supportive of Goals
Great Match
Good Match
Fully Accountable
Easily Motivated
Contagious Enthusiasm
Involved
Enthusiastic Pursuit of Goals
Focused
Fully Committed
Understands Expectations
Pro-active
Secure
Levels of
Engagement

Dis-engaged Highly Dis-engaged
Fair Match Poor Match
Not interested Destructive
Questions Expectations Disruptive
Avoids Participation Discourages Others
Easily Distracted Aggressive Resistance
Apathetic, Aloof Fearful, Bitter
Dissatisfied, Insecure Does not Know Expectations

12

Enhancing Your Leadership Charisma: A Step-by-Step Guide

Engagement = Productivity & Profitability
…which equates to:

…a 51% Gap in Operating Income!
…a 39% Gap in Earnings per Share!
…between high and low engagement organizations

Source: Towers Perrin ‘Global Workforce Study’ (surveyed nearly 90,000 employees in 18 countries.)
13

Enhancing Your Leadership Charisma: A Step-by-Step Guide

Engagement = Productivity & Profitability
“…we looked at fifty global companies over a year, correlating employee
engagement levels with financial results...

The companies with high employee engagement had a in
operating income and in earnings per share.

Conversely, companies with low levels of engagement saw
and earnings per

14

What Can Organizations Do

To Combat Toxicity?

15

Team Tendencies that Counteract Toxicity
Leverage Diverse Ideas
Diverse viewpoints can lead a team to
better problem-solving.

• You may have team members with
various learning styles and problem-
solving preferences.

• You’ll need to ensure they have
opportunities to make their
perspectives known.

• Strong teams find ways to ensure that
their solutions reflect a multi-cultural,
multi-valued influence.
16

Strengthen Communication Channels
There’s no substitute for understanding
the innate behaviors of your team
members.

• Encourage active listening and ensure influence
based on task-relevant knowledge rather than on
status or personal dominance.

• Apply your skills as a leader and facilitator to
moderate the group and ensure that people have
adequate opportunities to contribute.

• Consider communication and learning styles.

• A formal assessment of skills and strengths is an
effective, time-tested method.

17 How to Avoid the Seven Biggest Team-Building Blunders | 25

Encourage Collaboration
It is important to create an environment
that allows team members to voice their
opinions in an open & honest manner.

• Solicit the perspective of individual members

• Get all sides of the story; Avoid Groupthink or the
Abilene Paradox (Janis,1982; Harvey,1988)

• Weigh arguments to make a decision

• Establish data and metrics to help you make decisions

• Practice strategies for “Crucial Conversations”
(Patterson, Grenny, McMillan & Switzler, 2002)

18

How to Avoid the Seven Biggest Team-Building Blunders

Failure to Establish Appropriate Norms
A certain amount of conflict is healthy.

• Encourage collaboration and educated risk-taking

• Set the right tone and the right reward structure
that prompts everyone to contribute

• Tolerate reasonable levels of ambiguity. Testing
different approaches and taking smart risks is
necessary for achieving the best result.

• Most importantly, you should use failure as an
opportunity to dig deeper toward a solution.

19 How to Avoid the Seven Biggest Team-Building Blunders | 27

PXT Team Culture

• How do we learn?

• How do we work?

• What do we enjoy?

• How will we collaborate?

20

Team Balance Table

21

Open-Systems Team Model
(Pre-requisites)
Dr. Oscar Mink, Open Organization, 1979

Effective Decision Level at
Communications Lowest Level of
Competency

Equal Reward for
Team versus Members Who
Individual Are Capable and
Achievement Committed

Clearly Understood Goals Inspire Continuous
Member Authority and Learning
Accountability

22

Double-Loop Learning

Argyris, C. (1978) Retrieved from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl
=http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadingblog/images/Double-LoopLearning. . . Also http://www.infed.org/thinkers/argyris.htm.
23

Don’t Punish Your Leaders – Prepare Them

24

CheckPoint 360°TM Multi-Rater System

25

Competencies & Skill Sets
Communication: Task Management:
• Listens & Communicates Effectively • Works Efficiently
• Processes Information • Works Competently

Leadership: Production:
• Instills Trust • Takes Action
• Provides Direction & Delegation • Achieves Results

Adaptability: Development of Others:
• Adjusts to Circumstances • Cultivates Individual Talents
• Thinks Creatively • Motivates Successfully

Relationships: Personal Development:
• Builds Personal Relationships • Displays Commitment
• Facilitates Team Success • Seeks Improvement

26

Executive Competency Overview

27

Continued

28

Survey Summary of the 70 Items

29

Development Summary Overview

30

CheckPoint 360°TM Management Report

31

CP360 Management Report Cont.

• Working with Sally Sample

• Accountability Process

• A Process for the Manager
to Follow in Using the
Report for Coaching.
www.profilesinternational.com 32

CP360 Management Report Cont.

A Process for the
Manager to Follow to
use the Report for
Coaching.

33

What Next??

34

30-Day Challenge

Leadership Effectiveness

Analysis

35

Our Gift To You (Poll)
Would you Like to Receive a Free
Leadership Effectiveness Evaluation?

1. Yes
For You 2. No

A Leadership Effectiveness Evaluation
Includes:
1. Profile XT
2. Profiles Performance Indicator
3. Checkpoint 360 Survey
36

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Singapore 048545
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Toxic Leaders

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