What Does Toxic Leadership Look Like: 5 Real Examples

Not every Manager is a Leader, and not every Leader is a great Leader! Let’s uncover some of the most common, toxic, and harmful leadership traits you’d find in the workplace so you can be better prepared moving forward.

dani herrera
5 min readAug 28, 2023
Two Managers scolding an employee at work.
Photo by Yan Krukau

When I first started offering 1:1 coaching sessions, I was surprised to see how many people needed my help in understanding — or seeing — whether they were dealing with a toxic or problematic Manager.

Some of my clients knew that already and approached my sessions with a “how to deal with this situation attitude.” Those sessions are easier, in comparison. The person already knows what the problem is and needs a bit of help navigating the future, potential possibilities, and opportunities.

Other clients, unfortunately, were either gaslighted into thinking that *they* were the problem or didn’t have the tools even to see that there was a leadership issue in the first place. They knew something wasn’t working but couldn’t pinpoint exactly what.

If that last paragraph resonates with you, this article is for you. Today, I want to cover some of the most toxic, problematic, and kinda-accepted traits and behaviors we often…

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dani herrera

DEI Consultant & Speaker | Top 100 DEI Leaders in '21 & '22 | Featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Refinery 29 & more | She / Her / Ella |