According to a recent survey carried out by McKinsey, uncaring and uninspiring leaders are in the Top 3 reasons that made people quit their previous jobs, between April of 2021 and April this year.
These types of leaders are often called ‘toxic’, when their traits are associated with dishonesty, narcissism, incompetence and aggressivity.
By aggressivity, does not mean only physical aggression or words that hurt other person’s feelings. But also, any atitude which has the intention to cause guilt, fear or shame in someone else.
If you are this type of leader, please find here an antidote for that: Empathy.
But if you are on the other side, and need to report to a toxic leader, it does not matter how good professional you are, you may end up getting stuck in your career, besides the chance of risking your health.
That’s exactly what another survey, carried out by BTA Associates, in Brazil, showed that more than half of the respondents feel anxiety (60%) or stress (62%) due to dealing with toxic bosses. The feeling that they can get sick because of work reached 26%.
Here you go with some ways to cope with them:
- Do not pay back in the same coin. If your leader has no emotional maturity, do not go down to their level.
- Learn to respond, not react. Non-violent communication can help you with that.
- Focus on things you can control, mainly your thoughts! Remember: thoughts produce feelings, that trigger behaviors, that promote actions. Mindfulness can help you here.
- Develop an assertive communication. It reduces the chance of misunderstanding, besides enhancing your negotiation skills.
- Check in on yourself regularly. Monitor your level of stress, and consider alternatives for getting relieved from it.
- Have in mind what really matters for you. Developing self-awareness can help you for making it clearer, then you will be able to make necessary and more assertive decisions.
Not having the support and recognition from leaders, and on top, feeling constantly overwhelmed by them, may negatively impacts people’s performance at work, that ultimately can make them feel demotivated, unhappy, or even sick!
Have you ever had a toxic leader? How did they make you feel? Share in the comments below!
If you need help to deal with a toxic workplace, schedule an initial call with me, free of charge, just click on this link!
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About me: I’m a High-Performance Coach who uses a Neuroscience-based method to support you in Achieve More with Mental Well-Being.
