What are your experiences with effectively working under a Toxic Leader?

SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 15:35:04 -0400

I have a text book case of Toxic Leader within my NCO Support Channel. This person has caused an extreme lack of trust, has displayed flagrant incompetence when dealing with subordinate development and mission accomplishment, and epitomized many other text book toxic behaviors. This has resulted in terrible morale which in turn has limited creativity and production. My frustration is after talking to senior leaders about the issue, they acknowledge the problem, but no corrective action is happening. I thought the C.A.P.E was all about speaking up and addressing these issues to build professional Army of trusted leaders and willing subordinates.

How have you handled similar problems and how have you kept peers and subordinates motivated and committed through positive influence?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 11 at 2014 3:48 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 15:48:55 -0400

Toxic Leadership is throughout the miitary, the way we handled a toxic leader was by ensuring we built a unit which had cohesion, and espirit de corp with a sense of direction. Once that was built we pushed that toward our subordinates. Before too long the senior leadership realized that the lack of motivation was caused by one individual, who happened to be the toxic leader. If you do the right thing and enforce the right thing, at the end your contribution will surely become visible.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 17 at 2015 4:39 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 16:39:50 -0500

Not sure if my leader was truly toxic, or just bi-polar, because I had some great experiences as well.
BLUF: I tried to anticipate which personality he was in, stay away when he was 'bad' and approach him when he was 'good.'
I utilized those that were closest to him to help me gage.

This may have been avoiding the issue, but as he was two levels above me, I could afford to do this, as I had a buffer also built in.

Response by SSgt Boyd Herrst made Nov 3 at 2017 7:58 AM

SSgt Boyd Herrst — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 07:58:36 -0400

You need a two on one approach, SGT.
Yourself, another higher Senior NCO who knows what is happening with that Supervisor that can play the mediator and the Subject ; the toxic leader. And go over the various
Points that need going over to wAter down the toxic environment so you can work together on a more cohesive level to achieve the mission within the perameters allowed. It will take time and baby steps
With some of them.