Companies don’t promote toxic leaders by mistake.
They reward them systematically.
You’ve seen it happen.
You’ve probably worked for one.
And it leaves you feeling powerless in a system that rewards the wrong people.
Here’s what’s really going on:
1. They deliver short-term results at any cost
↳ They hit numbers by burning through people
↳ Ask: Who stayed? Who left? Who’d work for them again?
2. They excel at self-promotion and managing up
↳ They impress executives, mask destructive behaviour
↳ Judge them by how they treat people below
3. Companies value technical over people skills
↳ Best engineer ≠ good manager
↳ Leadership is a different skill
4. They exploit organizational dysfunction
↳ Thrive in chaos with no vision or accountability
↳ Establish clarity: goals, processes, transparency
5. Fear and silence enable their rise
↳ Fear of retaliation keeps people quiet
↳ Ask: “What’s not being said?” Then act on it
6. Crisis and pressure normalize their behaviour
↳ Ruthlessness gets mistaken for decisiveness
↳ Ask: “WITH people or THROUGH people?”
7. They create self-reinforcing toxic cultures
↳ They hire clones, reward short-term wins and fear
↳ Promote people who elevate others
Hire for values.
Promote people who elevate others.
Culture changes when brave leaders like you make different choices.
