Bernadette BoasExecutive Leadership Coach, Trainer and Speaker, Ball of Fire Coaching · Become the Leader Everyone Wants to Follow and No One Can Overlook.

Impact of Tolerating High-Performing Toxic Employees

22 Oct 2024 · 1 min

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1:23

In this monologue, the speaker reflects on a past where they were labeled a toxic boss, emphasizing that true leaders never diminish optimism, hope, joy, self‑worth, or capability of their teams. They argue that what are often called "toxic leaders" are merely managers holding leadership titles without the essential qualities of genuine leadership. The core message is a direct appeal to HR professionals, hiring managers, and organizational decision‑makers: any employee showing signs of toxicity—especially high‑performing ones—must receive coaching, support, and critical feedback promptly to prevent further harm to people, processes, and the organization as a whole.

Chapters

There was a time, long time ago, when many would've called me a toxic boss. I wasn't a leader. That would be a contradiction. True leaders don't pull down the optimism, the hope, the dreams, the joy, the self-worth, and the capability of the people around them. They just don't. There's no such thing as a toxic leader. If you're saying to yourself, well, yeah, there is. I work with one. I work for one. I encounter one on a regular basis. No, they are managers in so-called leadership titles and positions of a hierarchy. They are not leaders. True leaders don't have the qualities and traits that toxic bosses do. So let's talk about it. Now, a special message to the HR leaders. Hiring managers and decision makers, no matter what level of the organization, if there is an individual on your team that shows any signs of being a toxic individual, then please get them the coaching, the support, and the critical feedback that they need and deserve before it's too late, before there is further damage to the people of your organization, to the processes of the organization, and to the organization as a whole.