Toxic leadership constructs an environment where followers feel compelled to agree with their leader for fear of reprimand if they don’t (Mehta & Maheshwari, 2014). Additionally, rather than organizational needs being what the unit works towards, it’s the leaders needs and motives that the followers are attempting to meet (Mehta & Maheshwari, 2014). However, this is notably the more extreme behaviors of a toxic leader since the definition is hard to pinpoint. The lens of toxic leaders shifts depending on the level of toxicity, how that leader is perceived and the type of situations that elicit toxic behaviors (Mehta & Maheshwari, 2014). Furthermore, it could be argued that followers who exhibit passive traits (i.e., are “sheep”), where they conform to the leader’s vision and needs, could be just as responsible for enabling a toxic leader (Kelley, 1992, as cited in Northouse, 2021; Northouse, 2021). This is supported through the reversing the lens framework that addresses how followership behavior affects the leader’s behavior and shapes their perception of how followers will respond (i.e., followership outcomes) to their leadership style (Northouse, 2021). If a toxic leader perceives their followers as meek and docile, then they will use that to their advantage to ensure that their vision is realized. Since toxic leaders are usually synonymous with influential leaders, its easy to see why a more passive follower would be blinded by their manipulation to continue to follow their lead (Mehta & Maheshwari, 2014). Traits such as intelligence and self-confidence could be attributed to the toxic leader (Northouse, 2021). A toxic leader can be highly intelligent and effective at their jobs, which is a trait positively associated with competent leadership (Tavanti, 2011; Northouse, 2021). This makes toxic leaders, through the perspective of followers, that much harder to navigate because of the fluctuations between potential effective leadership traits paired with destructive traits.
This notion that followers further perpetuate toxic leaders, and their behaviors is supported through Lipman-Blumen’s (2005) exploration of destructive leaders from the followership perspective (Northouse, 2021). One psychological factor of note is how followers have a sense of powerlessness when it comes to challenging their leader’s harmful actions (Lipman-Blumen, 2005, as cited in Northouse, 2021). Racial prejudice and discrimination can be among those harmful actions. It’s supported that many victims would rather deal with and accommodate the discrimination than risk reprimand (Crosby et al., 2003). Since victims are unlikely to come forward, its important to have objective processes built into the organization to address this discrimination as well as active leaders and managers to identify and address the toxicity (Crosby et al., 2003; Tavanti, 2011). Through the social program of Affirmative Action, discrimination is addressed through objective means of aggregate data that allows for a more objective approach to discovering toxic leaders and practices (Crosby et al., 2003). Additionally, Tavanti (2011) states that organizations should adopt “toxin detectors” which would help with the identification of toxicity and helps empower subordinates to have a voice (p. 133). Another means of combating toxic leaders is, as a follower, fostering the inherent leadership qualities within and seeking democratic leaders and processes (Lipman-Blumen, 2005, as cited in Tavanti, 2011). Working from being a passive follower to an exemplary follower could alleviate the effects from a toxic leader since there is a re-alignment of aversion to criticism and instead offering it up and taking on a more active role vs. being a meeker follower that simply blindly follows (Northouse, 2021).
References:
Crosby, F. J., Iyer, A., Clayton, S., & Downing, R. A. (2003). Affirmative action: Psychological data and the policy debates. American Psychologist, 58, 93-115.
Mehta, S. & Maheshwari, G. C. (2016). Toxic Leadership: Tracing the Destructive Trail. International Journal of Management, 5(10), 18-24.
Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory and Practice (9th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Tavanti, M. (2011). Managing toxic leaders: Dysfunctional patterns in organizational leadership and how to deal with them. Human Resource Management, 2011, 127-136.
Passive followers can certainly inadvertently or complacently empower toxic leaders. Unfortunately, for a long time leadership was so focused on the individual and so much power resided in them that if unethical leaders were chosen they could easily use their power for coercion towards unethical means. There are so many different contexts that could make this happen. The world that allowed Hitler to rise to power was immensely different than the world we live in now. Surely that is not to say that everything is going perfectly now. However, Treviño & Nelson (2022) state “Power used to be in the domain of leaders, but that is diminishing and shifting to followers…changes in culture have meant followers demand more from leaders, and leaders have responded (p.11).
This concept becomes evident when you see how people move careers and jobs more frequently or are more willing to speak up to higher management or authorities about issues. Leaders of all kind are forced to be more transparent because of the incredible access to information we now have (Treviño & Nelson, 2022). There will always be passive followers but I think the leaders of today will be held far more accountable than even just 20 years ago. This is large in part due to the rise of followers and individuals realizing their importance to making things happen. As you said we can combat toxic leadership by moving followers from passive to exemplary. As our text has mentioned followership as an area of study is still in its infancy (Treviño & Nelson, 2022). How great it would be though to see followership training and education in more organizations or even in grade school.
Reference:
Treviño, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2021). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right. Wiley.