“Strong leaders engage their critics and make themselves stronger. Weak leaders silence their critics and make themselves weaker.”
- Adam Grant
Have you ever felt trapped in a toxic work environment, desperately yearning for a way out? Toxic leadership can drain one’s energy and have a profound impact on mental health. How can you identify toxicity? More importantly, how can you navigate it?
Our webinar this week, a conversation between Coacharya CEO Pranav Ramanathan and HR veteran and PCC coach Gayatri Krishnamurthy, explored these questions and more. Pranav and Gayatri elaborated on what workplace toxicity looks and feels like and the cultural and systemic reasons that give rise to toxic behaviors. They also shared their views on how people can heal and empower themselves from the ill effects of toxic behavior.
As the webinar kicked off and a flood of questions poured in about the roots of toxicity, Gayatri highlighted the cultural context in which this negativity takes root and flourishes. “It can be because of the way the work is designed, conflicts in leadership, and role ambiguity. If the top leader is toxic, the followers tend to emulate that.”
Did you know that women are more likely to experience toxicity in workplaces? With the conversation going further, there were questions and comments about how gender plays a role in toxicity. Adding to the discussion, Pranav shared interesting data that the majority of such instances happen in male-dominated professions. These nuances become even more important to understand when it comes to maneuvering toxic cultures.
Webinar Highlights
- Hofstede cultural comparisons
- Signs of toxicity and how to identify them
- Individual Toxicity vs. Cultural Toxicity
- How to deal with bullies in workplaces
- Awareness-building
- Navigating toxicity with awareness
- Systemic organizational interventions to address toxicity
- Subtractive Change
My Takeaway
Toxicity remains challenging no matter where and how it manifests itself. My key takeaway from this webinar is the crucial element of recognizing toxicity and the trickle-down effect it has in the workplace. I would encourage you to watch this webinar to know more about what you can do if you’re in a toxic situation and the steps you can take to empower yourself. In what ways have you observed toxicity manifesting? Tell us in the comments section below or feel free to share your thoughts with us on CoachNook. Together, let’s start a conversation to chart a course for healthier, safer, and thriving work cultures.
Does the topic of toxic leadership intrigue you? If yes, you can check out our blog on a similar theme where we have explored how toxic leaders can be coached.
