There will inevitably be bad days at work, but when does one bad day turn into “one too many”? How can you tell if an environment at work is getting toxic?
According to a recent study by MIT Sloan, roughly one in ten employees in large US organizations are navigating what they would describe as a “toxic” workplace. This is startling reality. What is the meaning of this statistic, and does it apply to the UAE? Their research points to three main culprits: poor work design, toxic social norms, and toxic leadership.
Imagine the standard “bad boss” that everyone has heard about during family get-togethers or coffee breaks. You recognize the kind—dismissive, exclusive, eager to trample morality in order to advance, and as if trying to win the title of “Who’s the Toughest Boss” You’ve probably met someone similar before.
If you haven’t had to deal with them directly, consider yourself lucky. Someone not too dissimilar from Scar, a brilliant and charming character from my favorite Disney film, The Lion King—deeply flawed by conceit and a disrespect for the principles that sustain a successful workplace. Scar’s rise to prominence was characterized by deceit and cunning, and this is the epitome of unethical behavior in leadership. Favoritism and exclusion characterized his tenure, as he aligned himself with the hyenas and marginalized those who supported Mufasa, the previous leader.
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