Unmasking toxic leadership from a human resource perspective

Toxic leadership has increased scholarly interest in organizational behavior and leadership research. Characterized by harmful traits such as abusive supervision, narcissism, and authoritarianism, this leadership style creates environments that often lead to workplace tension (Krasikova et al., 2013). Its effects extend beyond individuals; they also include the disruption of team dynamics, weakening cohesion, and undermining long-term organizational performance. According to Sull and Sull (2023), toxic leadership is linked to various unfavorable consequences, such as increased employee attrition and diminished workplace trust. Rizani et al. (2022) and Kafkas et al. (2024) support these findings by linking toxic behaviors to organizational cynicism, lower employee engagement, and reduced job satisfaction, often through workplace deviance and weakened organizational commitment. This indicates a requirement for human resource strategies that promote fair and responsible environments. Thereby, ethical leadership and worker support are essential factors in the development of organizational resilience and the maintenance of performance (Gupta & Chawla, 2024).