Would it be fair to say that almost everyone has had at least one “bad” manager? Possibly. If you’ve only worked under great bosses, I am genuinely happy for you.
“Bad” is relative, though. There are managers who are difficult to work with because they’re inexperienced, disorganized, or don’t have strong social skills. Frustrating, but fixable. However, that’s entirely different from a manager who’s genuinely toxic.
Let’s look at some signs of a toxic manager—and why ignoring them is so dangerous.
1. Toxic managers use fear as a management style.
Some managers motivate people through empowerment, praise, and setting a strong example. Some managers use fear. Effective? It can be. A good approach? Rarely.
Imagine going to a job, five days a week, where you’re afraid to make mistakes, ask questions, disagree, or even just look at your manager. People who work for these types of managers learn really quickly to stay quiet, keep their heads down, and avoid doing anything that might trigger a reaction. So essentially, doing only what their job requires, and nothing more.
Fear may create short-term compliance, but it doesn’t create strong performance. It creates employees who hide problems, don’t ask for help when they need it, don’t dare rock the boat, and spend more energy managing the manager’s mood than doing good work.
Fear may get people moving, but it rarely gets their best.
2. Toxic managers publicly embarrass people.
Both good and toxic managers correct mistakes. The difference is in the approach.
A toxic manager will call someone out publicly. They make sarcastic comments about an employee’s work. They ask questions in a way that makes the person look incompetent.
“Did you actually check the numbers before sending this?”
“Why the heck did you think this was ready to share?”
“Why didn’t you catch that?”
Essentially, they use humiliation as a means of correction, but also punishment. And while some managers will insist they’re “just holding people accountable,” that’s not how accountability works. Accountability is about improving someone’s work. Public embarrassment is about making someone feel small.
When employees know mistakes will be punished publicly, they may become more careful. Chances are, however, that they’ll become anxious, guarded, and much less likely to take healthy risks.
3. Toxic managers play favorites.
Employees notice everything. They notice when you walk in late, when you take personal calls, and all of your little idiosyncrasies. They will also notice who gets special treatment, no matter how well you try to hide it.
A toxic manager will give certain employees more patience, flexibility, information, praise, and opportunity. Why? Because those employees are useful to them. Maybe they flatter the manager, agree with them, cover for them, or make them feel admired. Meanwhile, employees who ask reasonable questions, push back, or don’t play the game may find themselves held to a much harsher standard.
Your team may not say it out loud, but they know when the rules aren’t being applied fairly.
Over time, favoritism creates resentment, distrust, and disengagement. Employees learn that being liked by the manager matters more than doing good work. That might sound harmless to the manager benefiting from all that loyalty, but it won’t feel harmless when the strongest performers walk out and leave behind the sycophants. Better to have a team of strong contributors who will push back when needed than a group of yes-people who shower you with compliments.
4. Toxic managers take credit and shift blame.
When the team succeeds, toxic managers see it as proof that their leadership is awesome—and this is what they’ll sell to those on top.
When the team succeeds:
“I’ve really pushed the team to raise their standards, and I’m starting to see the results.”
“I’ve been working closely with them to improve execution, and it’s paying off.”
“This is exactly the kind of performance I’ve been trying to build on the team.”
“I had to make some tough calls, but the results speak for themselves.”
But when something goes wrong…
“The team didn’t execute the plan properly.”
“I gave clear direction, but there were issues with follow-through.”
“Some employees are still struggling with accountability.”
“I’ve been trying to raise performance standards, but there’s been some resistance.”
Good managers praise their team when they succeed. They give credit where and when it is due. Good managers also take responsibility for the conditions that allowed a team failure to happen. Notice how I’m not saying “you are 100% responsible for your team’s failure.” That’s unfair. However, if you didn’t give clear direction, provide support and resources, or address performance issues immediately with training and coaching, that’s on you.
5. Toxic managers make everything personal.
A good manager can provide constructive feedback, even if it’s negative, without turning it into a character judgment. A toxic manager can’t.
For toxic managers, a missed deadline becomes “You’re unreliable.” Pushback or disagreement becomes “You’re not a team player.” A simple mistake becomes “You’re careless.” Saying you’re overloaded becomes “You can’t handle pressure.”
One of the most damaging things about toxic management is how it can chip away at someone’s confidence. An employee may start out capable, motivated, and sure of their abilities. But after months of harsh criticism, public embarrassment, blame, or being made to feel incompetent, they may start questioning everything.
“Maybe I’m not good at this.”
“Maybe I’m too sensitive.”
“Maybe I really am the problem.”
That’s the danger. A toxic manager affects how people feel—and how they see themselves.
What to Do If You’ve Got a Toxic Manager on Staff
Obviously, the first thing I’d say is don’t hire them in the first place. Use assessments like MANSSA-R4-Ab to evaluate their skills and leadership style. Check their references thoroughly. Ask probing interview questions, like:
Tell me about a time an employee strongly disagreed with your decision. How did you handle it?
Can you describe a time your team missed an important deadline or goal? What responsibility did you take for it?
Tell me about an employee you struggled to manage. What made it difficult, and what did you learn from it?
What would your direct reports say is hardest about working for you?
However, if you already have a toxic manager on staff, the biggest mistake a lot of companies make is tolerating them because they get results. Results that come from fear and exhaustion are not worth the cost—and that cost is heavy. They just don’t always show up on the balance sheet right away.
Pay attention to patterns. Are multiple employees leaving the same manager? Are people filing complaints? Are strong performers suddenly disengaged? Have you put your managers through a 360 performance evaluation, like SAGE-M, to get feedback from those who work most closely with them—and who may be too afraid to speak up? There are always warning signs.
Hold your managers accountable for how they lead.