#toxicleadership

Do not say that you are a good leader if everyone is in therapy because of you.

As some may know, KPMG US is making significant cuts to its Marketing organization — voluntary and involuntary. After many years here, one thing has never been clearer to me: the level of politics and cattiness on certain teams has been nothing short of corrosive.

I've witnessed director-level incompetence that makes you question how some people got the job in the first place. I've seen talented people made victims of passive aggression that quietly blocked their path to promotions and compensation they'd earned. And I've watched "fearless leaders" reward loyalty to them over loyalty to the work.

Plenty of those people are being shown the door this week.

I spoke with someone who felt impacted by one of those exits. What they said felt like a perfect microcosm of what's been happening:

"When the new head of APEX came in, I was genuinely excited — I thought we'd finally start operating like a real agency. But over time, that excitement faded. Processes were added, sure, but nothing that truly moved the needle. When we needed someone advocating for innovation, we'd find her on calls obsessing over window motifs or talking poorly about some of the most talented people on the team.

She reportedly told other higher-ups that the only Black man on the team was 'hard to work with' — which, if you know him, is laughable. A he-l of a lot of us would say the exact opposite. It's also a label that carries a particular weight when put on a Black man in a corporate environment, and that's not something you can just gloss over.

When I found out she got let go, my only surprise was the timing. When your job is to make a difference and all you've managed to spread is drama — it's only a matter of time."

It appears brighter days are ahead under new leadership — but I hope the directors exiting this week take this moment for genuine self-reflection. There is real room to grow, both as leaders and as people.

One last thing this person said — and I think it's worth putting on record in case a hiring manager comes across this:

"It's a damn shame they let Rick [Lavoie] go. When there was nothing but confusion, he was the one higher-up who showed up with answers and solutions. I can't count how many times I wished he was the one leading APEX. That was a leader worth following."

I went from really liking my job to dreading it. And it happened in six years I've been here, which is not that long for such a drastic change.

They are very cautious about who will be around them and when you by any chance happened to be in a such "Team" ( They always like to portray themself as a "FAMILY" ) you expect to be on a street in around 4-5 years, because they do not like you from the very beginning, like an adopted child, and will try to get rid of you as soon as possible. They use very many sophisticated techniques to justify their useless to IBM existence, hiring people for a short period of time ( 4 - 5 years ) to create a shield to protect their own existence. When a company wide layoffs get announced that shield ( first line of defense ) goes to the street and those bad people stay at IBM and continue doing nothing. Managers in such teams are very incompetent and stupidly execute commands from upper management. Here is a suggestion: to sweep any corner in IBM Silicon Valley LAB to get rid of all toxic managers, remember Intel did it 20 years ago and the company now is much of a better shape and health.

Until it was destroyed by leadership who didn't and don't care about either the company or employees, but do care a lot about making sure to fill their own pockets as much as they can before this place is so ruined that there's nothing left to pick from its carcass.

I've seen managers slowly chip away at someone's confidence until that person starts believing they can't do better anywhere else. They make the job feel like some privilege you should be grateful for, even when the conditions are terrible. Eventually you're so exhausted and beaten down that you stop looking for something better. That's what makes this kind of management so nasty.

The people at the top seem to get away with almost anything while toxic behavior is allowed to continue. You can actually see the environment changing people who used to care, as they become bitter and completely checked out. That's the part that scares me because once that attitude spreads, it's really hard to turn things around.

With another reorg reportedly on the horizon (an annual fall ritual at this point), I wanted to share a few observations from peers and colleagues as events unfold. For those hoping this will lead to a major cultural reset at Comcast, the outcome may be more limited. The new CEO appears to be seeking input from the same executives and senior leaders who helped create the current problems. If those leaders remain after the reorg, they are likely to continue causing damage. That may not be what people want to hear, but it seems like the most likely outcome. Comcast is risk-averse, and while many companies use new executive leadership as a chance to clean house, that does not appear likely here.

Outside consultants may help with the mechanics of restructuring, but meaningful change will require leadership to hear directly from employees. Feedback from executives who have been here for years should be weighed carefully, especially if they contributed to the culture that now needs fixing. The new CEO needs to recognize that toxic and ineffective leadership has persisted because there have been few real consequences for the people responsible. Until that changes, Comcast will keep treating symptoms instead of addressing the root causes.

A senior leader kept making derogatory remarks, so I eventually stopped engaging with them socially. After that, my manager started ignoring my contributions, and not long after that, I suddenly had a bad performance review for the first time ever. Funny how that happened.

Source: Fuel Your Growth

The Boss Hawk
Over-Communicate. Flood their inbox with updates until they back off or tap out.

The Control Freak
Stay in control. Make them think they're in charge. Psychological jiu-jitsu.

The Endless Checker
Set firm deadlines. If they ask early, point to the schedule.

The Task Interrupter
Ask politely; "Should I delay other projects for this?" They will think twice.

The Meeting Phanatic
Push for agendas and short meetings. Treat them like speed-dating.

The Nitpicker
Ask for a style guide. Either they back off or create one.

The Ideal Thief
Document everything. CC others to protect your work.

The Trust Phobic
Rack up small wins to build trust. Start small, deliver big.

The Insecure Boss
Stroke their ego a bit. Easier to manage than fight.

The Credit Hound
Praise the team first. Beat them to the punch.

They want us miserable to quit on our own. Layoffs are too expensive. I'm betting you that's their plan.

Now I have a feeling like I've put a target on my own back. Don't make the same mistake and trust HR.

With their ultimate goal to push people out, specially those who have been with the company for a long time, they are hoping to avoid having to pay out packages. This is now known as a fact.

It also is now clear that management is now scrambling to keep control and also to hide their books and revenue lost, and give false hopes of there being a potential buyer who is ready to buy the company and "rescue" our decline. This false pretense is also being exposed beyond any doubt.

Many of us spent who were passionate about what we did are now operating out of fear... fear of being ambushed, fear of being FIRED or put on the spot. Being humiliated because we under-performed in the last month or now being spied on by an AI agent which listens to our conversation in a zoom call or the content of our email exchange. It is clear that those who come up with these ideas or push to implement them are completely unaware of how human productivity works. You can not have human beings operate at a productive mental capacity or creativity when they are in a constant state of fear and panic, this is a proven fact that anyone with minimal knowledge of human psychological behavior would know. This is simple and effective proof that this company is being run by incompetent "leaders" and managed by unskilled "managers" who only believe in the power of the iron fist.

To the remaining customers: Before you buy into the "pitch" that you are receiving from your friendly Omnissa sales team, take a few minutes and read the comments that the employees and ex-employees have left here about what it is like to work in this place. If this is how the company treats its loyal employees, rest assured they will not hesitate to treat their customers the same.

T-Mobile ranked best overall in the US and best in the majority of states. No bueno!

https://www.pcmag.com/articles/the-best-mobile-networks-usa-2026

That's it. Performance doesn't matter. The more you are willing to kiss a-s, the further you'll get.

Face it. Very few things there aren't.

I have no hopes for tomorrow. Dell has successfully gotten rid of the people who could fix things, and this leadership is only focused on their own pockets. There's no saving this.

The environment is tainted with toxicity, fear and ugliness, including the behavior and communication from the leaders and colleagues.

It's only vibes and fake narratives. 0% substance or achievements.

That'd be the entire post.

When will the toxicity and poor leadership end? This constant cycle of abusing workers with fake reviews can't end well. What will be the next big scandal?

They want to hire a “confident attorney” to be the enemy of the employees. Yep, they aren’t kidding when they say they hate us. Instead of hiring for an “Employee Advocate”, they want another yes-man who will protect corrupt executives.

https://external-canoncareers.icims.com/jobs/34803/employment-counsel/job

Worked with Technical Architect Lead who did not even know difference between relational database and S3 buckets.

If you are a bootlicker, then have a good growth in this company.

The whole company became a joke once Greed took over. Bad decision, horrible promotions to many young woman that were not competent to assume those roles, but Greed like his pretty young women around. Also he loved to have his "yes" men by his side. What a mess this company has spiraled into. Management used to brag about how they never laid anyone off, now its a common every other year occurrence. So top heavy with incompetent leadership that should have been the first to go, not the front line workers that actually did things. Many EVP's and VP on the sale force should have been shown the door with their useless sales tactics... and if you did not go along or drink the toxic cool aid they were handing out, you were an outcast and would never go any where in the company. I thought it would get better with a change of leadership- no because they were hyper focused on DEI and over paid HR leadership that wanted to shove their agenda down the employees throat when they should have been getting rid of most of the sales leaders in the field. Tom M. would be so disgusted with what has happened to this once great company over the last 11 years. Stay away from this toxic place, stay far away!

Good luck, BA. Starting October 1, you’ll all be reporting to one of the worst leaders at Honeywell. JP is incredibly toxic, and there’s a reason so many leaders under him have cycled out—they’re desperate to get away from his behavior and constant blowups.

BA has delivered consistent growth. Don’t be surprised if that turns into a revolving door of leadership, with people jumping ship rather than sticking around to be JP’s next tantrum target.

What the title says. I see for example how much they pick on someone on our team, anlways giving them the impossible projects, steamrolling, not setting him up for success, dangling promotions that never come but expecting work done way above their pay grade and level.

Oh oh! Don’t forget. Expecting your best people to be forgiving as these same leaders have tantrums and act out of emotion and pride

Even other leaders in our department can tell. Lots of bullying type of behaviors happening

I’m just gonna put this right here. Nike HR and Legal are there to protect the company. You can file a complaint through the EEOC and BOLI but completely separate you can sue your manager. Nike wants you to give up and give in. They want you to believe that what they are doing is ok. Keep solid documentation and take care of yourself! You are not defined by the swoosh or the toxic leadership.

Under ORS 659A, individual supervisors and managers can be held personally liable for discrimination, retaliation, or creating/allowing a hostile work environment — not just the company.

The amount of people in a management position without the slightest idea of what being a manager means is incredible. Directors that continue to belittle and undermine their managers and direct reports, creates a toxic environment that manager then replicate on thier own teams. I have never seen so many people paid to literally do nothing. Managers spend more time in their cars running errands while attending calls that actual doing the jobs they are paid to

We have got managers who should not be managing anyone, goals that are completely detached from reality, and zero training to help anyone succeed. Bullies run wild because nobody bothers to fire them anymore, bare minimum is the standard, and asking for pay that actually covers your bills somehow makes you the bad guy. They talk about integrity and flexibility but it is all empty words because neither shows up when you actually need it.

Been here almost 6years. But the last 4years have been really bad due to toxic manager/work environment in general.

Especially, with the rto mandate when my own manager works rto every Friday and some of my co workers have not been in the office for weeks.

I have been thinking of quitting. But if there's a plan for another lay off, I'll stick around til it happens for severance + unemployment.

Any hints?

​In corporate settings, toxic behavior rarely stems from ignorance. Adults in leadership positions know when they are micro-managing, publicly correcting, dismissing input, or shifting goalposts.

​Organizations often grant "grace" downward, expecting employees to absorb poor managerial behavior under the guise of "leadership style" or "stress," while treating an employee's emotional reaction or boundary as a performance issue. This asymmetric tolerance erodes psychological safety and corrupts institutional security.

​When bad behavior is ignored at the leadership level, it signals professional accountability and workforce engagement practices are optional for the powerful.

The C-suite/upper management obviously hasn't cared about their employees for many years. One would think they should care, at least a little bit, about work actually getting done so their departments can be profitable.

Nope, those parasites only care about their own image, personal petty grievances, and control over their employees. They are more than happy to fire the best people rather than own up to the problems they created. I guess in their cynical minds it's better to quell any resistance and come out on top, even if just for one quarter before their pathetic decisions catch up to them.

There's no point in loyalty to this company. They don't plan on returning it. Work your shift, have your coworkers back, and don't give Canon a moment extra of your time or effort.

After reading so many posts about toxicity, internal politics, work culture, terminating good employees and demotivation. I am curious as to what is the leadership mindset? Have the good leader beed fired too?

Every day we have to deal with gaslighting, intimidation, and bullying. It's not occasional. It's every single day. No wonder morale is in the gutter.

Companies will spend thousands replacing a great employee before spending one honest hour addressing a bad manager.

That is the part most leaders do not want to look at.

Toxic managers usually do not destroy a company overnight.

They do it slowly.

One resignation at a time.
One burned-out employee at a time.
One checked-out team at a time.

Gallup has found that managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement.

That should make every leadership team uncomfortable.

But bad managers still get protected because:

↳ They’ve been here forever.
↳ They hit their numbers.
↳ That’s just how they are.

Meanwhile, good employees quietly start taking recruiter calls.

Here’s what toxic managers cost the organization:

1. Employees stop taking initiative because fear replaces clarity.
2. Trust disappears because control gets mistaken for leadership.
3. Good people start doubting themselves.
4. Politics become safer than performance.
5. Burnout becomes normal.
6. Credit goes up and blame rolls down.
7. Your best people leave first because they have options.

The resignation letter usually will not say “toxic boss.”

But the empty desk will.

Re: Today is your last day as my employer.

You have underperformed and not met expectations. All of the promises you made to lure me to this role, were never kept.

Normally I would give you a 14-day PIP (2 weeks’ notice) before canning you, but you are not worthy, and I am ending your opportunity to employ me effective immediately.

In the middle of reading this note, I have blocked you from all ways of communicating with me. If you have any questions, please submit them to my portal, which I will never look at.

Please return anything of value you have received from my employ or I will have to send you threatening legal notes that I have no intent to pursue. Just to cause you more anxiety than I already have.

I will also send you automated messages in the middle of the night reminding you of how unwanted and unproductive you are, and to sign my correspondence or you will lose the chance to.

If you play your cards rights, I may give you a good reference, to help you take advantage of and sc--w over other employees, but you know I really have no intention of doing so. I just tell you that to make you think I care. You know I don’t.

Signed,

How Does It Feel.

LC is absolutely the worst CIO imaginable. A sack of trash would do a better job. Who ever hired him should be fired as they are terrible leaders for getting such a bad leader. We all know its MW and he's terrible himself.

Largely managing employees out! Strict tracking, micromanaging then what…? Why can’t you actually appreciate your employees and make them happy? What do you lose if you drive productivity through respect and motivation rather than toxicity and back stabbing?

After 25 years I chose to leave. I informally reported a hostile environment twice and then formally reported retaliation, discrimination and a toxic work environment using the proper channels that HR offers.

As a result I was impacted to the extent of needing to take a LOA. My manager remained protected through all of it! The investigators told each person that he interviewed that I filed the complaint and told them who I filed the complaint against. Speaking up came with a price to pay. How did that make the witnesses feel? Would you ever report anything again when you see what someone got away with just because if who they report to. My boss was oddly close to her boss - if I didn’t know better I would say they had a thing. It became a joke.

While I was on sabbatical I came back to retaliation that was so obvious a 10 year old could see it. An intentional overload of work, peers being promoted for no reason, direct reports promoted leaving me with less support and increased workload, rules that applied to me didn’t apply to others, a PAP that included backdated examples as far as months prior some fabricated examples and a final warning that couldn’t be validated. My manager continued to discriminate, retaliate and created a hostile work environment. Suddenly I had negative reviews just months after I informally met with HR. Was this all a coincidence? No! I was a high performer and I know what everyone in the org would say. The downfall is that my boss is so tight with her boss and our HRBP at the time that I didn’t stand a chance. Abusing your position and power seems like the norm. I requested my personnel file and they ironically left items out.

I won’t stay silent and I will tell my story because after dedicating 25 years of my life to that place I want YOU to know that Nike doesn’t care about you. It’s a job! If you left tomorrow they would simply replace you. HR and Legal aren’t there to protect you and speaking up only made things worse for me. For those of you that are being discriminated against, retaliated against or working in a toxic environment as a result of speaking up, document everything and protect yourself. Actively look for work and don’t give up. Use the FMLA resources if you are being impacted in a way that affects your health. It’s not ok but unfortunately you are simply identified by the number on your badge. When VPs support this type of leadership, teams crumble and lose credibility. Be part of the solution and get out. I didn’t leave my job, I left a toxic egotistical leader who got away with what she did up to this point because the VP that she reports to made her behavior acceptable.

You deserve to work in a healthy environment. No matter where you go there will be give and take. When you can see the lack of integrity and morals amongst leaders and VPs that you “should” be looking up to and your health is impacted - it’s time to get real and leave. There is life outside of the berm. Don’t let the fear allow you to settle.

Know your rights and know your resources (EEOC, EAP, LOA etc.) but more importantly know that you deserve to be treated with dignity and respect surrounded by people with integrity and morals.

If you are happy at Nike that’s great. If you have a similar story I would love to hear it.