How to deal with toxic people in your company

You see toxic people at all levels in the organization, not only at C-level what we typically think.

They have a huge impact on the organization because they impact the motivation and well-being of other people. That is why it is called ‘toxic’; it is like a poison that infiltrates your organization.

What you also notice is that leaders typically do not dare to act. Consequently, toxic people often stay for a long time in the organization and create a lot of damage.

You often end up in a situation of acceptance. People, including the leaders, endure their presence and often try to rationalize it ("they have done good things for the company; they have valuable knowledge that we need"). But in most cases, it is just fear. What will happen when I go against them?

• A difficult person
• Conflict-minded
• Convinced that they are always right
• Extremely critical
• Feels superior vis-à-vis other people
• Manipulates people and situations
• Huge desire to be in control
• Gives other people the feeling that they are the problem
• Destructive in their relationships
• Intelligent at the basis, often with strong expertise in their field
• Lacks ability for self-reflection
• Don't take responsibility

They want to protect their kingdom, defend their reason to exist. They have a huge fear of losing their power. That is often the main source of stress for them, often in combination with underlying personality disorders or traumas from the past, which leads to toxic behavior.

It is in the company's interest and everyone working there to act decisively and not to accept. Toxic people will never have a positive impact on the organization. IT is naive to think the problem will go away. Overcome your fear to act. Be a true leader and protect your people and your company.