5 Subtle Signs of a Toxic Workplace: How Leaders Can Identify and Conquer Hidden Dangers

It’s all fun and games until it becomes toxic.

A toxic workplace hides behind a facade of fun and normalcy.

It grows subtly from unchecked behaviors, insecurities, and a misuse of power.

As leaders, it’s our responsibility to check toxic behaviors on the team and our own.

Toxicity sometimes isn’t so obvious.

👉 It’s subtle jokes - Teasing someone about their new haircut

👉 It’s undermining competence - Questioning someone repeatedly in public

👉 Its how you share knowledge - Keeping information to yourself for too long

👉 It’s dominating conversations - Forcing conformity and always having the last word

👉 It’s passive-aggressive communication - Backhanded compliments and snide comments

These dont always start out as bad behaviors, and its not always obvious where they cross the line.

As leaders we need to regularly take time to reflect on our actions, and understand how they affect our team. And err on the side of caution.

Because if we dont they become our culture.