Summary Of Toxic Leadership

The article, “Toxic Leadership: What Are We Talking About?” brings attention to the characteristics and the climate that breeds a toxic leader. We as a unit do create an environment that allows these leaders to thrive. We have leaders that are not qualified to lead, but are placed in leadership positions. We have Team Sergeants that have met the requirements to be selected for that position, but may not meet standards that we hold dear to us a Regiment. When this happens, resentment and inflexibility happens. This can bring out a leader that is only looking out for himself because he feels that no one else will. This can stem from sending off individuals that we feel aren’t strong team members or allow individuals to move to other positions to get them away from the team. In their absence they obtain all the requirements for promotion and the next thing we know, they are back as leaders. I have seen men be sent to SWC or BN because a Team Sergeant didn’t want to deal with them. When they are there, they get schooled out and look great on paper. We do this to ourselves, …show more content…
It has to be instilled that evaluations have to truly reflect the individual’s performance; they will come back to be leaders. Commanders have to be willing to discuss how the men under them are as leaders with the men that they are leading so they can get a better understanding for them as a whole. We say that we are a small community, but we don’t use it to our advantage to stop or slow the development of toxic leaders. There has to be a larger pool of peer and subordinate evaluations for leaders. If it doesn’t limit the number of toxic leaders moving through the ranks, maybe it will make them self-aware and change into better leaders. I have heard of a situation where the men felt that a BN commander developed a bad work environment through his leadership style, but was later a DCO and the same men felt that he was a good