Time to read: 3 minutes

Most of you have had to provide references during a job search. Of course, we always provide references likely to say nice things about us.

I find it extremely interesting when companies and organizations hire executives and leaders with a known reputation for being a terrible people person. I’m sure I’m not the only one that is scratching my head, and so I wondered how in the world that a company could not have known about a reputation before putting someone in such a key position.

Oftentimes, boards of directors make these decisions based on the history of an individual and his or her ability to drive shareholder value. This is especially true when the board knows the individual and will usually hire someone they have known or worked with in the past. I subscribe to the research that states that leaders that are respected and treat people fairly tend to produce organizations with better environments and produce more effective leaders as a result.

Companies with toxic leadership will almost always produce toxic followers and leaders. It will create people who are in it for themselves, people who will claw their way to the top regardless of the effects on their coworkers, and essentially creating an every man for himself environment. This in turn will break down most teams, any semblance of fully effective teamwork and the creation of effective leaders. Effective leaders who watch out for their employees, actively work on improving their employees in their chosen avenues of growth, and foster a solid team environment where employees can rely on each other.

Next time you go to work, look at your team of executives and ask yourself if that is the kind of personality you think represents an effective leadership style. Always remember to emulate what you would like to see in a workplace environment and over time, whether from your current position or after a promotion, you will shape the workplace culture and environment over time.