Six in 10 working Americans report currently dealing with a toxic boss, and they say better leadership training could provide resolution.
By Gillian Manning
Toxic bosses are everywhere, according to a new survey from The Harris Poll. Pollsters asked 1,334 employed Americans if their bosses exhibited certain traits defined in the report as toxic.
The traits asked about include unfair preferential treatment, lack of recognition, blame-shifting, unnecessary micromanagement, unreasonable expectations, being unapproachable, taking credit for others’ ideas, acting unprofessionally, or discriminating against employees based on personal characteristics.
Six in 10 respondents reported currently dealing with a boss who exhibits at least one of these traits, and seven in 10 reported dealing with it at some point in their career. This toxicity isn’t inconsequential—it affects employees’ minds and money. Nearly half (47%) of employees said their boss’s behavior is causing stress, burnout, or declining mental health, and more than half (53%) have pursued therapy because of a toxic boss. And while most said they’ve taken at least one action to try to address their boss’s harmful behavior, two-thirds said they’ve left jobs because of these toxic bosses.
Respondents also pointed to a solution, though. According to 64% of workers, “leadership training is the single most effective way to reduce toxic behavior and build healthier workplaces.” The Harris Poll says, “The ask is simpler–and more achievable–than most companies assume: invest in the people who manage people.”
The survey also found:
- 44% of employees said their company invests more in AI than in one-on-one coaching for people managers or developing the next generation of leaders;
- 71% attributed toxic behavior in part to the pressure of current economic conditions; and
- One in three workers said a toxic boss has cost them money through missed bonuses or stalled promotions.
“We’re in the largest technology investment cycle in a generation, and the human side of work is being left behind,” says Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer at The Harris Poll. “Toxic leadership isn’t a character flaw–it’s an investment failure. These are today’s managers who were never trained or held to a standard, and now we’re asked to lead through a transformation they weren’t equipped for before AI even arrived.”
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