Toxic Leadership Archives - Elite Leadership Academy

January 20, 2026January 21, 2026

The Profitability Leaks in Your 2026 Budget

Your 2026 profit risks are not just in the market or the economy. It’s very likely sitting in your leadership ranks. Unlock millions of dollars by uncovering toxic leaders, fixing misaligned assignments, and keeping your best people from walking to your competitors by adopting a Leadership Resources Management strategy that pays dividends in 2026 and beyond.

Click on the image below to view the slides to see how these leaks can result in a $19 million impact for a 1,200 person organization.

January 8, 2026January 19, 2026

How a CHRO Turned Toxic Leadership Into 2025 Profitability

TALES FROM THE LEADERSHIP FRONT
Maya stepped into 2025 as CHRO of a 5,000‑person pharmaceutical company with a clear mandate: improve profitability without burning people out. Her biggest constraint wasn’t the market; it was the cost of toxic and misaligned leaders quietly eroding performance, engagement, and retention at the top.

January 7, 2026January 19, 2026

The Overlooked Leadership Strategy That Will Hurt Your 2026 Profitability

Most organizations have already locked in their 2026 budgets. Yet many have quietly overlooked a leadership strategy that could mean the difference between hitting their profit targets and leaving millions on the table. That strategy is Leadership Resources Management (LRM)—a disciplined way to identify and resolve toxic leaders, reduce leadership misalignment, and retain your most valuable leadership talent.

December 19, 2025December 19, 2025

Don’t Let a Toxic Grinch Steal Your Christmas or Your 2026 Profitability!

Every year, I enjoy watching TV shows and movies about the holiday season. It’s a tradition I started with my kids when they were young and continue to this day either by myself or when they arrive for the holidays. Some of my favorites include, “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, “It’s a Wonderful Life” and even “Die Hard.” I also like to watch the animated “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” but this year, I decided to also watch the 2000 live version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” with Jim Carrey. The animated version is my favorite, as I’ve read the book to my kids several times when they were young and even tried to imitate Boris Karloff at times. As I was watching it, I saw several parallels to toxic leadership that I’ve been writing and speaking about lately. There are 4 points about the similarities to the Grinch and a toxic leader that I would like to share with you.

December 12, 2025January 19, 2026

Why Toxic Leaders Survive So Long

People frequently ask why toxic leaders survive in an organization. In this video, I explain some of the reasons.

December 12, 2025January 19, 2026

Toxic Leaders: The Silent Profit Leak in Organizations

In organizations, a single toxic leader can quietly drain far more value than a weak product line or a small market loss. Toxic leaders create fear, favoritism, and instability that erode morale, collaboration, and trust. Employees under these leaders report higher stress, lower satisfaction, and a greater intent to leave, which pushes your best people toward competitors who offer healthier environments.

December 4, 2025January 19, 2026

The 4 Seasons of Building a Winning Leadership Management Culture

If you’ve ever followed a sports team, you know their success isn’t accidental. Coaches and players think in seasons—each with a distinct purpose, each building toward a championship. There’s the preseason, where talent is evaluated. The regular season, where strategy and alignment determine success. The postseason, when only the highest performers rise. And finally, the offseason, when reflection fuels improvement.

August 27, 2025January 19, 2026

Transforming Nursing Leadership Utilization With LeadershipRM™ – A Case Study Brief

Overview

“Gott Health” (name changed for confidentiality), a fast-growing regional hospital system, faced a leadership challenge. With 20 facilities and over 5,000 nursing staff, the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) was overwhelmed—managing 24 direct reports, well beyond the limit for effective leadership. Even after reducing the number to 13, she knew a more strategic solution was needed.

August 7, 2025January 19, 2026

3 Costly Leadership Management Pain Points Requiring Immediate Attention

U.S. companies pour over $200 billion into leadership development each year—yet only 10% see real results, according to Harvard Business Review. There are numerous reasons why, but a contributing factor is probably because most organizations focus on developing leaders… but not managing them for sustainable growth.

April 24, 2024May 4, 2025

The Impact of Toxic Leaders on Your Organization

Toxic leaders are like weeds in your garden or lawn. If you don’t remove them right away, they will infest your entire organization resulting in stifled growth, reduced morale and the departure of quality employees.

Toxic leaders are everywhere, whether organizations want to admit it or not. They can be found in organizations with as little as 100 employees or found in multitudes in larger ones. Unfortunately, they are usually ignored and allowed to choke the growth of those around them, namely, their subordinates and their peers. They are usually accepted and described in satisfactory terms such as hard-working, results-driven, or persistent. On the surface, these traits could describe great employees, but when taken to the extreme, they result in negative outcomes, such as abuse, intimidation and manipulation.