In the business world, the saying “one bad apple ruins a bunch” holds more truth than we often think. As an executive leadership coach, I have seen firsthand how the presence of toxic team members can ripple through an entire organization.
Let’s take a closer look at the high price toxicity can take on a company’s finances and overall well-being. For leaders striving to create a healthy and productive work environment, understanding the real cost of one bad apple is important.
Reduced productivity and performance: Toxic team members can create a hostile and demoralizing work atmosphere. This negativity seeps into the minds of other employees, resulting in lower productivity and lower overall performance. When employees become constantly anxious due to abusive behavior, their focus shifts from focusing on work to managing interpersonal conflict.
Increased turnover: High turnover rates are often the result of workplace toxicity. When employees feel they need to escape a toxic environment, they leave the company, resulting in significant recruitment and training costs. The cycle of hiring and onboarding new employees can place a significant strain on a company's finances.
Legal fees: Toxic employees can also cause legal problems for your organization. Harassment, discrimination, and hostile work environment claims can result from the actions of one or more toxic team members. These legal battles can result in large settlements and attorney fees.
Lost Customers and Business Opportunities: Toxicity doesn’t just affect internal relationships. External stakeholders may also be affected. Customers who witness unprofessional behavior or poor teamwork may decide to take their business elsewhere. It may also discourage potential business partners or opportunities from working with companies known to have toxic work environments.
Reputation damage: A company's reputation is a valuable asset. Workplace toxicity can tarnish that reputation. Negative employee reviews, public scandals, and social media backlash can all stem from the actions of one toxic team member. Rebuilding a damaged reputation can be a lengthy and expensive process.
The cost of protecting a malicious team member goes far beyond the immediate problem they present. This impacts productivity, increases cost of sales, leads to legal costs, lost customers and business opportunities, and damages your company's reputation. Leaders must recognize the high price of toxicity and take proactive steps to quickly address it.
Leading from within: It only takes one bad apple to ruin the whole bunch, but it also takes strong leadership to weed that apple out and ensure a thriving team.
#1 domestic bestseller
leadership gap
What comes between you and your greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions based on specific values and characteristics. However, over time, all executives reach a point where performance declines and failure persists. Few people understand why or how to prevent it.
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Lolly Daskal is one of the world's most sought-after executive leadership coaches. Her extensive multicultural expertise spans 14 countries, six languages, and hundreds of companies. As founder and CEO of Lead From Within, her exclusive leadership programs are designed to be a catalyst for leaders who want to improve performance and create meaningful change in their companies, lives, and the world.
Among Lolly's numerous awards and recognitions, Lolly Top 50 Leadership and Management Experts Inc. From a magazine. The Huffington Post honored Lolly with the following honor: The most inspiring woman in the world. Her writing has appeared on HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, Psychology Today, and elsewhere. Her latest book, The Leadership Gap: What Stands Between You and Your Greatness It became a national bestseller.