Fear of the boss: why toxic leadership is so persistent and what you can do about it

The book was prompted by the public debate surrounding DWDD. Breevaart was struck by how quickly the conversation shifted from sympathy for the employees to sympathy for the manager. 'We tend to focus primarily on the leader. But the question should be: who was afraid of the boss, and how did that affect you?'

Many employees doubt their own experiences, Breevaart observes. 'We trivialise what happens to us. We think it must be our fault. I wanted to write a book that legitimises that experience: it is not your fault, and you are not alone.'

What is a toxic work environment?

Destructive leadership is an umbrella term, explains Breevaart. It is not just about fraud or abuse of power, but mainly about psychologically and emotionally aggressive behaviour: belittling, humiliating, lying, angry outbursts, or repeatedly calling someone incompetent. 'It happens more often than we think. It is estimated that half a million Dutch people are affected by this. I suspect that this is an underestimate.'

Breevaart's experiences in training courses also show that toxic behaviour is not uncommon. 'When you ask participants if they have experienced it, almost everyone ends up raising their hand. Sometimes because the behaviour has become so normalised that people only realise later that it was actually not okay.'

According to Breevaart, the breeding ground is often organisation-related. In bureaucratic, competitive and performance-oriented environments, such as sports, media, entertainment and universities, unsafe behaviour is more likely to thrive. 'Sometimes it's really ingrained in the system.'

The consequences: from stress to PTSD

The impact of toxic leadership is significant. Most people do not confront their manager and do not leave the company immediately. In the meantime, symptoms can pile up: stress, anxiety, depression and, in severe cases, even PTSD. 'Some people continue to have nightmares for years, even after they have left. In extreme cases, it can even lead to suicide attempts.'

The well-known case of telecommunications company Orange proves that such situations do not only occur in major scandals. There, dozens of employees attempted suicide out of despair. 'It sounds extreme, but it does happen.'

Why do colleagues often not help?

The question that quickly arises is: why does no one intervene? According to Breevaart, this is understandable: 'It can be harmful to your own position. There are examples of people who were immediately dismissed after voicing criticism.' That is why she advocates strategic action: find allies, report it to someone at the same hierarchical level, and think carefully about the timing.