The answer is here, read on.

In This Week’s Leadership Toolbox:

Apply: Building a Nurturing Culture

Practice: Antidote Actions

Learn: Managing Happiness Course from Harvard (Free)

This week, our focus pivots to the antidote of a pervasive issue in workplaces around the globe - toxic leadership.

How do we, as leaders and team members, convert a harmful environment into one that fosters growth and positivity?

Let’s explore practical steps to counteract toxicity in our Leadership Toolbox.

Apply: Building a Nurturing Culture

The first step towards dismantling toxic leadership is to cultivate its opposite – an environment where empowerment, transparency, and trust are paramount.

Let’s apply the following:

Empower Rather Than Micromanage:

Delegate with trust. Empowerment starts when leaders express faith in their team's capabilities. As you hand over tasks, resist the urge to micromanage. Instead, offer support and resources, then step back.

Open Communication Lines:

Transparent communication is the bedrock of a healthy team. Replace withholding information with a commitment to clarity. Ensure everyone is on the same page, and encourage team members to voice their thoughts without fear.

Feedback as a Development Tool:

Feedback should be constructive and aim for professional and personal growth. Rather than criticize, focus on how the feedback can contribute to the individual’s and the team’s improvement.

Celebrate Contributions:

Recognize and reward efforts. A simple acknowledgment can go a long way. Celebrate both the small wins and the major achievements.

Trust and Respect as Foundations:

Build a culture of mutual respect. Trust your team members, and they will trust you in return. This trust is the cornerstone of a thriving workplace

Practice: Antidote Actions.

This week, practice turning toxic elements into nurturing ones:

1. When the impulse to control arises, pause and ask a team member their opinion on the task at hand.

2. In your next team meeting, openly discuss a failure or mistake and how it can be leveraged for learning.

3. Offer feedback in a sandwich approach – positive, improvement, positive – and see how it transforms the conversation.

4. Take a moment to publicly recognize someone's contribution, no matter how small.

5. In a situation where distrust could flourish, act with transparency to lay a foundation of trust.

Learn: Managing Happiness from Harvard (FREE)

I have a theory. If you are happy, the likelihood you are a toxic leader is much lower. So why not learn how to manage your happiness for Free from Harvard.

Click here to access the course

What you'll learn

· Explore diverse definitions of happiness and understand its function in everyday life

· Learn how genetic, social, and economic influences impact your happiness

· Apply the science of the mind, body, and community to manage emotions and behaviors for greater happiness

· Develop a happiness portfolio focused on your deepest goals and desires

· Recognize how success and achievement impact short versus long-term happiness

· Write your ending — build happiness strategies for your work and life at any age or stage

 Conclusion

If this toolbox helped you navigate a toxic leadership situation, share it with your network. Let's spread the skill of understanding beyond words together.

Thanks for reading this far!

Until next time,

Founder of The UnThinkable

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P.P.S.

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