7 Red Flags That You’re Leading a Toxic Workplace

Despite your best efforts, workplace cultures can sour. The hardest part? You might be the last to know.

By Peter Economy

Let’s face it—nobody sets out to create a toxic workplace. However, sometimes, that’s just what you end up with. I should know since a few years ago I wrote a book on the topic called Wait, I’m Working With Who?!?

As a leader, you likely started with the best intentions, creating a team that produces great results. Yet, despite your best efforts, workplace cultures can sour. The hardest part? You might be the last to know. So, how do you know if you’re leading a toxic workplace? Here are seven sure signs.

1. People have stopped speaking up.

Remember when your team meetings had that energetic buzz, with ideas flowing freely? If those same meetings now feature polite nods and minimal participation, then something’s wrong. A sign of a toxic workplace is when employees fall silent, meaning they feel unsafe and the need to protect themselves. Ask yourself: When was the last time someone challenged your thinking or brought you an uncomfortable truth? Their silence speaks volumes.

2. You hear about wins last, problems first.

When you’re leading a healthy organization, you regularly witness spontaneous celebrations to commemorate wins, both large and small. If your days consist entirely of problem-solving without moments of genuine pride in team accomplishments, then you’re missing something. Your people need to know their efforts matter, not just their mistakes. Consider how you responded to the last success versus the last failure. Which got more of your attention?

3. Your best people are leaving.

Every leader loses good people occasionally, but a pattern of losing your best people means you’ve got a big problem. When exit interviews become a parade of vague explanations, people are often voting with their feet while protecting their references. The most telling sign? When former team members who rarely spoke up suddenly become remarkably candid after securing their next position.

4. Rules apply differently across your organization.

Few things damage trust faster than inconsistency. When your star performer gets away with behaviors that would get others reprimanded, everyone notices. The integrity gap between what you preach and what you permit becomes your actual culture. The most damaging inconsistencies often involve your own behavior. Do you follow the same standards you expect of others?

5. Time off comes with invisible penalties.

Listen to how people talk about vacations or personal days. Do they apologize for being sick? Work through family emergencies, no matter how serious? Check email throughout their holidays? 

If your response is “nobody made them do that,” consider what unspoken expectations you’ve created. When someone takes legitimate time off without apology, is your first reaction concern or admiration?

6. Growth conversations lead nowhere.

Every leader talks about development, but actions reveal priorities. When budget constraints hit, which increasingly seems to occur today, is training the first casualty? Do your one-on-ones consistently get postponed? If promising employees have been hearing “next quarter” for years regarding their advancement, they’ve likely stopped believing you—and started updating their resumes.

7. Conflict either explodes or disappears.

Healthy workplaces handle disagreements openly but respectfully. If your teams either avoid all conflict or engage in frequent blow-ups, you’re missing the productive middle ground. The most telling sign: how conflicts involving leadership are handled. Can people safely disagree with you? The answer reveals your true relationship with power.

Here’s the reality that’s difficult to accept: Toxic cultures rarely develop by accident. They grow from seeds planted by leadership decisions, priorities, and behaviors. The good news? You have the power to change course, starting right now.