Ultimately there's only one way to handle a toxic culture, leave it, and hope that in the next place you can help build a better culture with people who will listen..

I often find leadership a strange thing - in my experience it's those who don't want it who are best suited to it.

Nothing worse than working with people whom you don't trust.

This really didn’t address how to handle a toxic work environment. It spoke to how to be a better leader.

Leadership is also about INTEGRITY (or doing the right thing even when no one is looking). Like what Simon said, make another pot of coffee when you had the last cup, so others can have their coffee - presumably also when no one is looking. Fully agree - leaders ask if you need help. They explore ways and provide the tools/methodology for you to succeed. Non-leaders just judge your performance and output regardless.

I never considered asking for help as a sign for helping becoming a better leader too. Really brought up a new perspective for me thank you!

just an unrelated aside, but your videos and ideas are some of the most thoughtful and well considered opinions I've encountered both on KZfaq and in the real world at large. Thanks for taking the time to share with all of us, you're nudging people to be better.

Just left another toxic office environment. One week in everyone was dumping their work on me and talking about how horrible management was..ran for my life.

I utilized these skills and was unfortunately terminated from my position for, as of yet, unknown reasons. It worked out overall because I found a company that cherishes great leadership and really shows that they care about those in their employ. Thank you for all of the exceptionally useful advice on leadership and workplace culture. Your content has allowed me to make some really great connections and help foster my friends' and peers' careers.

It's hard to lead in a toxic environment. It's exhausting. It results in punishment. In such environments, when you do 'step up' it's looked upon as challenging authority and power. It's disagreeing with Good 'Ol Boys and having them wreck you. BTW - you never seem to get fired as long as you keep the customer and the Sales people fat and happy. They'll torture you forever if the customers like you, and you can't steal them away from the company if you leave. I don't mind the little things: helping and committing to the team, but it gets old, and you begin to realize there's no changing the executive mindset of "get the sale". The $.33/hr raise year after year just isn't enough to do management's 'job' (which is sales, not leading - same thing to them) because they can't be bothered. It's shameful. It's...well...toxic. So, you do all of those things, and then, you exit. As soon as you can.

Short and profoundly sweet. Thank-you Simon for sharing the brilliance of your gifts!

This is so refreshing - I appreciate your point that leadership can exist at every level of an organization. I've noticed that the "grass-roots" leadership - empowering others and letting others empower you - can often have a more positive impact on company culture than top down approaches.

Be the change, build the environment you want. You can’t control other people or the outcomes of how people react to what you put out into the world. But you can be the person and contribute to building the environment you desire with your daily actions rooted in empathy. Worry less about being right and more about being human. Your team will stand apart from the other teams (and this often brings attacks from other leaders looking to win) but continue to move forward and be what you want everyone else to be.

if you are in a toxic organization and your team is toxic as well, i think you just can leave as fast as possible. If you are in good team, at least most of them you try to grow a supportive culture even with a bad high level mangement. It's difficult but possible. And you need to be aware, within a blink everything can fall apart (if had count "needs" to be reduced for example)

A good way we build trust is not just by helping but by asking for help!

I've always learned to keep my mouth shut and when it's time to go than it's time to go.

I love it. and it doesn't apply only to people that want to become a leader... everyone working in any organization should practice these values. Our life at work would be much more fulfilling and we would go to the office with a smile knowing it's a nice place to be.

I tried really hard for two years, and I handle the problem leaving the company.

Thank you. Great observations, little things make all the difference. Pay attention and notice the people around.

I love these little snippets of advise Simon. Thank you for making these videos

Yess..All about the practice of leadership in tandem with humility....

I believe in what you believe . Love your books. Keep inspiring

Have this at work atm. I’m always congratulating people on their efforts and asking if they need help. It’s just who I am

You are the one who keeps me motivated towards my goal.

this is what i do everytime, im so happy

You are a great leader, Simon.

I think he is describing courtesy, empathy, and humility....most people don't associate that with leadership.

Here's how you handle it.... You walk away and find another job without notice

Dang bro truth spoken been there seen it done it and suffered for it.

Great tips Simon, really useful video. Toxic Workplace cultures are sometimes so difficult to deal with.

I gave up after 5 years of being the only one who "make a new pot of coffee when I had the last cup". Realized some people won't change, they take other people sacrifice for granted.

Great advice as always!

Phenomenal, this is my core practice, but people are still horrendous.

Wow! That's awesome! Congratulations 🎊 👏 💐 That's awesome! Congratulations!That's awesome 👏you are very amazing person ❤ thanks for sharing this amazing and valuable feelings with us..you are a beautiful soul ❤ you are unstoppable and unbreakable keep going and keep shining like a star 🌟 your way of speaking is so motivational in my opinion this way lots of people encourage and inspire from you .... you give lots of people to push out of comfort zone and try and feel new culture and language...I am very greatfull for your all kindness words and support ❤

Awesome tips🤝i'll be trying some of these today!

Thanks, Simon 💚

Perfect ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I've been dealing with a toxic leader (and the toxicity that leaks downwards as a result) for 5 years. Today I decided 'enough is enough' - a new direction needs finding.

Brilliant suggestions!

I always do all of these things, but never think about it. I thought no one wanted to work with me long-term at work because I was constantly put into new groups. I actually DO enjoy working with a variety of tasks, so that's not what bothered me. Was recently told that I was moved around so much because whenever people were having trouble - either with a piece of work that was difficult to solve (and they were super stressed about it) or there was a particular employee that couldn't behave, I was one of the few that could handle "all kind of crazy".

My best Inspirational speaker!

The director of my department has told my co workers negative things about me . This damages my work relationships with them . He’s attempting to make the environment toxic for me. It’s tough to fight back against this . If I complain it could become worse for me . Employers have the upper hand contrary to what is out there .

Lead from the rear. Love it.

I quit the job, I could try to handle of a better way but when I was threaten by a coleguee in front of one of our supplies I decided that it was time to move away, other things were happening and the moral harassment it become part of their culture.

I nedded this. Thank you. :)

Hey Simon. I am a volunteer conference speaker on mental health in the workplace. You are my model as a speaker. We have not shared a stage, yet! 😊 My why is clear....I do it to help others cut through the stress by bringing perspective to this anxiety-ridden, pressure-filled society. Loftily, I wish to contribute to changing the way we do business....people first. If ever u want to take someone under your wing, I'd love to learn from you.

Love all the vids recently. Just wondering of you could do a video based on school enviroment instead of work. Probably a few similarities but would help people in secondary schools or college

Hi Mr. Sinek, your ideas has been extremely helpful in my leadership development over the last 5 years. We run a youth development program and I would love to ask you a few questions on organizational culture. Hope to hear from you. Thanks

Simon Sinek & Jordan Peterson have been the best material out there online right now

That’s definitely right

Thanks Simon! I would like to know more about how to handle the relationship with your boss more effectively, I tend to be very honest and frank, and I'm thinking about this phrase you just said "If you speak truth to power, you could get in trouble", I see myself there, is there anything you could recommend me to read or see? Thanks again!

Perfect

hello Simon... is so simple, yet so difficult...

The way I handled it is so simple; I quite

Dear Simon Sinek, one day we will come across each other on our path of world peace. Thank you.

That what I keep saying, but that rabbit keeps getting all the good roles!

The only solution I have seen for a toxic work culture is a corporate restructure, acquisition or a change in management/ownership. Even then the change can be slow and not guaranteed. Toxic environments also are easier places to become a leader due to the chaos/turnover they can bring, but you may be able to only influence your area only.

These are all great skills to hone but I believe what is missing is from this segment is the ability to read people(whether it's something natural or developed). The person you are helping needs to want to improve or else it will become a toxic relationship as they will see you as someone who craves power. It's quite natural to encounter those primal instincts from coworkers who do not care or have work ethics.

That's one approach but I could see "cat o nine tails" or an "electric cattle prod" also being of use and probable yield quicker results both in effect and emotional reward.

So, you'd all the real leadership, while the toxic boss gets all the credit

awesome! :)

I did this....never realizing the employee was conning me with a sad sop story ....got her a raise...she didn't deserve ....to help her financially...so she could stop stressing about her car and gas getting to work....after that thought ok all good....nope she declared mutiny and gathered my team and backstabbed me ....created disharmony and used this platform to gain a job after the position ended saying she was qualified as a Chef and Kitchen manager.....OMGosh.....she never finished 6th grade....she was a prep person ....who basically put out one meal a day....that was prepared for her....I heard she was fired but not before she made my daughters life hell at school...she was a little girl...and didn't deserve that kind of bullying from a grown woman......gross behavior...perpetual liar....

Unfortunately, most are more that happy to take advantage of you if you give freely of yourself to others. They take it for granted. Next time they just expect it, then they stab you in the back, complain about you, for their own incompetence, laziness. Done with that. Now, I just let people fail by themselves. Sick of going out of my way to help people, the getting f'd for it. F them.

My employer invited people from Simon Sinek organization to give a training to women. It was such a waste of time; half people (me included) left after the coffee break. It’s amazing how Simon Sinek himself is so motivating and inspiring, but trainers who work for him are just mediocre.

I have a "leader" like this right now. I'm looking for another job.

Problem is, some of those with authorities don't want to take risk and worst, not even any responsibilities.

Mostly right "BUT"...there are always folks out there not playing that game with you. There are narcissists out there. There are psychopaths out there. There are sociopaths out there. Ok, the percentage of each group is small, BUT if you have a team of 15 to 30 persons, your chances are pretty high to have one in your team. If you are dealing with care workes, nurses and so forth and so on, your chances are bigger than 10% to have borderliners in your team. You are absolutely right building an environment at work based on trust, support and everything else to make a team a team...but if you want to fight toxic work culture, you also have to take care of preventing and defending your team against these sources of toxicity. I know that non of them has chose to be a person with this stuff, but as a leader it is not your job to take care for them...it is the leaders job to defend the team against those threads. To give a drastic example take black death - you can't blame the people for being ill but you wouldn't let an infected person work in a Kindergarten. Thanx for your stuff - it is a beautiful source of inspiration an knowledge.

Simon...love your videos. Great advice. However, a toxic workplace is like walking thru Chernobyl. You have to have protective gear and realize you have daily exposure that causes short term physical and health effects...maybe long term. You have to shower off the toxic waste you are exposed to daily. Don’t bring it home and talk about it or you risk polluting your home and loved ones. Daily injections of fitness, eating, sleep, etc are needed to bring toxic levels down in your system. Thanks for the advice of taking in the good fight, but in the end, a toxic boss won’t always change. Can’t make nuclear fallout change its nature...all you can do is decontaminate the environment by removing the source....the bad boss. Too bad that you as the employee will also risk your own livelihood elevating the issue. If that’s a real risk, get out of that company as fast as possible because it’ll only get worse higher you go in promotions.

My team leaders are always eager to hear my mates' troubles. Then they delegate me to handle the rest. If the entire team has an issue, the first team member who noticed will be the one to handle the entire resolution process and keep in touch with the support team, not the person who is leading the team and reporting results. And leaders keep telling me privately that "there is something missing from our team". Not going to waste a second on responding to provocations, just waiting for another ship to come.

What if people take all of that you do for granted? Can you also explain how can you handle a situation where you see that the decisions being made are sending the organization flat down on its face?

It only takes one destructive person to create a toxic work culture, especially if the people around that person are ignorant or worse, willfully tolerant of the individual's behavior.

RUN..............,....... 👍🏼

I have read something like this ......in Leader without a title By Robin Sharma

Bad leadership is the one who lacks such respect, responsibility etc ,the values and communication . Who put their narcissistic and ego to do whatever they want .

Just leave the toxic workplace.. Money doesn't heal stress unless ur willing to self medicate on some sort of addiction..

This video did not address the stated question in the title. How do you handle a toxic work culture? Start looking for a new job/new company to work for. I don't have time to put up with a toxic work culture, and no one without authority can change the toxic culture to a better one.

A director at our company said we could afford to lose the single most important project to our company, because we were losing money on it. She failed to see we were making an additional 15 million in revenue from all the projects related to that single project where we were losing around 100k per year lol. Oh yeah, she also fired me because I wouldn't kiss up to her and spoke my mind.

Being a leader also means to pass on information that is relevant to the title. Simon.

I would like to work where this guy works....

This book pairs well with the mindfulness book "30 Days to Stop Giving a Shit" by Corin Devaso. Great leaders are mindful and at ease in even the craziest situations.

liked!

everyone can be super nice to each other as you describe, but when everybody is over resourced and overworked, and on their way to burning out and upper management is nothing about it none of this is going to help

Being a leader the way Simon describes in an environment where every minute of every workday is tracked electronically and where you are actively discouraged from speaking with your co-workers will definitely get your fired. In America there are many businesses that operate in this manner and only the "yes" people will get promotions within that kind of culture. These companies preach "innovation, integrity, open door policy", etc but it is not truly welcomed. I believe that companies that operate in this manner will eventually fail or be forced to make many difficult changes (most likely due to legal involvement) so it's up to the individual to decide if they want to endure years of this "Big Brother" culture or move on to greener pastures.

Thank you for your ideas Mr.Sinek , but you did not say how to handle toxic work places or people.

This might sound Childish but what if you help and the other person is just taking Advantage of you. Do you still continue to be the same person for them?

As an ambitious employee, perhaps I am viewing the problem of a toxic workplace differently……but I see it as a potential opportunity to shine or rise above the rest. We don’t all have the luxury to jump ship whenever we become uncomfortable, I don’t. I only have control over what I do and not what others do. I’m looking at my current situation as practice navigating problems. I’m also trying to have compassion for the people I work with. Many of them have two jobs, our employer doesn’t pay well, and you do get tossed in the deep end when you are new. So many companies our obsessed with “labor is your largest controllable expense”. They will hold the line on this fanatically. Increasing starting wages is a great way to attract and retain better employees. Making employees invest in buying their own uniforms or paying for licensing is also a poor way of managing expenses that I think should be illegal. A poor employee should not have to spend money to work for an employer. I had to spend about $50.00 to work for my current employer.

I take what I can get then quit

How does this video answer the title question, as to how to handle toxic work culture?

✌️🌍WORKPLACE DEMOCRACY!!! 🌍✌️

When someone doesn’t want you there you bet your rear that they’ll do anything they CAN to sabotage you including fighting dirty.

You don't handle it. You leave as soon as possible. No amount of money in the world is compensation for your mental health. And that's what we're dealing with.

How many here never wanted to go to work after working for these energy suckers ?

"This doesn't explain how to deal with a toxic work culture" Sure it does, you become a leader, and little by little the environment will change. Just like Aqua in a cage casting Purification on a swamp, it's slow, it sucks and it will leave you traumatized, but you'll make everything better eventually.

I shared your leadership skills to my group with a toxic boss, guess what happened the guy confronted me in the meeting this organization is multi media group in Uganda the place is too toxic I got anxiety

offer help in a toxic environment? lul you're gonna get emotionally abused most likely aspects of psychological /socio-emotional health like toxicity, loneliness, human disconnection are common in any type of environment (be it work, academic or domestic). one aspect of society that i like to look at is the economic system, as it seems to be a fundamental cause of competitiveness and exclusivity, thus affecting the quality of human relations as well

Unfortunately the true leaders are never really rewarded

He didn't answer the question though...

Please can you advice me on other good advice videos you have done _ more in terms of the order to watch them in. I will keep you as my you tube mentor. I hope you do respond as I know you are more interested in helping mankind rather than fame and fortune. God bless and thank you.

u did not answer the question of toxic environment! i just resigned yesterday because of toxic environment...your explanation did not help 😞

First rule of How to handle a toxic work culture is to really honestly ask yourself if you may be the one who is toxic. Given the current lay of the land in that all young people are never wrong, are just the greatest and should always question any form of authority I'm thinking that I just lost most of the people who really could have benefited from this post.