Toxic Leadership and the Spiral of Silence

December 3, 2025

Toxic Leadership and the Spiral of Silence

Bridget Kiana Woodberry | 2025

Abstract

In this qualitative phenomenological study, I explored the impact of toxic leadership on the spiral of silence among employees, seeking to understand how toxic leaders impact employees who have lived experiences working with them. Drawing on Noelle-Neumann’s (1974) spiral of silence theory, I investigated how toxic leaders’ behaviors, such as micromanagement, manipulation, and emotional abuse, foster organizational climates of fear and intimidation, leading employees to withhold their opinions and disengage. During the data collection process, I conducted in-depth interviews with six participants who self-identified as having experienced toxic leadership behaviors. The aforementioned interviews gave a detailed look into the participants’ experiences while working with toxic leaders. The findings showed that toxic leadership affects employees’ psychological and emotional well-being, resulting in anxiety, depression, and defensive silence. Participants reported fear of social exclusion and retaliation, contributing to job dissatisfaction and decreased performance. Key themes identified were conduct unbecoming of a leader, negative health outcomes, and oppressive leadership behaviors, which collectively illustrate the negative effects of toxic leadership. Furthermore, the research highlights the emotional stress and physical symptoms that employees experienced, such as headaches and stomach cramps, showing the impact on employee well-being. This study fills a gap in existing literature and provides insight to assist practitioners in developing strategies to prevent the negative impacts of toxic leadership. Fostering organizational climates that prioritize employee well-being, implement open communication policies, and empower employees can help practitioners mitigate the adverse effects of toxic leadership.

Keywords: Destructive Leadership, Employee well-being, Job Dissatisfaction, Organizational Leadership, Spiral of Silence, Toxic Leadership

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