Reflection Summary: Destructive Leadership - Self-Reflection Analysis

This reflective paper delves into the concept of destructive leadership, examining its characteristics and detrimental effects on employees and the overall work environment. The author defines destructive leadership as an oxymoron, contrasting it with the constructive nature expected of leaders. Through self-reflection, the author recounts a personal experience within an organization where a manager's behavior exemplified destructive leadership, leading to demotivation and a loss of confidence. The paper analyzes the factors contributing to such leadership styles, including a conducive work environment and susceptible followers, as well as issues like bullying, lack of respect, discrimination, and a weak workplace culture. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of ethical standards and professional development for both managers and employees to mitigate destructive leadership behaviors.

Running head: REFLECTION SUMMARY
Destructive Leadership
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

Destructive leadership
Destructive leadership is an oxymoronic term which gives us two different conflicting
ideas at the same time. The two words destructive and leadership do not go hand in hand. This is
because of the fact that a leader is someone who needs to encourage all his followers at all points
of time and work for the general good of the company (Breevaart et al .,2014). In other words,
the work of a leader is to do something constructive and not something destructive. On contrary
destructive leadership is a very strange and unexpected behavior that is often seen on part of the
leaders. Destructive leadership is considered to be very much harmful for the employees and for
the overall company as a whole (Skogstad et al., 2015). Destructive leaders are very much self
centered and are always eager towards insulting their employees. They do not make any good or
positive use of their power and position. Destructive leaders misuse their power. They indulge
themselves in unprofessional practices like shouting at their subordinates and bullying them.

Figure1: Toxic leadership or Destructive Leadership
Source: (workplaceleadership.2013)
Self reflection
I believe that destructive leadership is very harmful for the workers. However, it must be
kept in and that it is also possible for a leader to show both constructive and destructive
behaviors. This is because of the fact that there can be many ethical dilemmas from which the
leaders can suffer (Mehta & Maheshwari., 2014). However I believe that a destructive leader is
one who gains more power based on other factors as well like that conducive work environment
and susceptible followers. I was the employee of an organization where we were not at all happy
with the work environment and also with the kind of leadership that was prevalent. I often found
the leader (manager) to be very rude towards all the employees. I remember that once there was a
team meeting where I was in charge of providing a presentation. However, after I completed

delivering my presentation I was called by our manager at his cabin. On entering his cabin, I was
shocked at the behavior that I got from my manager (Krasikova, Green & LeBreton., 2013). In
spite of knowing the fact that I was a fresher and was delivering a profession al presentation for
the first time, he expected it to be of a very high quality. He was very unhappy with my work and
shouted at me. He also abused me of not having any technical knowhow. After shouting on me
he asked me to undergo a thorough training under the supervision of one of my superior. I was
really very much de motivated after this and lost myself confidence. It is from that training
session that I realized the destructive leadership was a result of the conducive environment and
the susceptible followers that were present in this organization. Many of my seniors were
constantly bullying each other and many of their subordinates. There was a lack of mutual
understanding and respect among the workers. There were problems like racial discrimination,
inequality in the salary structure and favoritism that was largely prevalent in the organization.
The workplace environment was very unruly and weak. There was no team spirit among the
workers. The employees also suffered from the lack of low confidence, instability and low
maturity.
Conclusion
Thus, I could conclude that all these factors together led to the corruption of the leaders
and thus, it gave rise to the destruct the leadership. All these conditions contribute to the
destructive behavior of the leaders because they know that there will be none to revolt against
their behavior. Hence, efforts must be made by the manager and also by the employees to
develop themselves as per the ethics and the professional standards.

References
Breevaart, K., Bakker, A. B., Hetland, H., & Hetland, H. (2014). The influence of constructive
and destructive leadership behaviors on follower burnout. In Burnout at work: A
psychological perspective (pp. 102-121). Psychology Press, New York City.
Krasikova, D. V., Green, S. G., & LeBreton, J. M. (2013). Destructive leadership: A theoretical
review, integration, and future research agenda. Journal of Management, 39(5), 1308-
1338.
Mehta, S., & Maheshwari, G. C. (2014). Toxic leadership: tracing the destructive
trail. International Journal of Management, 5(10), 18-24.
Skogstad, A., Aasland, M. S., Nielsen, M. B., Hetland, J., Matthiesen, S. B., & Einarsen, S.
(2015). The relative effects of constructive, laissez-faire, and tyrannical leadership on
subordinate job satisfaction. Zeitschrift für Psychologie.