Professor, Author, Speaker & Consultant
Category : Leadership Leadership Management
In-Person Seminar in San Diego
Join us for this valuable lunchtime in-person seminar focused on the costly impact of toxic and misaligned leaders on March 26, 2026 at the North San Diego Business Chamber.
TALES FROM THE LEADERSHIP FRONT
At first, Ethan thought the problem was technical. As CEO of a fast-scaling software development firm with 1,000 employees, he assumed sluggish innovation came from poor systems or process bottlenecks. But after three quarters of declining engagement scores and higher-than-expected turnover among emerging managers, he realized something deeper was at play – leadership misalignment.
Category : Leadership Management
Harboring toxic leaders doesn’t just create a few bad days at work; it quietly rewires your entire leadership pipeline and accelerates the loss of your best people.
The domino effect of toxic leadership is real. When you allow toxic leaders to operate unchecked, you’re not just tolerating bad behavior, you’re signaling to the entire organization that toxicity is acceptable, even rewarded. This message spreads fast. What begins as a “difficult, but high‑performing” manager can quickly evolve into a wider toxic culture that erodes trust, engagement, and retention.
Category : Leadership Management
Promotions, lateral moves, and succession decisions are some of the most consequential choices a senior executive makes. Yet in many organizations, those decisions are made in one‑off meetings with incomplete data, heavy reliance on opinions, and limited visibility across the whole leadership bench. The result is a pattern of “surprises” – unexpected failures, stalled initiatives, and regrettable turnover – after the fact.
Category : Uncategorized
Your 2026 profit risks are not just in the market or the economy. It’s very likely sitting in your leadership ranks. Unlock millions of dollars by uncovering toxic leaders, fixing misaligned assignments, and keeping your best people from walking to your competitors by adopting a Leadership Resources Management strategy that pays dividends in 2026 and beyond.
View the following slides to see how these leaks can result in a $19 million impact for a 1,200 person organization.
TALES FROM THE LEADERSHIP FRONT
Maya stepped into 2025 as CHRO of a 5,000‑person pharmaceutical company with a clear mandate: improve profitability without burning people out. Her biggest constraint wasn’t the market; it was the cost of toxic and misaligned leaders quietly eroding performance, engagement, and retention at the top.
Category : Leadership Leadership Management
Most organizations have already locked in their 2026 budgets. Yet many have quietly overlooked a leadership strategy that could mean the difference between hitting their profit targets and leaving millions on the table. That strategy is Leadership Resources Management (LRM)—a disciplined way to identify and resolve toxic leaders, reduce leadership misalignment, and retain your most valuable leadership talent.
Category : Leadership Leadership Management
Every year, I enjoy watching TV shows and movies about the holiday season. It’s a tradition I started with my kids when they were young and continue to this day either by myself or when they arrive for the holidays. Some of my favorites include, “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, “It’s a Wonderful Life” and even “Die Hard.” I also like to watch the animated “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” but this year, I decided to also watch the 2000 live version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” with Jim Carrey. The animated version is my favorite, as I’ve read the book to my kids several times when they were young and even tried to imitate Boris Karloff at times. As I was watching it, I saw several parallels to toxic leadership that I’ve been writing and speaking about lately. There are 4 points about the similarities to the Grinch and a toxic leader that I would like to share with you.
Category : Leadership Leadership Management Uncategorized
People frequently ask why toxic leaders survive in an organization. In this video, I explain some of the reasons.
Category : Leadership Leadership Management
In organizations, a single toxic leader can quietly drain far more value than a weak product line or a small market loss. Toxic leaders create fear, favoritism, and instability that erode morale, collaboration, and trust. Employees under these leaders report higher stress, lower satisfaction, and a greater intent to leave, which pushes your best people toward competitors who offer healthier environments.