OVERCOMING TOXIC WORK ENVIRONMENT THROUGH EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES

Abstract

Organizational culture and climate play a crucial role in employees' productivity, as their performance is determined by the nature of the work environment in which they operate. This paper explored effective leadership strategies as a means of overcoming toxic work behaviour in a work environment. When an organization has a toxic work environment devoid of psychological safety, open communication, innovation, trust, and motivation, that organization is bound to have a high turnover rate and low productivity. Toxic work environments are common in Nigeria and are an increasing concern for workers in many different sectors. Toxicity within organizations can appear in different forms, including toxic leadership, supervisors, employees, and a toxic organizational culture. Effective leadership creates a safe and healthy work environment by establishing and reinforcing norms, policies, and practices and prioritizing employees' health, wellbeing, and safety. The researcher clearly indicated that how safe and supportive a work environment could be is a function of an effective leadership strategy and employee voice. The paper concludes that through effective leadership strategies, toxic work behaviour can be managed and organizations can enhance the well-being of their employees and increase productivity and success.