| Abstract: |
Toxic leadership has emerged as a critical organizational challenge affecting employee well-being, psychological safety, and overall organizational performance. This study investigates the multidimensional impact of destructive leadership behaviors on employee burnout, psychological safety perceptions, and organizational resilience across 42 medium-to-large organizations in India (N = 1,248). Using a mixed-methods approach combining validated psychometric instruments (Maslach Burnout Inventory, Psychological Safety Scale, and Toxic Leadership Scale) with semi-structured interviews (n = 86), the study reveals that toxic leadership accounts for 47% of the variance in employee burnout (R² = 0.47, p < 0.001) and significantly erodes psychological safety (β = −0.62, p < 0.001). The findings further demonstrate that organizations with high toxic leadership prevalence experience 2.3 times higher turnover intentions and 38% lower innovation output. A structural equation model confirms that psychological safety mediates the relationship between toxic leadership and organizational resilience (indirect effect = −0.34, 95% CI [−0.42, −0.26]). The paper concludes with a strategic framework for building organizational resilience against destructive leadership patterns. |
