Introduction R ecent years have seen quite an increase in reports of dysfunctional misbehaviour by those in positions of power and influ- ence in governments, in political parties as well as within business organisations more generally. Cases of dysfunctional executive behaviour, of punitive and abusive working environments continue to be exposed and, combined with a seemingly relentless drive for employees to achieve more and more with fewer and fewer resources, can be expected to result in increas- ingly difficult and toxic working environments. Growing expressions of dissatisfaction by employees with the quality of the leadership they receive are highlighted by such bodies as The Work Foundation and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, all of which suggests that we may do well to consider workplace dysfunction and toxicity as normal— rather than as abnormal—phenomena of modern organisational life. If so, what can be done to engage with, anticipate—perhaps even predict—such toxic and ‘shadowy’ facets of organisational behav- iour? This article advocates looking at leader behaviour-in-context which can help to highlight the probability of leader toxicity exploding on to the scene. The material on which this article is based comes from consultancy experiences where, over varying periods of time, I was able to observe some of the more unhelpful ways in which accomplished and competent senior 19 ORGANISATIONS & PEOPLE, FEBRUARY 2007, VOL 14. NO 1 Leadership Toxicity—An Inevitable Affliction of Organisations? MICHAEL WALTON Based on personal consulting and coaching assignments, this article examines the circumstances in which normally competent, accomplished leaders behave badly to the detriment of the effectiveness of their organisations. Such ‘toxic leaders’ could be seen as silent killers who inhibit openness, creativity and healthy workplaces. KEYWORDS: Leadership, dysfunctional behaviour, organisational health, emotional intelligence, workplace toxicity