Sep 8, 2026 · 24 min · 12 segments
Could it be that you don’t hate your job, but the environment you’re doing it in? Drawing on her own experiences, conversations with clients and examples from Sarah Wynn-Williams’ Careless People…
And that's what I want you to listen out for as you go through this and to think, do I experience this? Have I experienced this? And what am I going to do about it next? So the first sign is that the leader leads you through fear and not through trust.
I have been in situations where I have responded to emails at two o'clock in the morning through fear and not through trust.
I have felt an underlying sense of intimidation, not because the person constantly intimidated me, but because I was worried about what the consequences would be if I made a mistake, if I didn't do as I was told, if I spoke up in a way that was not helpful or challenged ideas too much.
Now, to be fair, where I worked, we were able to challenge ideas, but there was a fear for me which was if I did not do things perfectly, if I did not respond quick enough, if I did not meet the deadline, if I did not do, you know, if I was told to jump, my answer was how high.
It was never that sense of, there was a sense of slight fear or intimidation rather than I am so inspired to do this.
Again, I can't say that was never the case, but one of the signs of you having a toxic leader is that you feel compelled to behave in certain ways because of what the consequences might be if you don't.
That is not the same as it is my, like, you know, this is my... my duty, and it's not the same as this is something that I enjoy.
It's a fear of what are the consequences for me if I do not get done what needs to be done, if I do not meet the targets that and it is the opposite of being inspired you know when you have a leader who inspires you actually you raise your game because that it's not about the consequences it's I want to be part of this I want to serve this leader I want to serve this vision I want to do my best fear comes from a place of I am worried about how you're going to treat me or see me if I behave differently So that's the first sign that you are being led through a lens of fear rather than a lens of trust.
And that's what I want you to listen out for as you go through this and to think, do I experience this? Have I experienced this? And what am I going to do about it next? So the first sign is that the leader leads you through fear and not through trust.
I have been in situations where I have responded to emails at two o'clock in the morning through fear and not through trust.
I have felt an underlying sense of intimidation, not because the person constantly intimidated me, but because I was worried about what the consequences would be if I made a mistake, if I didn't do as I was told, if I spoke up in a way that was not helpful or challenged ideas too much.
Now, to be fair, where I worked, we were able to challenge ideas, but there was a fear for me which was if I did not do things perfectly, if I did not respond quick enough, if I did not meet the deadline, if I did not do, you know, if I was told to jump, my answer was how high.
It was never that sense of, there was a sense of slight fear or intimidation rather than I am so inspired to do this.
Again, I can't say that was never the case, but one of the signs of you having a toxic leader is that you feel compelled to behave in certain ways because of what the consequences might be if you don't.
That is not the same as it is my, like, you know, this is my... my duty, and it's not the same as this is something that I enjoy.
It's a fear of what are the consequences for me if I do not get done what needs to be done, if I do not meet the targets that and it is the opposite of being inspired you know when you have a leader who inspires you actually you raise your game because that it's not about the consequences it's I want to be part of this I want to serve this leader I want to serve this vision I want to do my best fear comes from a place of I am worried about how you're going to treat me or see me if I behave differently So that's the first sign that you are being led through a lens of fear rather than a lens of trust.
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