Why employees turn a blind eye to abusive bosses

And this is no exaggeration: almost 90% of those surveyed in a recent study admitted to having had at least one toxic boss. And a third admitted to having had more than one.

But here's the paradox: almost no one talks about it. Why? The answer is simple: fear. People are afraid of losing their jobs, ruining their careers, or simply becoming an outcast in the collective. Even those who observe abusive behaviour from the outside prefer to keep quiet. But it's not just fear - often people simply don't realise they are being abused.

"Blind spots" in the collective

Researchers from Canada - Marley Mercer and Len Karakowski - decided to understand why toxic bosses go unpunished for so long. The answer lies in the social dynamics within work groups.

When a person finds themselves in a strange or unpleasant situation, they look at the reactions of their colleagues: "If no one is outraged, is it OK?" This is a phenomenon known since Solomon Asch's famous experiments: we tend to trust the group's judgement more than our own.

If an influential person on the team says that "the boss is just being strict" or "you're too sensitive", this viewpoint quickly becomes "generally accepted". That's it - the abusive behaviour dissolves into the collective interpretation of reality.

When culture works against

Sometimes corporate culture is to blame. Especially in companies where aggressive methods, a race for results and constant tension are favoured. In such an environment, it's easy to lose the line between demanding and psychological violence.

Remember the infamous Enron, where bosses demanded questionable decisions from subordinates for the sake of profit. If the result is more important than the means, you can get away with abusive behaviour.

Charisma as a cover

Another dangerous factor is charismatic leaders. In groups with strong cohesion and a 'cult' atmosphere, employees are so identified with the team that they are unable to look critically at the leader's behaviour. If you're against the boss, you're against everyone. So even obvious signs of abusive behaviour go unreacted to.

People start self-censoring so they don't mess with the "psychological safety" of the group. And when no one speaks up - it seems that there is no problem.

What to do?

Toxic leaders cannot be stopped by silence. To break the cycle, organisations need to:

• encourage open feedback;

• monitor what behaviours are encouraged;

• create a culture where respect and safety are more important than KPIs.

Abuse is not always loud and obvious. Sometimes it hides behind a 'successful' facade and charisma. It is only when employees begin to trust themselves more than the crowd that such leaders will cease to be invisible.