Toxic Leaders Put Your Heart and Brain Health at Risk

"Evidence accumulating over decades documents that our brain and heart health are vulnerable to abusive workplace environments. Few of us are taught how to recognize obvious, let alone subtle, toxic behaviours before they have begun to erode our mental and cardiovascular health."

"Job strain occurs when employees have high job demands and expectations but little control over their work. An example would be a teacher who is expected to cover an extensive curriculum, with a large class, including students who suffer from trauma, as well as those with learning disabilities."

"Another subtle form of abuse occurs when leaders deny rewards to workers. Effort is ignored. Success is dismissed. Dedication is simply expected and not acknowledged. If anything, opportunities are blocked."

Subtle forms of workplace abuse, such as high job demands with little control and lack of rewards, pose serious risks to heart and brain health. Research shows that job strain, where employees face excessive expectations without adequate control, can lead to significant health issues. Examples include teachers managing large classes with diverse needs and engineers lacking resources for safety checks. Additionally, an effort-reward imbalance occurs when employees' hard work goes unrecognized, leading to burnout and feelings of failure. These issues are often unrecognized yet detrimental to mental and cardiovascular health.

Read at Psychology Today