The Destructive Loop: Dealing and Coping With Destructive Leadership

Previous research on destructive leadership has mostly focused on the destructive behaviors and outcomes and less attention has been paid to how to cope with and handle this kind of stressor. The overall aim of this study is to gain a deepened understanding of how subordinates and superiors react to (cope with and manage) destructive leadership behaviors and if and how organizational culture is perceived to influence the chosen strategies. This study used a grounded theory approach and is based on interviews with 26 individuals in the Swedish Armed Forces who had experience of a destructive leader, either as their superior or as their subordinate. The data represents both women and men, different ages, civilian and military backgrounds, and a variety of ranks and branches. The results suggest that the process surrounding being exposed to, coping with, or managing destructive leadership behavior, both from a subordinate and superior perspective, can be understood as a destructive loop. In this loop, individuals relate to, are constrained by, and participate in the coproduction and reproduction of environmental constraints present in the organization. Subordinates use mostly emotion-focused strategies (such as withdrawal) when dealing with destructive leadership, while superiors use problem-focused strategies (e.g., direct action against the leader). Environmental constraints (organizational, cultural, and norm-related) function as enablers of the destructive behavior and barriers to effective coping-management strategies. By combining the perspectives of subordinates and superiors on destructive leadership, the authors add to the literature by painting a picture of how contextual aspects constrain constructive actions and strategies when dealing with the stress of being exposed to destructive leadership. The destructive loop highlights how destructive behavior can be coproduced and reproduced, placing the phenomenon of destructive leadership within a broader organizational hierarchy.