Breaking Toxic Triangles: How Courageous Followers stand up to Destructive Leadership

Destructive leadership is a growing phenomenon with very real consequences. The scant work that exists largely focuses on destructive leaders while discounting the role of followers and contexts. Using theories on power, agency and structure, this study analyses the actions and discourses undertaken by courageous followers to shift the power balance while attempting to collapse Toxic Triangles (i.e., the confluence of a destructive leader, susceptible followers and the environment). This transdisciplinary study covers 70 episodes across diverse domains within mass movements, politics, and business. The findings have important implications for how we can challenge destructive leaders and democratise our workplaces.