“Negative leadership behaviors, such as toxic leadership, are linked to decreased job satisfaction due to the stress caused by exploitative managerial actions.
These may lead to higher turnover rates and financial losses for the healthcare organizations. Toxic leadership affects team dynamics, leading to poor conflict management
and reduced organizational commitment. It may also result in a negative working
environment, poor quality of care and increased frequencies of adverse clinical events.
Understanding abusive leadership helps in developing strategies to mitigate its effects,
as this leadership style may undermine workforce stability, productivity, staff resilience,
and patient safety. This scoping review synthesizes evidence from multiple countries,
addressing a critical gap by offering a broader perspective on toxic leadership in healthcare,
rather than limiting the analysis to a single organization or setting.”

“The findings from this study indicated that toxic leadership behaviors like self-centeredness, low emotional intelligence, rigidity, and excessive competitiveness play a major role in creating and maintaining a culture of silence within healthcare organizations.
Furthermore, leadership practices that instill fear are associated with organizational silence,
which, in turn, adversely impacts individual development and overall productivity. These
dynamics collectively foster increased turnover intentions among nurses.
These findings are consistent with the study by Lukacik and Bourdage, which similarly identified a correlation between abusive supervision and heightened levels of self-promotion and intimidation. A growing body of literature across various disciplines further supports the assertion that destructive leadership is significantly linked to reduced employee voice. Under such leadership, employees are more inclined to withhold their opinions or merely reiterate the perspectives favored by their superiors, thereby impeding organizational learning and growth. Kazmi et al. in their research also found that despotic leadership fosters increased employee withdrawal and silent acquiescence, mediated through leader-member exchange and work–life quality.”

Tsapnidou, E., Moudatsou, M., Katharakis, G., Koukouli, S., Rovithis, M., Kelesi, M., & Stavropoulou, A. (2025). The Impact of Toxic Leadership on Nurse Retention: A Scoping Review. Healthcare (2227-9032), 13(18), 2341.