By bizn_fun 
Maya is not alone – one in three people have left a job because of a toxic workplace or bad manager, external, research suggests.
But, not every bad manager is toxic and understanding the difference matters, says Ann Francke, chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute.
Many leaders fall into what the institute calls the “accidental manager” category where people are promoted for technical skill rather than leadership ability.
In those cases, poor behaviour is usually driven by inexperience or uncertainty, not intent.
A toxic boss, she says, is different as “they deliberately lack both empathy and often self-awareness”.
“They can actively undermine their team, take credit for others’ work, or rule by fear and have unrealistic expectations,” Francke explains.
The impact goes beyond personality clashes, creating anxiety that can damage both mental health and performance.
“If you have a knot in your stomach on Monday morning, constantly cowering in corridors to avoid confrontation or if you are scared to speak up in meetings for fear of retribution, that is toxicity, not a personality clash,” she says.