The Art of Leadership:
From stress to inspiration

Identify your levels of toxicity and inspiration among your colleagues

By Angela Civitella

Revised November 17, 2025

In every professional environment, an individual’s attitude profoundly shapes the collective atmosphere. Technical or strategic skills matter, but a leader’s ability to interact with others often determines a team’s cohesion and overall performance. Yet many leaders — and even regular employees — are unaware of the emotional footprint they leave behind.

Toxic Leader Score, also known as TLS, helps assess this phenomenon. It serves as an indicative tool that measures, on a scale of 1 to 10, the level of irritation one generates in a professional setting. Complementing this, the Inspiration Score, or IS, evaluates a leader’s ability to unite people and foster positive energy. Understanding both indicators can help cultivate more self-aware, balanced, and human-centred leadership.

Understanding the Toxicity Score

The leader toxicity score reflects the amount of unnecessary irritation we cause others, often without realizing it. A score of 1 indicates a balanced and respectful attitude, while a score of 10 suggests behaviour that harms team dynamics. The concept stems from a simple truth: every leader shapes their environment with an emotional atmosphere. Their reactions, expectations, and nonverbal communication have a strong influence on those around them — for better or for worse.

The leader toxicity score reflects the amount of unnecessary irritation we cause others, often without realizing it.

A manager who regularly shows up late, interrupts team members, or dismisses their efforts automatically increases their toxicity score. Most often, these behaviours are unconscious. The key is to recognize them before they become destructive.

Ten Behaviours That Increase a Leader’s Toxicity Score

1. Focusing only on results while neglecting relationships.
2. Ignoring emotions and hiding behind “just do your job.”
3. Changing direction without notice or explanation.
4. Complaining or criticizing instead of encouraging.
5. Downplaying others’ progress to remind them they never do enough.
6. Setting distant goals without recognizing small victories.
7. Focusing on weaknesses instead of strengths.
8. Acting like a know-it-all.
9. Interrupting others.
10. Reducing motivation to a matter of money.

These signs of toxicity are not limited to people in leadership positions. Anyone can display them in everyday interactions. Recognizing them is already a first step toward healthier leadership.

From Toxic to Inspiring Leadership

While toxicity drains collective energy, inspiration restores it. The inspiration score measures a leader’s ability to motivate, build trust, and foster engagement. Unlike the toxicity score, which tracks how much emotional energy someone takes from a group, the inspiration score measures how much they contribute to it. An inspiring leader acts as a catalyst for energy, not a source of tension.

‘Inspiration isn’t a gift reserved for a select few. It’s an emotional skill that can be developed.‘

Inspiration isn’t a rare talent reserved for a few. It’s an emotional skill that can be cultivated—listening with intention, empowering others, showing gratitude, and giving purpose. An inspiring leader understands that performance flows from psychological well-being, not the other way around.

Ten Behaviours to Strengthen Your Inspiration Score

1. Create a positive and stimulating work environment.
2. Show respect in everyday interactions.
3. Make firm decisions while remaining open-minded.
4. Delegate with trust and avoid micromanagement.
5. Ask genuine, thoughtful questions.
6. Support the growth and development of others.
7. Provide constructive feedback.
8. Practise generosity—with time, attention, and resources.
9. Recognize and celebrate daily efforts.
10. Pursue excellence through collaboration.

These practices reflect a people-centred approach to leadership. To inspire is to give others the freedom to express their full potential.

Transforming One’s Leadership Style

Shifting from toxic to inspiring leadership requires awareness and intentional action:

1. Become aware: identify toxic behaviours, even the subtle ones.
2. Observe impacts: understand how your attitude influences motivation and team performance.
3. Take action: adjust how you communicate, encourage, and provide feedback.

Leadership then becomes a journey of personal growth — not just about managing others, but about creating the conditions for everyone to thrive.

Toward a Relational and Responsible Culture

The most successful organizations foster conscious leadership built on trust and collaboration. The leader’s toxicity and inspiration scores serve as valuable indicators of the group atmosphere and emotional climate. Encouraging leaders to lower their toxicity score and raise their inspiration score isn’t just about well-being: it’s a driver of sustainable performance. Where recognition exists, engagement and creativity flourish naturally.

‘It’s no longer just about leading, it’s about creating the conditions for everyone to give their best.‘

Modern leadership is no longer measured only by decision-making ability but also by the emotional impact it creates. Each of us has the power to influence our work environment — either by draining its energy or by renewing it. Learning to manage one’s toxicity score and strengthen one’s inspiration score means cultivating truly human leadership — one that balances challenge with compassion, performance with respect.

Image: Keegan Everitt – Pexels Other articles by Angela Civitella
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